Why do they give us such little time for exams? (1 Viewer)

[Olevelswerebetter]

Title. I got only 50 minutes today for my HSC Assessment Task. With this time I could only rush through the paper, using formulas and learned methods to solve each question. But it still wasn't enough, I couldn't finish the last question.
I recently joined the Australian school system from abroad, where they would give us around 1:30 for the same exam. My friend who is also from abroad had a small discussion:

Why do they make you rely on formulas so much? Why is maths based on intuition? Why is there only 'one way' to do the question?

Shouldn't they give us extra time to experiment and solve the question our own way? Shouldn't marks be awarded on how much you can think?

/Rant. What do you guys think?

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[Sp3ctre]

Title. I got only 50 minutes today for my HSC Assessment Task. With this time I could only rush through the paper, using formulas and learned methods to solve each question. But it still wasn't enough, I couldn't finish the last question.
I recently joined the Australian school system from abroad, where they would give us around 1:30 for the same exam. My friend who is also from abroad had a small discussion:

Why do they make you rely on formulas so much? Why is maths based on intuition? Why is there only 'one way' to do the question?

Shouldn't they give us extra time to experiment and solve the question our own way? Shouldn't marks be awarded on how much you can think?

/Rant. What do you guys think?

Sent from my LG-H818 using Tapatalk

In my opinion, Maths is one of those unique subjects which unlike English, is not tested so much on creativity but more on logical thinking. By giving you only 50 minutes for the exam, they're really trying to identify the top clever students who are able to choose from the wide range of formulas and apply them correctly, which can be quite challenging. This is why when I do Maths, I always push myself by repeating the easy and similar questions until I can work through them very quickly without making any mistakes before I move on to the harder questions. I think speed and accuracy are the two most important factors in an exam and are what everyone is ultimately tested on.

 

[D94]

Why do they make you rely on formulas so much? Why is maths based on intuition? Why is there only 'one way' to do the question?

Shouldn't they give us extra time to experiment and solve the question our own way? Shouldn't marks be awarded on how much you can think?

It's an exam, not an assignment. If you can't finish the exam in the most efficient way then it's quite laughable to suggest that you could even experiment or solve it your own way.

Your ability to think stems from your speed and accuracy in intense conditions. This is no different from things like an audition or a try out or an interview etc.

 

[Olevelswerebetter]

How does this not turn you into a math robot, just accurately and quickly processing numbers for some company somewhere? I don't see how the exam reinforces the idea of students learning methods they can use in a variety of situations. You won't always be given exam-type problems to solve in real life. You won't be carrying your formula sheet everywhere you go. I think in real life you're tested on how much you can think creatively and uniquely when dealing with problems.

 

[D94]

How does this not turn you into a math robot, just accurately and quickly processing numbers for some company somewhere? I don't see how the exam reinforces the idea of students learning methods they can use in a variety of situations. You won't always be given exam-type problems to solve in real life. You won't be carrying your formula sheet everywhere you go. I think in real life you're tested on how much you can think creatively and uniquely when dealing with problems.

Well clearly it doesn't turn people into a maths robot. I'm still quite human and I'm not processing numbers for some company.

It's an exam to test your understanding of maths concepts. It's not meant to be a platform for you to show your creativity. There are other platforms for that.

If you decide to do mathematics at uni, you will have mathematics assignments. In these take home assignments, you can show your creativity and problem solving sides.

 

[braintic]

How does this not turn you into a math robot, just accurately and quickly processing numbers for some company somewhere? I don't see how the exam reinforces the idea of students learning methods they can use in a variety of situations. You won't always be given exam-type problems to solve in real life. You won't be carrying your formula sheet everywhere you go. I think in real life you're tested on how much you can think creatively and uniquely when dealing with problems.

I agree that the exam system is not ideal, and creates a production line mentality. That is why they are bringing alternative assessments into the new syllabus.