Should Competitive Examinations Be Abolished? You can find Previous Year Argumentative Essay Topics asked in ICSE board exams.
Argumentative Essay Topic – Should Competitive Examinations Be Abolished?
Introduction:
What is competitive examination?
- Need for competitive examinations
- Competitive examinations act like an imperfect sieve; it does not test a candidate’s suitability.
- Only knowledge tested, other important attributes are overlooked.
- Competitive examinations being highly subjective
- Need to augment by considering attributes, like personality, character and will power
Conclusion:
Need to augment the existing system to make it realistic and objective
All examinations are competitive in nature, as each Candidate tries to secure the maximum marks. This is prevalent in studies as well as in every sphere of human activity and is the secret of our growth and development. Hence competitive examinations should not be abolished.
Competitive examinations are held to select candidates for civil services, banks or for admission to reputed colleges. Such examinations are considered an egalitarian way of choosing worthy applicants without favouritism, influence or any other consideration. The selection process therefore, uses the procedure of elimination, and selects candidates purely on the basis of their performance in the written examination. It tests candidates on specific subjects, knowledge, traits and analytical reasoning. This is necessary because a large number of candidates apply for limited vacancies which make the competition tough.
Such a selection process is purely subjective and faulty. It tests a candidate’s knowledge on a certain subject, mental ability and awareness, but does not judge other essential traits that are necessary for a particular job. Take for example the Indian Civil Service examination for recruiting people to the Indian Administrative Services. Every year lakhs of candidates appear for the examination, which evaluates their knowledge on certain subjects, quite oblivious to the fact, that there are more essential attributes required for a civil servant, like administrative ability, man management, tact, diplomacy and quick decision-making.
Thus competitive examinations act like an imperfect sieve, through which candidates are selected subjectively, without analysing their suitability for the job. There is need for a proper form of evaluation, whereby an applicant’s potential can be objectively judged, taking into account his/her suitability for the job.
Competitive examinations being highly subjective, candidates pass them by selective cramming. This knowledge is therefore, superficial and hence, easily forgotten. It defeats the very purpose of selecting people with real knowledge and skill. This is proven by the fact that toppers in schools or colleges are not always successful, while mediocre ones, deemed by the present competitive examination excel in life.
There is therefore need to augment the present system of examination. Other important attributes, like personality, character and will power also need to be evaluated. These are essential qualities for any responsible position, especially for a civil servant.
Despite all its anomalies there is need for some form of examination to select candidates from the teeming millions. Perhaps the existing system could be augmented with psychographic tests, group discussions, group tasks and personal interviews to get a more realistic and objective assessment of the candidate’s other qualities beside knowledge. This would enable it to achieve the purpose for which it was intended.
Assignments
- ‘The ills of the present examination system.’ State your views on the subject.
- ‘Too many examinations are of little value.’ Discuss the statement.
- ‘Examinations work like an imperfect sieve.’ Discus the statement