Students only show up for their examination inspections if they want to top up their grade. A missed opportunity, finds the National Student Union.

It is a good thing for students to go to their examination inspections and learn from their mistakes, according to the LSVb (National Student Union). However, they scarcely ever do, as is shown by a short research of test quality. Only students who want a higher grade show up. Students should blame themselves, but universities and universities of applied sciences are to blame as well. The timing of the inspection occasions is susceptible for improvement. Students get too little feedback now.

‘Multiple choice is unacademic’

Most students are generally content with the examinations themselves, as is shown in the survey held among 363 respondents. Master students tend to be more content than bachelor students.

However, they to criticize the use of multiple choice tests, which they call ‘unacademic’. The student union can understand the critique. ‘A multiple choice test sometimes seems to be more of a test in reading comprehension,’ so states Chair Jorien Janssen. ‘Even if you don’t learn it is possible to get a passing grade.’ On the other hand, questions and answers would sometimes be formulated so weirdly that you could end up with a failing grade while you are a master of the subject.

Reused tests

Furthermore, lecturers happen to exceed the time period of grading exams, set in the education and examination regulations. Additionally, they sometimes use the same tests as in previous years, which makes it ‘unfairly very easy to get a good grade’, according to the LSVb. HOP