Administer Exams

Considerations

Do I need an exam?

Before choosing an exam, consider whether an exam is the best way to gather evidence of the intended learning. Case studies, performances, simulations, oral assessments, projects, and other formats may provide stronger evidence for some outcomes. See Develop Assessments & Activities to learn more.

Is the exam for an online course?

First, when feasible, first consider adapting exams into more manageable assessments. High-stakes, single-performance assessments such as mid-term and final exams can be challenging to facilitate in fully online courses. These high-pressure assessments can also be stressful for students and may not provide the most holistic evaluation of their learning. Consider other assessments, such as projects, presentations, or portfolios.

Second, Federal Regulation 34 CFR § 602.17 requires verification that the student taking your online course is the one registered for the course. Many assessments and scaffolded assessments can deter academic dishonesty, but high-stakes exams are different. If one exam is 25% of your grade, fear of failure is great, and the desire to cheat increases. Check that ID and design the environment to ensure academic integrity.

How much does the exam impact the student's grade?

Multiple low-stakes assessments reduce the overall stress students associate with an exam. Reducing the weight of an exam reduces the desire to take extreme measures to get every answer correct because an incorrect answer will not impact their grade as much. Additionally, more frequent assessments (e.g., weekly quizzes or problem sets) give students more opportunities to practice and receive feedback on their performance, which can help them master the content and be more prepared for any summative assessments. 

Is the exam weighty?

If the exam is worth a significant portion of their grade, you can allow students to earn points back on questions that they missed. Before giving feedback, ask students to submit a written explanation of why their answers were wrong, attempt the problems again, and resubmit their answers for partial credit. This technique places more value on learning than performance.

Another option is two-stage exams. Students first work on an exam independently, then work on (a subset of) the questions with a group immediately after that. Students receive immediate peer feedback on their answers and an opportunity to increase their individual scores.