Article - Different Subjects should have different approaches

It's half an hour until my Further Maths exam. One and a half hour of pure tormenting mathematics. And that's just writing your candidate number down. This has led me to think - are exams the answer?

If you f**k up an exam, that's it. You're screwed. Of course you can retake it, but that would add another load of pressure onto an already pressurized revision scedule. However, if no exams were taken, it's very difficult to justify a mark (a percentage mark - or even a grade). In the same way that reviews in magazines are regularly criticised, you or your parents may not agree with the grade given to you.

Certain subjects need exams. Maths is one example. Admittedly, in a maths question, there is generally only one correct answer. It's either a tick or a cross. Black or White. Right or Wrong. In fact, the same goes for the majority of Science Subjects - and they should be examined. Furthermore, after an exam, especially in the case of Maths, you expand your knowledge, therefore remembering the information learnt before the exam.

Arts (Languages, Humanities, Art, Music), currently examined, in my opinion, shouldn't be. In the case of Language and Humanities, because the subject (unless you specialise) is so varied, you usually move onto something completly different after the exam. For example, I can't remember a thing about the Poor Law now, even though I took the exam (and got an A) just six months ago. Surely the point of learning is to remember the things that you've learnt?

Art and Music is even more difficult to mark. Beethoven's 3rd Symphony was simply the same note over and over again for the first 2 minutes. However, if I was to do the same thing in my Music Coursework, i'll probably get an E, or less. But surely how 'good' a piece of music or art is is open to interpretation?

5 minutes till my exam. Wish me luck.

Now what was my candidate number again?