Make up exam
Should the make up exam be different from the primary exam if a student is absent?
Sandra,
It's difficult to give a precise answer about another institution. What I can say though, is whatever the policy, it should be fair, clear, and guidelines stated at the beginning of the course.
Barry Westling
The make up exam should be different and there should be a lower limit set to how high of a grade can be achieved. This indirectly rewards students who take the test on time.
Salvatore,
This is a rational policy, and as long as students are informed of the policy beforehand, they should very grateful to even have a chance to retake a summative assessment of their learning.
Barry Westling
Usually the make-up exams I deliver have a limited score the student can achieve. Then I take the average of previous test and the make-up test to get the final grade.
Patrick,
This makes sense and appears is a rational approach.
Barry Westling
I ususally have two test and use one for the class and one for make up. I think they are about the same as far as how hard they are to take. Should I consider making one harder?
Tammy,
If we want to measure learning, in my opinion different versions should be used, but at approximately the same level of difficulty.
Barry Westling
I personaly have a make up exam for the student that is absent the day of the exam, due to the fact that student had an extra day of study time.there may also be the loss of 10 points for everyday student is absent from class to take the test. of course all cercumstances are explored and discussed,in fairness to all students.
Raymond ,
Good plan. Fairness is important, as are consequences for important events. Such is life, both in school and work.
Barry Westling
The make up exam should be different, but at the same level. If a student does not have a good excuse points should be taken off.
Luis,
It's important to measure learning, but also to be fair to the other students.
Barry Westling
Yes it should be because students that are absent will ask other students about questions that were on the test. It is not fair to the students who were there on the original exam date for the student that missed to have an advantage by taking the same exam.
I think make up exams are a touchy area. How fair is it that other students didn't have the extra time to prepare?
Jill,
I try to consider all graded activities to my standard of, "what way will I best measure learning".
Barry Westling
Absolutely. Though we hope that students do not cheat we must do everything we can to ensure this does not happen. By giving a student that has to make up an exam a different version it requires them to do the thinking and processing of the questions on the exam. They have to supply their own answers. If the original exam was multiple choice, true /false and short answer questions, for the make up exam I use the same format but change the questions in each category.
Susan,
Yes, usually there is some satisfactory and creative way to assess students who are examined apart from their classmates.
Barry Westling
I believe it should be a separate exam for makeup exams.
Yes Mrs. Sandra as long as the exam is harder than the original and they have a doctors excuse/legal document stating they were unable to attend class. Even then I still deduct 10 points for every day the exam is late. This encourages the student to always be there on exam day.
i believe that two different exams should be given out regaurdless. That way it is more difficult to cheat, and then the student doesn't know what exam they will have. This way it can also help to see if the way things are written on a test/quiz makes a difference of how well they are retaining the information given to them.
