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As a high school English teacher, I often hear students complain about having to take final exams. They complain that there is too much information and are, more often than not, overwhelmed by the possibility that their success in class may ride solely on how they perform on one exam. It is a reasonable gripe, but the fact of the matter is that final exams are not meant to stress the students.

Summative exams are a necessary tool to help teacher measure the overall success of specific educational strategies and methods. Final exams provide teachers with a way of assessing our student's ability to utilize the skills taught during the class. They provide teachers with evidence of a student's competency. While class time is used to learn and practice new skills, the only way teachers can determine mastery is to administer an exams that require students to display an accurate understanding of the material taught.

Many of the problems with final exams are in the development and not in the purpose. When planning a final exam, teachers should focus on designing for quality questions that allow students to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information rather than just summarize (see Bloom's Taxonomy), rather than focusing on quantity. Students should not be forced to memorize information as all this tests is how well they memorize. Instead, they should be asked to simple use specific skills by applying them to different tasks.

In addition, students should never think that they have to cram all night in order to prepare for a final exam. Learning takes time and therefore students should be practicing these concepts daily in order to ensure that they are prepared for all exams. If students are completing all classwork, homework, projects, and other class assignments, when the final exam is given, reviewing will be a breeze.

Learn more about this author, Kristina Daniele.
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