Prompt: TOPIC: Only formal examinations, written or practical, can give a clear picture of students' true knowledge and ability at university level. Continuous assessment like course work and projects are poor measures of student ability. In what extent do you agree or disagree?

Formal examinations and continuous assessment like course work and projects are two methods of evaluating students' ability widely used in most educational systems. Some people are of the opinion that how well a student does in an examination is a clear reflection of his or her knowledge and ability, whereas course work and projects are not effective measures of students' capacity. Personally, I strongly agree with this point of view. Ċ To begin with, it is undeniable that students' true ability can be accurately assessed through demanding examinations. Since students are not entitled to seek help from materials and other people when taking an examination, they must depend on their own knowledge in order to receive satisfactory marks. Hence, their true ability can be shown through their performace during examinations. Moreover, it should be noted that those who obtain excellent results in examinations are very likely to be successful in their future career. Accordingly, it is certain that examinations are truly an objective form of assessment in terms of students' wisdom and capacity. Ċ On the other hand, I firmly believe that course work and projects cannot provide a true reflection on students' general ability, as plagiarism can spring from these methods. Unlike examinations, students are given permission to utilize textbooks and the Internet for research, which gives them opportunities to copy other people's ideas or even complete essays via easily accessible websites. Consequently, a mediocre student can achieve high scores straightforwardly, but these scores do not represent his or her true capability. Ċ In conclusion, I want to reiterate that formal examinations are a much more effective way of evaluation than course work and projects. Thus, it is crucial that organizing examinations and improving their quality should be given more priority at colleges and universities.