I just happen to be moving to Adelaide in a few days and so, I think I’ll be hearing my fair share of comments about this particular topic. SACE (South Australian Certificate of Education) has just announced that the 2018 English Literary Studies exam will be taken on a computer. Computerised testing isn’t something that’s new, it’s very common in University. However, rarely are the exams electronic.

It’s not just the exam that’s new, English Literary Studies is a brand new subject in 2017. The subject is a re-vamping of the old subject, English studies. If you’re still unsure, this is what SACE states:

The subject focuses on the skills and strategies of critical thinking needed to interpret texts. Through shared and individual study of texts, students encounter different opinions about texts, have opportunities to exchange and develop ideas, find evidence to support a personal view, learn to construct logical and convincing arguments, and consider a range of critical interpretations of texts.

This seems like a very interesting subject, which is somewhat similar to English Literature, which I took in VCE when I was in school. The outline for the subject states that the exam will be 90 minutes long and can include a variety of different texts in the material. This includes film, music and other multimedia. This explains why it may be advantageous to take the test electronically.

Board director of SACE, Neil McGoran says that the new format reflects the way which students already study. Since essays and assignments are often word processed and then printed before handing them in, it’s more efficient to just bypass the hard copy. There will apparently be 7 more exams to go online later, as well.

Going paper-free is also a huge benefit of this strategy. By eliminating the need for paper exams, you relieve the administration burden of transporting all the papers to markers. It’s also more environmentally friendly. Imagine all the paper you could save from not printing exams!

Any tips?

Though I will not/have not sat this exam, I can give you a few tips for electronic assessment from my time at uni and doing some computerised tests there!

  1. Doing lots of practise exams is essential for every exam you take. Because the electronic exam is something new, you’ll want to make sure you do as many practise exams as you can!
  2. Ask your teachers what will be expected from you. Their job is to get you good grades! Don’t hesitate to ask them about the curriculum or what they know about the exam.
  3. Make sure your IT skills are up to date. I know that most of you know how to touch-type and are probably computer literate. However, those who aren’t will be at an extreme disadvantage so I recommend you learn how to touch type and use a computer fast!
  4. Check your answers- even if it seems stupid! On the computer, it can be a lot easier to make silly mistakes since you’re working at a faster rate. Therefore, it’s super important to double check all your work and answers.
  5. Have a back-up. I’m not sure how the program will work, but technology is sometimes unreliable. You’ll want to make sure that you have the appropriate back-ups for if your Plan A goes wrong!

 

Technology always has pros and cons associated with it, but I think that computerised testing is the way of the future. It’s already implemented in many Universities as a component of formal assessment, so it’s natural that high school would follow! I’d like to know what your opinion is on computerised exams is and also if you have any questions about it! Leave me a comment.

Good luck!