Final Exams' Importance
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Sage Osesek
Nobody likes final exams: They are stressful, intense, and require significant studying. Their cumulative qualities force students to review concepts learned months earlier. Final exam days are dreaded days at the end of each semester, and finally, Hamilton does not require them anymore.
This year, the Hamilton School Board significantly changed its policies to not require finals. The policy manual states:
“With respect to final course assessments at the high school level, staff may administer a unit based or cumulative assessment to aid in determining final evidence of proficiency:
Unit Based Assessment: The last assessment of a semester is the assessment for the most recent unit. The last assessment is not cumulative in nature. The assessment has the same weight as any other unit-based assessment given during the semester.
Cumulative Assessment: The last assessment of a semester is comprehensive of all units taught. The assessment may not constitute more than 10% of the final semester grade.”
Teachers have the option to give a final (at 10% or less than the final grade), or they can choose a unit assessment, which is not considered a final exam. This radical change seems beneficial; after all, students despise final exams. Why shouldn’t we not require them anymore? Unfortunately, the School Board is ignoring the downsides to this adjustment. Although teachers still have the option to give a final exam, considerably fewer classes will have finals, and final exams will be less important to a student’s grade. If an exam is less than or equal to 10% of the final grade, students are less inclined to take it seriously when compared to a more realistic, higher-weighted assessment. The School Board also ended designated final exam days, which further reduces exams’ importance. By lacking a specific day for exams, their significance is lowered. Essentially, the School Board policy changes the mindset of all teachers and students to place less importance on finals and naturally reduces a student’s exposure to them. This decision will have lasting effects on students. High school final exams are of utmost importance, and without enforcing them, our student body is in danger.
The purpose of high school is to get ready for the real world. Whether it be college, the workforce, or the military, Hamilton’s job is to prepare students for their future. Hamilton advertises that 91% of its student population is college-bound, so naturally, it should ready its students for college. Final exams did this; they exposed students to the reality of college. The vast majority of college classes have final exams, with their weight being between 20% to 40% of the student’s grade. Due to the intense stakes, finals are stressful and require experience to reduce anxiety and increase scores. Like anything else, finals need practice. Hamilton used to require this necessary practice by implementing final exams at the end of each semester as 10% to 20% of a student’s final grade. As was anticipated, students complained about the stress and claimed finals were unnecessary. So, current students may see the final exam change as beneficial. However, they are disregarding the long-term disadvantages.
When a student leaves Hamilton, they enter the real world. As mentioned, 91% of Hamilton students attend college, and college is notorious for stressful exams. Hamilton students who are not exposed to finals will enter college with dangerous ignorance and a lack of vital experience. Even if a student’s Hamilton classes had finals, their high school finals would be worth less than or equal to 10% of the student’s grade. This small percentage decreases final exams’ significance, which discourages students from studying and consequently, reduces a students’ exposure to a natural final exam process. The student will not be accustomed to the intensity of college finals, which will cause stress, unhealthy cramming, and inexperienced exam-taking strategies. Without high school experience, they will not know effective studying strategies that work for them. Finals differ from unit exams, which students would recognize if they had to take cumulative final exams.
As for the students who are not going to college, finals still prepare them for reality. Many jobs require intense exams for certification, such as in human resources, the trades, sales, and real estate. Military personnel, firefighters, and construction workers require physical exams, which also cause notable stress. Without required finals, Hamilton students who seek these jobs are underprepared for their future exams as well. Life after high school is not blissfully happy, lacking stress and anxiety. The failure to invoke important stressful experiences that teach life lessons to students is worrisome for the future of Hamilton’s students. Hamilton claims to prepare its students for life after high school, but not mandating final exams makes a student less prepared for their future. Hamilton High School, which advertises its college-ready students, made a decision that will hurt students’ futures.
If a student’s life after high school seems too far to think about, not requiring finals also affects a student during their high school experience. If a student wishes to take an AP class and receive credit for it, they must take the AP exam at the end of the semester/year. AP exams have more information to cover than regular classes, and they are more high stakes than school exams, so they put much more stress on students. Without the practice of cumulative exams, students who take AP classes in the future will be overwhelmed with the amount of information they must review for their class. Furthermore, although standardized tests are becoming less popular, millions of students take the PSAT, SAT, and ACT every year. High scores on these tests can qualify students for scholarships, increasing their desirability. Standardized tests require a review of concepts students learned years ago, which increases their stress and difficulty. Like AP exams, lacking cumulative exam experience will hurt a student’s standardized test scores. Intense exams need practice to manage stress and develop effective studying and test-taking strategies. Without practice, Hamilton students will face unfortunate consequences.
The overall purpose of finals is to show a student’s knowledge about the class, a key factor that ensures a student’s comprehension. High school classes equip students with knowledge that will create an intelligent generation. Concepts like cellular respiration or geometry proofs may seem inapplicable in the real world, but having basic knowledge about core subjects is vital for baseline intelligence and a functional society. Finals force students to review and study all their class material, ensuring that the student understands the course. Without finals, students aren’t forced to review earlier concepts. The class’s information easily escapes them, and the class no longer forces comprehension. Often, a class teaches its most important information in the first few weeks of the class. If students do not have to review this important information, key concepts are lost. Without finals, a student’s final grade isn’t based on their overall knowledge of the class anymore. It is based on a student’s knowledge of particular subjects three or four months ago when they took their unit test. Hamilton should want a knowledgeable student body, but it is promoting an uninformed population. Finals ensure comprehension; without finals, comprehension isn’t a requirement anymore.
Final exams are not fun experiences, but they are a grim reality. In our society, the future guarantees students will encounter intense examinations. From medical school exams to military physical exams, everyone will face this stress. Without prior experience, leaving high school will be a shock for Hamilton students. Hamilton should be preparing us for our future. They are hurting students with this new change, a realization that everyone must recognize. As a senior, I feel privileged to have experienced Hamilton’s promised college-preparation qualities. Students who do not have finals will face a stressful reality once they leave Hamilton.
