Band 9 IELTS Writing Task 2: Opinion – Exam-based Assessment

Although final examinations can provide a clear, comparable snapshot of attainment, I largely disagree that students should be assessed mainly through exams. In most contexts, continuous assessment offers a fairer and more accurate picture of learning, provided it is well designed and moderated.

Exams have two notable strengths. First, they allow standardisation: large cohorts can be evaluated under the same conditions, which supports perceived fairness and makes results easy to compare across classes or schools. Second, high-stakes tests can motivate focused revision and may assess certain skills efficiently, such as problem-solving under time pressure. These advantages explain why exams remain important in university entry and professional certification.

However, relying primarily on exams is problematic. Performance can be distorted by test anxiety, illness on the day, or simple unfamiliarity with timed writing, meaning the score may reflect resilience rather than understanding. Moreover, many valuable outcomes—teamwork, sustained research, drafting and redrafting, laboratory technique, and creative production—are difficult to capture in a two-hour paper.

By contrast, continuous assessment through projects, coursework, presentations, and low-stakes quizzes measures progress over time and encourages consistent engagement. It also enables timely feedback, so students can correct misconceptions before they become entrenched. Admittedly, coursework can invite plagiarism or inconsistent marking, but these risks can be reduced through clear rubrics, teacher training, external moderation, and a proportion of assessment completed in controlled conditions.

Overall, exams should play a supporting role, while continuous assessment should carry the greater weight because it better reflects authentic learning and a wider range of skills.