You should write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer 1:
Exams have always been used as a way to measure students’ ability and level of learning. However, I contend that it is not an appropriate way to determine one’s performance and it should be substituted by a continuous assessment approach. The reasons for my contention are as follows.
 
Nowadays, cheating on exams is a commonplace. Therefore it is not uncommon for students who do not do well in the class to score high on the exams. Thus, when something like this occurs, there is no way for authorities to confirm whether or not the answers on the exams are really from the student and not the results of an unfair play. Teachers might forestall cheating from taking place, be it by strict invigilating or by the threat to fail the students who do not abide by the rules, there’s still no way to ascertain that every student will comply with the rules. Hence the ineffectiveness of utilising exams as a way of measuring the ability of each student is quite clean.

Furthermore, students have the tendency to memorise for exams without putting any effort in trying to thoroughly understand the materials taught. They will strive to obtain the highest score possible by this means. Memorising is surely a quick way to obtain a good score in a short time, however, it is not an effective way to study if one wants to deeply understand the materials. Consequently, exams are not appropriate when used to measure the ability of the students who memorise.

In conclusion, I believe that the best way to determine a student’s ability is to continuously assess their performance in the classroom. By doing that, fair judgment of each student’s ability will be ensured and students will also be fairly scored based on how well they do in the class.

( Written by - Jaclyn )