Universal exams can fix the grade inflation crisis

With the prestige of first-class honours degrees diminished, intellectually testing national examinations are needed to identify academic high-flyers, argues Lincoln Allison

Published on
March 28, 2024
Last updated
March 28, 2024
Lincoln Allison
Person blows an inflatable orange crown to illustrate Universal exams can fix the grade inflation crisis
Source: Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images
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Reader's comments (7)

#1 Submitted by m.... on March 28, 2024 - 4:05pm
Hmmm. Never a fan of the traditional "sit in silence at a tiny wobbly desk" examination - when, in real life, does one ever have to pull facts out of memory alone? - this article is remarkably convincing... provided that examinations can be formulated to test the candidate's thinking and reasoning abilities, not the parrot-like regurgitation of facts.
#2 Submitted by ... on March 28, 2024 - 6:21pm
In a way, isn't that what is done for GSCE's and A levels? Did it help with grade inflation there?
#3 Submitted by n.oren@... on March 29, 2024 - 9:55am
A uniform exam system (c.f., GREs in the US) has some potential advantages, but there are significant downsides. Universities will quickly "teach to the exam", killing nearly all innovation and risk taking in education, and making a degree from one institution look very much like a degree from any other. This homogenization of higher education doesn't seem like a good thing.
#4 Submitted by m.crone... on March 30, 2024 - 9:45pm
Is the sole purpose of higher education to sift out a small percentage of "high flyers"? What a dismal perspective of the university and it's role in society. Grade inflation may be a problem, but the prescription here is depressing.
#5 Submitted by graff.... on April 1, 2024 - 12:50am
The proposed solution in no addresses the perceived problems. Both are grossly oversimplified. The genuine diversity of students and their abilities are dismissed. Education is the answer, not more testing.
#6 Submitted by b.... on April 1, 2024 - 7:27pm
Excellent article. Universities should indeed be for the high flyers; the intellectually gifted. A Universal exam that allows the truly clever to enter University is sorely needed. There are plenty of opportunities in further education, apprenticeships that can offer rewarding job prospects and perhaps better than University can, for the rest.
#7 Submitted by acerpacer on April 2, 2024 - 2:41pm
Get rid of the current grading systems - Pass or Fail will do. This will help with actually teaching challenging/materials and forcing students to think for themselves. Proper selection methods that are tailor made for the purpose should be used for selection for jobs or further higher education etc. Universities need not be in the business of sorting students.

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