A day before the examination is, a fateful day for the students. Many of them do not put in the right type of labour, and just try their luck in the examination hall.
The present system of examination is responsible for this sorry state of affairs. Examinations encourage cramming. How much can an examinee cram and reproduce is the test of the ability of a student. How vividly I remember the three hours I spent in the examination hall yesterday. It was English Paper. Since English is a foreign language and the scope of grammar is vast, all of us were a bit nervous.
As the examination centre was in another school and faces of teachers acting as invigilators were new, we were a bit confused. I prayed to God for an easy paper. They say that ‘well begun is half done’. So I got ready to sit for three hours in the examination hall and do my best. I occupied a seat. Answer books were distributed to each of the examinees. We were instructed to fill up entries. So we did. Papers were then given to us. We read the same and thanked God. Except for the essays and letters, Grammar questions set in the paper was easy. Precis was not too hard and was not beyond our grasp. One usually forgets in the hall what he knows. The same was the case with me. I devoted the first half an hour to going through the question paper.
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This helped me recollect answers. Half an hour each was devoted to essay writing, grammar, precis writing and letter writing. Last half hour was reserved for revision. Since it was a lengthy paper to answer, my fingers began to ache by writing and I got tired. There was nervousness amongst examinees. Strict control of invigilators proved a boon1 to honest and hard working students while it was a curse to those who failed to use unfair means. Thus the three hours in the examination hall were an ordeal to me. I heaved a sigh of relief when I came out of the hall after the paper was over. I was happy that I had done well.