Mid-Term is Optional - Puzzle Contest for Dec'08

Jey Sir

Answer attempted.

 

Hi here where is the Tip 1 & Tip 2, where i can update the details and send mail to my email id

 

Hai Jey.

As told, I am once again furnishing my answer for the puzzle here.

Thank you.

Andal


Hai. I think this question cant be answered easily. It needs certain thinking. We are in 40s now almost forget about the exam & mark pattern. Thanx for bringing back those memories.

The questions asked:

1. What is the professor trying to achieve by making mid-term optional?
2. Why didn't she make the final exam optional?
3. What type of a student will skip taking the mid-term exam?

My answer to the first question is: I think the professor is testing on the confidence level of a student. If a student is not confident about the mid term syllabus, the student may think of avoiding the mid term exams and since the final exam will be held after certain months, the student will prepare well for the final exam to score a good marks there and she will get 'A' grade.

2nd Question - Answer: Since the teacher motive is to get her student thorough about the entire syllabus - she cant make the final exam optional.

3rd Question - Answer: I think answering to this question is little bit confusion.

But I think average student will avoid writing this mid-term exam. For a bright student it is not a problem. Bcoz she will get good marks in both the exams. So both marks added - she will surely get "A" grade.

For a dull student, she will just try this mid term exam. If she gets low marks, no problem. It will be final marks x 2 times. So it wont be a problem for dull student.

SO the answer will be average students.


Andal

 

Deay jey,

Here is mine.


Here we should appreciate the efforts of the clever teacher whose primary focus is on the final exams there by making them study the entire course with full concentration.
1.
1.Even if the student gets full mark in mid term(50%) , he has to get min 40 %marks in the final exams to get the A grade.
2.On the other hand if the student gets lesser marks in midterm,he has to get min45 marks to get the A grade.
3.And obviously in the third case too, if he chooses to skip the mid term, he has study hard to get 90% in the final exams.

Assuming that final exam portions cannot be understood without the proper understanding of the midterm portions and the primary objective of the student is to score A grade, teacher's objective to make them learn the entire course is achieved.

2.If final exams are made optional, then proper understanding of the entire course will not be there.Assuming that always the final part of the portions will go deep into the subject which is very essential to learn the subject fully,teacher's objective to make them learn the entire course will not be acheived.(Btw Students will be very happy if this option is given)

3.THough the importance is given indirectly to the Final exams,final portions are in all ways related to the midterm portions. so only students who don't have a clear focus and are lazy will skip the mid term exams.

regards
kamala.

 

my two cents: Following are the questions for you.. 1. What is the professor trying to achieve by making mid-term optional? Answer: To make sure that the students understood the concepts of entire course. General tendency of a student that cares only about grades, is to memorize bits and pieces of the study material. It would be easier for such a student to take two tests that had 1/2 the syllabus. However, a studious student (pun intended) would focus on the curriculum rather than the grade! 1. Why didn't she make the final exam optional? Answer: Because the professor intends to test the students on entire syllabus for the year. 1. What type of a student will skip taking the mid-term exam? Answer: Short answer would be: a lazy one Jokes aside, a student that understands the concepts well and realizes the importance of having complete knowledge of the course to excel in final exam might skip the mid term.

 

Hi Jey

Here are my answers :


A student who skips his mid term will have to reach his full score only in the final exam . So he will put in more effort to know the subject in and out . He will be more regular to class and be more attentive which will make him master the subject .the teachers motivation of making the students understand theentire content of the subject is accompalished .



The teacher didnt make the final exam optional because his motivation of making the students understand the entire content of the subject cannot be acheived . A student who even gets his full score from his midterm test will not know the rest of the subject which is not covered in that test . He will only be well versed in the miterm portion .In other words the students understanding of the entire subject is not known when he skips his final exam .


Students who think that they are not confident with that part of the subject for the midterm test will not take the test because if they score very less marks it is not going to be counted .(mid-term marks < final-exam marks, then total marks = 2 x final-exam marks ) . In other words those who are capable of getting the full score by writing the entire sylabus in the final test will skip the mid term test .


Regards
Santasekar

 

Hello Jey,
this was my answerto the questions....

1. to make the student master all the topics.

2.the student will not study and master the topics from midterm to final exam

3.a student who has not at all prepared and also the student who has well prepared for mid term exam will skip the exam

 

Jey sir

Here is mine..

What is the professor trying to achieve by making mid-term optional?

The professor is leaving only one option in the hands of students by making mid-term optional. The students HAVE to do well by giving their full shot to obtain 'A' , since the students who skip mid-term have no other option left. The professor is trying to put a 'Positive Pressure' on the students and is trying to make them use their full potentials.

Why didn't she make the final exam optional?

Generally, mid-term doesn't cover the entire syllabus of the course. Questions framed for final exams comes from almost all the topics. Professor wants the students to study the entire course content and so final exam is not made optional by the professor.

What type of a student will skip taking the mid-term exam?

If a student skips mid-term then his score will be counted as 0 for that mid-term exam..

According to this,

• If mid-term marks < final-exam marks, then total marks = 2 x final-exam marks
• If mid-term marks > final-exam marks, then total marks = mid term marks + final exam marks.

When a student skips mid-term and scores 46 in the final exam then,

0 < 46 = 92 (total marks) (A Grade)

When a student scores higher in the mid-term than the finals, then,

47 > 46 = 93 (total marks) (A Grade)

As anything above 90 is 'A' grade, in both the above cases the students grade will remain the SAME.

Taking this another eg.,

0 < 44 = 88 (B Grade)
45 > 44 = 89 ( B Grade)

A student who is sure that he/she will NOT be able to score more than 45 in any of the tests or atleast 45 in the both the tests will skip taking mid-term exam.