Final Exam Exemption: Pros and Cons

For Urbana High School (UHS) students, being exempt from final exams seems like an impossible dream. However, some students in other school districts enjoy this privilege their senior year and many students, like the students of Warrenton High School (WHS) in Missouri, can qualify for final exam exemption all four years of high school.

Exemption from exams senior year allow seniors to focus on raising their overall grade by completing their assignments. In addition, it rewards students for being productive all semester. If a high grade can be maintained, then the student has understood the information throughout the semester. A high grade on the exam means that, in the end, the student understands the information presented in the course and can put it all together. The varied exam policy allows for students to customize their education.

Schools like Warrenton High School reward all students, not just seniors, for their productivity throughout the year. Students who keep a good grade all semester long will not have to risk it on a final exam and students with poor grades can attempt to raise it with the exam.

However, exams make sure students are meeting a certain benchmark before passing a class, which implies they know the topic well and have can put the knowledge of the class to use. Exams can act as assurance that the students can put all of the semester’s information together and remember the important details as they move forward with their lives. Exams also insure that students attend class until the end of the semester. Without exams, students with a high grade could skip the last week of classes with little to no real penalty.

Exam exemption based on grades and attendance encourages students to keep their grades high and come to school more often. Also, if students choose to skip the last week of school, their attendance record will be hurt, forcing them to take exams. Exemption from exams is a tricky policy to implement, and it is unclear if it is the right fit for UHS.

UHS Principal Matthew Stark’s biggest concern is preparedness from the future. He said that in college one or two tests makes up the majority of your grade in some classes. By taking final exams in high school, “you start to get the idea of, ‘okay, that’s how you do that,’” said Stark.

Stark also had concerns about exam exemption based on experiences in other schools. Students would come to school with fevers trying to meet the attendance requirements of exam exemption. This is unhealthy for the student and those around them according to Stark.

Urbana’s exam policy benefits students by preparing them for a world where testing is the universal benchmark, both inside and outside of the classroom. Even if exams cause stress, they are a part of society students should start preparing for in high school.