Due to the lack of early release days in the schedule, the Fall semester exam schedule is set to be eight exams spread out over the course of two days with 4 exams per day. 

Even when early outs are    included within the schedule, exams are better spread out over the course of  two days, rather than over three days as has been done previously. 

The two normal periods during the first two days on a three-day exam schedule are a waste of time. Students spend about an hour and a half sitting in a classroom with nothing to learn as the semester curriculum has been taught. Most students have already been reviewing the course in the days before the exam, and some may have even studied at home. If students have already reviewed in class, studied at home and taken two out of the three exams for the day, most students will talk or relax during that extra class. While yes, a break is good, that is what lunch and academic period is for during exam days. Therefore, those two periods are a waste of time better spent on getting the exams over with so students can begin to relax and enjoy their upcoming break.

Most of the students within the school have exemptions and/or are taking OnRamps courses, taking their exam earlier within the semester, giving these students a longer break in between exams anyway. This can be seen as a reward for these students, as they have attended school and/or are taking harder college courses. Students who don’t have either of these, have about an hour split between academic period and lunch as a break to relax or study before the rest of the day’s exams.

The Fall semester’s two-day exam schedule is not just  designed to only help some students. Those taking OnRamps courses do get that exam period to study, talk, and/or rest on during its exam period, but they are taking a much harder class, on par with college students. They are still taking their exam just earlier in the year with some courses even having multiple exams they have to take, just taking their exam(s) earlier within the semester. 

             In short, the two-day exam schedule is superior to the three-day exam schedule, because it doesn’t waste any of the student’s time, and still gives students a break regardless of exemptions and/or OnRamps courses. While the two-day exam schedule is by no means perfect, it is leagues better than the three-day exam schedule, and all students within the school are much better off with it being used even when early-outs are able to be included within the schedule. If admin wants to waste time for no reason when students already have a break through the hour split between academic period and lunch, than the 3 day exam schedule is the way to go, otherwise the 2 day exam schedule is the clear winner and superior choice and should always be used over the 3 day exam schedule when given the option between them.

The school district has released yet another schedule for this year’s midterm tests. More specifically, the format for this schedule is two days, each with four exams since there are no early out days throughout the school year.

The test schedule should have been reverted back to three days; the first and second days having three exams and the last day not only containing two exams, but also a half-day.

The current exam schedule is designed to help the top-percentile of students, neglecting the average on-level students. Students taking OnRamps courses will have already taken their mid-term exams. This means during their actual mid-term exam day, it is essentially a free period. Average students in regular courses (and possibly honors-level courses) have to still take that exam. School is an environment where everyone is treated equally, regardless of intellectual level. With this advantage given to the top percent, the average grade level still has to take the exam at the designated time if they don’t have exemptions. If the district kept the three-day schedule with study periods included, everyone essentially gets an extra period, not only those in OnRamps classes. This would still show fair treatment to everyone, regardless of what courses they are taking.

Exams were previously spread out throughout the day. They had an order where regular class periods were on the first two days, making exams the last part of those days. On the half-day, there were only two exams, then students could either wait in the cafeteria until the buses arrived or leave early. Since the class periods were still present, students were relieved of any test anxiety or pressure. Some students are simply bad test takers; they convince themselves that they cannot do well on any test because it has such high stakes when it comes to grades. With those two class periods at the beginning of the day, they can do any of the following: one, prepare themselves by studying over material they typically struggle with. Two, use those periods as “rest” periods and mentally prepare themselves for what’s coming, essentially performing a self-therapy saying “everything is going to be alright.” Three, just use that time to wake up and adjust to the day; not all students are morning birds, willing to take on the day as soon as they wake up.

Sure, many would argue that those two periods on the first two days are wasted time where  an exam could fit. While yes, that is possible, administrators still need to account for everyone inside the school. Before, it was a class period where there were many ways to spend time, whether that be a study or rest period. The difference was everyone would have the opportunity to have that free period.

The current schedule is only designed to benefit some students — the ones with an extra study period if they chose OnRamps courses. Average students have no way to brace themselves for exams in the morning.