Practical examinations

This first report of the Study Group on Examinations deals with practical examinations at A level. Feeling that the purposes of these examinations, as revealed in the publications of the various Boards, to be inadequate, the Group drew up a list of abilities that should be assessed. Because of the various factors involved it seems unlikely that the present examinations give a reliable assessment of these abilities. The results of the examination have little correlation with the teachers' assessments and for 84 per cent of the candidates they have no effect on the final grade. Various alternatives to the present system and the effects of abolition are discussed. The group came to these conclusions: (i) research into the isolation and testing of the specific abilities should be initiated, (ii) the time and effort spent on the examinations in their present form are not justified by the results obtained.