3.B Explain the following concepts from the text.

student assessment; academics, modularisation; to timetable; to contemplate income; gender bias; inter-tutor reliability; marker; conventional wisdom; time-constraint; unseen exams; short-term memory; holistic approach; rigorous; in-tray exercises; dossier of papers; red herring; to simulate practice; open-book exams; formulae sheet; rote-learning; takeaway paper; wordprocessor; coursework; reference sources; polished work; case-study; multiple choice questions; short answer questions; low-level skills; open to guessing; taxing questions; computing student; diehard.

3.C Answer the following questions, using the information from the text.

1. Who is dissatisfied with traditional exam procedure?

2. What factors testify to the unreliability of exams?

3. What should exams demonstrate instead of short-time memory?

4. What are the main innovative types of exams? What are the benefits of each of the new ways of testing in comparison with the traditional exams?

5. What is the students' reaction towards the reform in assessment?

6. Will the traditional exams disappear all together?

3.D Support of challenge the following statements.

1. Conventional exams test nothing but memory.

2. Innovative methods of assessment, including take-home exams, foster academic cheating.

4. Listen to a talk about exams and complete the following statements with the correct alternative (a–c).

1. According to the speaker, exams work against clever students, because exams

a) do not encourage depth of earning

b) favour those who are engrossed in their studies

c) cannot assess any knowledge

2. The speaker define examinations

a) by saying they are unjust

b) by likening them to reality

c) by claiming they build character

5. Write a home essay to discuss to what extent exams are the best way to assess students' progress.

6. Consider the vocabulary which may be of help while talking about uk academic degrees and qualifications.

• smb's qualifications – all the exams someone has passed, e.g. List your qualifications in the space below. • degree – the qualification that a student gets when he/she successfully finishes a course at university, it can also mean a more advanced qualification e.g. He has a degree in political science from the University of Chicago. • to award a degree to smb • associate degree – a degree granted in the US for the successful completion of a sub-baccalaureate program of studies, usually requiring at least two years of full-time college-level study which may be provided by a two-year junior college or technical college or community college • A. A. – Associate of Arts • A. S. – Associate in Science • A. A. S. – Associate in Applied Science • bachelor's degree – a degree granted for the successful completion of a baccalaureate program of studies, usually requiring at least four years of full-time college-level study • B. A. – Bachelor of Arts • B. Ed. – Bachelor of Education • B. S. – Bachelor of Science • master's degree – a degree awarded for the successful completion of a program generally requiring one or two years of full-time college-level study beyond the bachelor's degree • M. A. – Master of Arts • M. Ed. – Master of Education • M.S. – Master of Science • M. B. A. – Master of Business Administration • doctor's degree – an earned degree carrying the title of Doctor. This degree usually is based on a program requiring at least two academic years of original research leading to the defence of a doctoral dissertation. • Ph.D. – Doctor of Philosophy (in the arts and sciences) • Ed.D. – doctor of education, e.g. to get this job, you need at least a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. she has a Ph.D. in linguistics.