“Especially not to try and be too creative”, says prof. dr. ir. André De Haan, professor of Process Systems Engineering with the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry. “That can easily make an exam too difficult. Seventy percent of the assignments must be feasible when a student has been actively working on a subject. You can take the rest a little step further. Developing an examination may soon take me a week. The assignments have to be correct. The numbers in calculations must appear to be somewhat realistic. You really need to do your calculations thoroughly. And grading the exams takes you about fifteen minutes per student. For this, I do make a grading schedule with elaborations and marks per section.”

That the design of good exams takes time is confirmed by Ruud van Vliet, originally an electrical engineer with a keen interest in education and educational improvement. For that reason he used to work at the TU/e for many years as a teacher trainer. Until his retirement, last year, one of the courses he presented was ‘Testing by means of exams’.

Van Vliet emphasizes: “The development of a test should not be regarded as a separate skill. When things are as they should be, this forms an integrated part of the educational process. You determine beforehand what you will discuss and which skills you expect from your students. It is important that you should inform your students of these objectives.” Van Vliet regards objectives as clear descriptions of skills.

“As a teacher you should be able to perform the whole educational process well. The test is a conclusion of that process. In fact it would be a good thing if in addition to a final test there would also be an entry test and a diagnostic test halfway through. These make it clear for teachers and students alike where there is room for students to develop further.”

Apply knowledge
“Good education is not a matter of transferring information, but much more of giving students the opportunity to hone their skills”, Van Vliet thinks. “Knowledge alone is nothing if you cannot apply it. The TU/e does provide quite theoretical programs, but these always go hand in hand with applications in practice. This is true throughout all Departments. Things are made and designed all over the place. That differentiates a university of technology from a general university. In my opinion, you should also see that distinction again in the testing. A test, including one for theoretical subjects, should actually suggest a realistic problem. There is an art in conceiving of a problem that has been derived from practice. If the problem is too far-fetched, students will think: ‘What am I supposed to do with this?’”

In general professor De Haan has little difficulty in thinking up realistic problems. “I work together with companies a lot. That makes it easier for me to use practical examples for lectures and examinations. The Internet is also a useful source of information to gather nice ideas, which I then translate into a simpler problem.”
“Students appreciate it if your exams are composed properly”, says De Haan. “A very fine reaction that I recently received during a subject survey was: ‘the subject could be followed well, the exam was quite feasible. It’s a pity that I spent so little time on it myself.’ If only ten percent passes an exam, you really need to ask yourself seriously whether your exam is all right.”/.

Exam rituals

All students have their own habits in preparing and taking exams. How do they eat, sleep and relax during this stressful period? And do they have an exam ritual for good luck?

“I do not really have a ritual during my exams”, says Anthony Veneros, a Master student of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences, but I usually carry loads of pens, just to be sure. And I’ve learnt to take some food with me. Three hours can be a long period when you are hungry”, says the Peruvian Veneros.

Gosia Perz, a Master student of Human Technology Interaction, has a hard time preparing for ‘Advanced Data Analysis’. “Once I pass it successfully, I will get really drunk”, she admits. ‘De Hal’ is the favorite location of Perz to study. “I used to call it ‘hell’”, she says. “The atmosphere there motivates. Everyone is studying, so it is just stupid to do something else.” At home she finds hundreds of thousands of things different than studying which needs to be done.

Perz drinks liters of coffee during exam preparation and doesn’t waste time on cooking “as every minute is important”. She also eats ‘tons of sweets and chocolate’. Another ritual she mentions: “In Poland, where I come from, girl students wear red underwear during the exams for good luck. Probably it has no influence, but if you feel better by it, why not?”

Arya Adriansyah, who is in his Master’s program Computer Science, sleeps less than 7 hours during exam preparation and sleeps late. Adriansyah: “Sometimes I even go to sleep at 4.30 a.m.” In that period he prefers food which can be served fast. “I even buy kebab in an urgent situation.”

Saudith Durango Galván, a Master student of Systems and Control, always takes candy bars and some water for an exam. This January she is taking two written exams and preparing for five oral ones and a project. This project presses most for Durango Galván. “It is a competition with other groups about controlling a robot and it has to be in January when we are preparing for the other exams as well.” Durango Galván prepares for her exams in her room. “I study in my own rhythm, if I am tired I can sleep for a while or even cook something. When I feel I am spinning around the same thing while studying, it is time for a break. If I need a longer break I go out and walk for a while.”/.