Do you think time limits in exams are unfair?
Scroll to see replies
Original post by sharmine
yes i do R.E (finally finished it FOREVER just an hour ago after doing my r.e exam) and we have to do 4 essay q's in 1.5 hours...still had time (2mins to be precise) to check over and i felt i could do it thoroughly in the time given...
Ahh my apologises, fair enough I just find the Philosophy and Ethics papers one after another hard slog in contrast to History and Lit
I don't think it is fair, but what else can they do..
90 minutes isn't enough for a 80 mark history paper. It was ridiculous when our teacher went through it, you have to spend 10 minutes scanning the the sources, plus you have to spend at least 40 minutes on the 32 mark question just to complete it. I don't see why it can't be increased to 2 hours. Every exam you should be allowed 5 minutes to proof read, but it's clearly impossible on some. This doesn't apply to all exams however.
Just the ones I suffer on
Original post by W.H.T
Original post by W.H.T
WHAAAT 
never heard of this before. I assumed this was only for those with medical reasons.
never heard of this before. I assumed this was only for those with medical reasons.
a couple of people in my school either get to do their work on laptops - something I would much prefer. also some have extra time - despite some of these people being really clever. i think if you have dyspraxia for example you get extra time with essay writing subjects
I think a lot of the skill in exams is being concise - time limits stop people writing down EVERYTHING they know about the subject hoping to score marks. You gain marks by writing high quality answers that are to the point and answer the question. I agree that times should maybe be relaxed a little though, my geography exam on Tuesday for example was worth 120 marks with a time limit of 2 hours, and in total you had to answer about 16 - 20 questions including 15 mark questions. It's a very stressful exam, and a lot of people worry about the time constraints rather than actually finishing - I for one know I rushed some of the final questions and didn't write as well as I could have.
I think completely removing time limits however will mean people blag and blag, or perhaps get complacent and don't write as well. Quality not quantity.
I think completely removing time limits however will mean people blag and blag, or perhaps get complacent and don't write as well. Quality not quantity.
The time limits are definitely very restrictive, but I think they're going for the "Quality, not quantity" thing. In Higher English (Scottish System, by the way, so they're like AS levels) my early essays usually had bad conclusions and my last 2 paragraphs or so weren't fantastic usually because I'd be rushing to write a certain amount, and the teacher pointed this out and so then I told myself "Ok, I'll finish 5 minutes before the set time and check over my answers and sort out my messy handwriting." So hopefully I'll get better marks because the quality will be better even if they're not as long. Hope so, anyway!
Limited amounts of paper? That doesn't account for handwriting size nor the amount of information you actually know. You'd be very annoyed if you had more to say but couldn't put it down because you had no space. The time limits can be very restrictive at times, but if they weren't there you'd be spending all day in an exam hall as some are very slow writers, and leaving early would disturb them making it unfair.
Original post by Average Lad
Being Dyslexic isn't that bad; I should know, I'm Dyslexic!
I have no problem with time limits in exams, in fact, I've got a GCSE maths exam coming up soon, 1 hour, 45 minutes, which my class has been getting through in mocks in about 1 hour, leaving 45 mimutes to check, then be bored for the remainig half and hour!
I have no problem with time limits in exams, in fact, I've got a GCSE maths exam coming up soon, 1 hour, 45 minutes, which my class has been getting through in mocks in about 1 hour, leaving 45 mimutes to check, then be bored for the remainig half and hour!
There are varying degrees of dyslexia, yours might be quite mild, so I wouldn't assume everyone with dyslexia can do everything you can.
Original post by Joell3
You clearly have no idea what it's like to have a severe learning difficulty, why don't you swap with someone who has dyslexia? You can have their extra 10 minutes along with the struggle of having to carry around all of your school books everyday because your organisation skills are so poor, being unable to spell basic words, taking longer to read and process text than everyone else and find simple everyday tasks such as filling in a form and comprehending written or spoken directions impossible 
The problem is, it's manufacturing a fake advantage by unfairly favouring some candidates.
Ok, it's not nice to have dyslexia. That's not at issue.
What is at issue is that all the extra time in exams (and all the other bonuses that some local authorities give dyslexic students, like free laptops) - don't change the candidate. All they do is give him or her a better chance of getting better school results.
To what end?
It's often trotted out how smart dyslexic people really are. So put that into the context of the TSR cliches - let's say the extra time in the exams nets the dyslexic student a bunch of top grades, and the student goes on to one of the TSR love-ins - Banking, Medicine or Laws.
None of those professions are going to tolerate or make allowances for dyslexia in practice. A dyslexic anaesthetist isn't going to get extra time from her dying patient to read the diagnostics. Can you imagine a banker or solicitor involved in a multi-billion pound deal, that absolutely must be sealed by close of play in Tokyo? Can you imagine going to the president of some bank in Japan, and asking for an extra 45 minutes because you're dyslexic?
It's not fair that some people are born with this. But I was born as a not-particularly-fast runner. Why am I not allowed to enter the Olympics with a 5 second headstart over all the natural athletes?
Original post by NottinghamYouth
Why do some people get extra time?
What is the deffinition of dislexia/dispraxia.... Surely everyone would have one or the other to a degree.
Is it therefore fair that some people who struggle to write/think fast don't get extra time, yet the people who have been classified as "in need" of extra time do?
Returning to the real world no-one will give you extra time/ make allowances in a job because you have "special needs". I know one guy who refused to put he was dislexic on his UCAS application to be a doctor.
Life's unfair. (Oh and on that is why should I have to pay for uni, and other people get to go for free when they can come out with the same degree and get the same job. For the "squeezed middle" and normal people life's a bitch.)
Sorry for the rant.
What is the deffinition of dislexia/dispraxia.... Surely everyone would have one or the other to a degree.
Is it therefore fair that some people who struggle to write/think fast don't get extra time, yet the people who have been classified as "in need" of extra time do?
Returning to the real world no-one will give you extra time/ make allowances in a job because you have "special needs". I know one guy who refused to put he was dislexic on his UCAS application to be a doctor.
Life's unfair. (Oh and on that is why should I have to pay for uni, and other people get to go for free when they can come out with the same degree and get the same job. For the "squeezed middle" and normal people life's a bitch.)
Sorry for the rant.
Slight difference between writing speeds and dyslexia...
Original post by Average Lad
Original post by Average Lad
Being Dyslexic isn't that bad; I should know, I'm Dyslexic!
I have no problem with time limits in exams, in fact, I've got a GCSE maths exam coming up soon, 1 hour, 45 minutes, which my class has been getting through in mocks in about 1 hour, leaving 45 mimutes to check, then be bored for the remainig half and hour!
I have no problem with time limits in exams, in fact, I've got a GCSE maths exam coming up soon, 1 hour, 45 minutes, which my class has been getting through in mocks in about 1 hour, leaving 45 mimutes to check, then be bored for the remainig half and hour!
No offence but your awful at doing maths papers quickly. for the gcse my class will finish a paper in 40 minutes, whilst chatting and chilling out. the exam is going to involve a lot of sitting around though lol :/
I think there can be a problem with some of the time limits they set in exams, but a paper limit would be silly. What if you decided to completely re-write one of your paragraphs you wouldn't have space.
I did a paper in AS which was ridiculously tight for time. So much so that I managed to get like almost full marks on the longer questions and very few on the shorter questions as I saved them till last so I could try and get as many marks as possible. The exam board said there was no problem with the timing, and I got an A anyway, but then after they got the results from the summer session they decided to give you another 15 minutes, without awarding those who had already done it with any extra marks!
I did a paper in AS which was ridiculously tight for time. So much so that I managed to get like almost full marks on the longer questions and very few on the shorter questions as I saved them till last so I could try and get as many marks as possible. The exam board said there was no problem with the timing, and I got an A anyway, but then after they got the results from the summer session they decided to give you another 15 minutes, without awarding those who had already done it with any extra marks!
Original post by BabushkaMan
I think this is the case, at least in regard to writing-based exams like English and History where essays are required. Should the focus not be on whether or not you know the information and can articulate a good argument around the facts, rather than a race to see how fast you can get it all down?
Surely a fairer system would be to give the student a limited amount of paper. That way everyone is on the same page, so to speak. At the moment, the advantage is had by people who can write quickly and order their thoughts quicker than others.
Surely a fairer system would be to give the student a limited amount of paper. That way everyone is on the same page, so to speak. At the moment, the advantage is had by people who can write quickly and order their thoughts quicker than others.
Stupid idea.
Original post by BabushkaMan
I think this is the case, at least in regard to writing-based exams like English and History where essays are required. Should the focus not be on whether or not you know the information and can articulate a good argument around the facts, rather than a race to see how fast you can get it all down?
Surely a fairer system would be to give the student a limited amount of paper. That way everyone is on the same page, so to speak. At the moment, the advantage is had by people who can write quickly and order their thoughts quicker than others.
Surely a fairer system would be to give the student a limited amount of paper. That way everyone is on the same page, so to speak. At the moment, the advantage is had by people who can write quickly and order their thoughts quicker than others.
I agree, but then I think the whole examination system is rather pointless. They test your memory skills, not your intelligence or understanding.
a limited amount of paper.... to bd biased against people who have big writing....
surely the grade boundaries are relative, based on everybody writing in the same amount of time. If everybody finds the exam difficult then the grade boundaries are lower, the fact that some people get As and some people don't seems to demonstrate that some people are better at selecting the correct information. Like someone else said, it's about quality not quantity at the end of the day.
surely the grade boundaries are relative, based on everybody writing in the same amount of time. If everybody finds the exam difficult then the grade boundaries are lower, the fact that some people get As and some people don't seems to demonstrate that some people are better at selecting the correct information. Like someone else said, it's about quality not quantity at the end of the day.
Personally, I think the AS History exam is too short. My other subjects have perfect time limits, like English and German. I finished my English exam today with 15 minutes left, even after spending 20 minutes planning my responses to both questions. However I still have further issues. I understand the point is to be able to write essays with the key points straight away to prove you are a prepared candidate, but that is nothing to do with understanding and encouraging interest in History itself. I think this has evolved from a trend in the government with their dilution of examination and the league tables they produce from it.
They are testing candidates on how they can recall events and discerning ones that are relevant, it's like a more specialised General Studies, rather than developing an argument about History and going into riguorous academic depth. The 24 markers do this to a degree, but not enough. There needs to be a longer time limit to allow this depth to be demonstrated by candidates, and the questions need to be more imaginative than 'blah blah says this is important, do you agree?'.
Most candidates who take A levels want to go to university, and I don't think these exams prepare you well for what is required of you. University examinations are double -if not more- the length of these exams. The exams' questions are of poor quality anyway, before one can say there isn't enough time to produce an individual, carefully contemplated response. People can just research mark schemes and regurgitate old arguments. I totally agree with roseroserose. on this, arguments become formulaic and boring when you have to answer as you go.
As for extra-time, there is a huge system in my school where anyone who has problems which can affect performance negatively - and therefore get grades not representative of their intelligence - will get extra time. It isn't handed around freely. If you're a slow writer, it has to be a proven problem that doesn't seem to get better not matter how much you try. That girl who claimed somone at her school apparently said she was a slow writer and got a laptop was misinformed. The examination board must approve, and there is a long process before you can make an application, i.e. tests for your condition. I don't think completing exams has any correlation with being a doctor or a lawyer. Working is a different exercise altogether, it is much more vocational. It is important that students with severe dyslexia/dyspraxia/certain types of autism etc. get an accomodation with this so those unfortunate issues don't discriminate them unfairly.
They are testing candidates on how they can recall events and discerning ones that are relevant, it's like a more specialised General Studies, rather than developing an argument about History and going into riguorous academic depth. The 24 markers do this to a degree, but not enough. There needs to be a longer time limit to allow this depth to be demonstrated by candidates, and the questions need to be more imaginative than 'blah blah says this is important, do you agree?'.
Most candidates who take A levels want to go to university, and I don't think these exams prepare you well for what is required of you. University examinations are double -if not more- the length of these exams. The exams' questions are of poor quality anyway, before one can say there isn't enough time to produce an individual, carefully contemplated response. People can just research mark schemes and regurgitate old arguments. I totally agree with roseroserose. on this, arguments become formulaic and boring when you have to answer as you go.
As for extra-time, there is a huge system in my school where anyone who has problems which can affect performance negatively - and therefore get grades not representative of their intelligence - will get extra time. It isn't handed around freely. If you're a slow writer, it has to be a proven problem that doesn't seem to get better not matter how much you try. That girl who claimed somone at her school apparently said she was a slow writer and got a laptop was misinformed. The examination board must approve, and there is a long process before you can make an application, i.e. tests for your condition. I don't think completing exams has any correlation with being a doctor or a lawyer. Working is a different exercise altogether, it is much more vocational. It is important that students with severe dyslexia/dyspraxia/certain types of autism etc. get an accomodation with this so those unfortunate issues don't discriminate them unfairly.
If I had more timein exams, I'dget 16A*s.
I think that exam times are a pain a lot of the time, for people that write slowly/think slowly. But it's a thing that can be overcome with revision and practise. It's not right to say that people that finish quick do so purely because they write quickly and so deserve no more credit. In some cases, they have revised better, have understood the topic better, have better skills at organising their thoughts under pressure and the exam results should reflect this.
Exams are not just about trying to get everyone to look good, they are also a means for employers and universities to distinguish more able minds. And yes, for certain jobs and certain courses, the current exam structure is unhelpful, but it would be difficult to devise a better one, bar assessment days and interviews, which already happen.
Exams are not just about trying to get everyone to look good, they are also a means for employers and universities to distinguish more able minds. And yes, for certain jobs and certain courses, the current exam structure is unhelpful, but it would be difficult to devise a better one, bar assessment days and interviews, which already happen.
Well for media we have to watch a 5 minute clip four times, writing notes on 3 of those times on 4 topics.
Then we go straight into writing a 45 minute 1000-ish word essay and we then go straight into writing a completely different topic 45 minute 1000 word essay, so that's 2000 words in 1.5 hours with no break inbetween.
Now that's harsh!
The essays should be different exams as one is on TV Drama and one is on the Film Industry.
And each should be one hour as i struggle to write 1000 words in 45 mins, for German we get 1.5 hours to write a 200-220 word essay.
Then we go straight into writing a 45 minute 1000-ish word essay and we then go straight into writing a completely different topic 45 minute 1000 word essay, so that's 2000 words in 1.5 hours with no break inbetween.
Now that's harsh!
The essays should be different exams as one is on TV Drama and one is on the Film Industry.
And each should be one hour as i struggle to write 1000 words in 45 mins, for German we get 1.5 hours to write a 200-220 word essay.
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- Writing after the end of an exam
- Do you think it's unfair for students to have extra time + laptops?
- Am I allowed a Calculator for university Computer Science exams?
- My friend might be getting extra time and i hate it.
- Why do Northern Irish students get less student finance?
- Aren’t exams cruel?
- english literature coursework
- please- i am losing hope
- 2023 GCSE summer resits
- I've used my calculator in a maths exam by accident, should I tell someone?
- Issues with jobs because I cannot drive
- Given AI technologies like ChatGPT, are GCSE and A-level exams fit for purpose?
- Is it worth taking an A-Level in your Native language (Urdu)?
- PwC flying start vs A+F at top university
- Is this fair and does this make her insecure
- Durham Marking Boycott as a Second Year
- bad predicted grades :(
- How much do people actually revise for collections
- Why Does this QMUL not Care about the students (medicine)
- AS Further Mathematics CCEA 2023 Paper
Latest
Trending
Last reply 11 hours ago
Edexcel A Level Politics Paper 1 (9PL0 01) - 21st May 2024 [Exam Chat]A-levels
18
Trending
Last reply 11 hours ago
Edexcel A Level Politics Paper 1 (9PL0 01) - 21st May 2024 [Exam Chat]A-levels
18
