Why Are 80% of a Student’s Grades Controlled by Only Two Exams?
I am currently studying at Arab Open University (AOU) in Saudi Arabia, and I would like to discuss one of the biggest problems I see in many university grading systems.
In some courses, students are evaluated through a system where approximately 30% of the grade comes from the midterm exam and 50% comes from the final exam. This means that 80% of the entire course grade depends on only two exams.
I believe this system is outdated, stressful, and does not accurately measure a student’s true effort, progress, or understanding.
A university semester lasts for several months. During that time, students attend lectures, read course materials, complete assignments, solve exercises, participate in discussions, prepare for quizzes, and spend countless hours studying. Yet despite all of this work, most of the final result may still depend on only two exam days.
This creates a serious problem.
A student may work hard for an entire semester but experience one of the following situations:
* illness on the day of the exam
* family emergencies
* psychological stress
* anxiety
* sleep deprivation
* misunderstanding a few questions
* technical issues
* personal circumstances beyond their control
When that happens, months of effort can be severely affected by a few hours inside an examination room.
That is not a fair reflection of continuous learning.
Education should reward consistent effort throughout the semester, not concentrate most of the student’s future into only two exams.
A more balanced system would allow students to earn meaningful grades through:
* assignments
* coursework
* quizzes
* projects
* practical activities
* presentations
* participation
* attendance
* midterm examinations
* final examinations
Under such a system, students would have multiple opportunities to demonstrate knowledge and improve their grades.
Another issue is the psychological pressure created by high-stakes exams.
When students know that 80% of their grade depends on two exams, the pressure becomes extreme. Instead of focusing on learning and understanding, many students become focused only on surviving the exams.
This approach encourages memorization rather than genuine understanding.
The problem becomes even more significant in technical fields such as Information Technology, Computing, Networking, and Cybersecurity.
These subjects require practical skills, problem solving, projects, troubleshooting, research, teamwork, and hands-on experience.
A student who performs well in practical work throughout the semester should not have most of their grade determined by only two written exams.
Universities should be preparing students for real careers and real challenges, not simply testing their ability to perform under exam pressure.
I also believe there should be greater consistency and transparency in grading systems. Students deserve clear and fair evaluation methods that recognize effort across the entire semester.
The purpose of education should be to measure learning, development, skills, and progress.
When 80% of the grade is concentrated in a midterm and final exam, the system risks measuring exam performance more than actual learning.
Universities should modernize their assessment methods and give students more opportunities to earn grades through continuous work and demonstrated understanding throughout the semester.
Students deserve an educational system that rewards long-term effort, practical skills, and genuine learning—not one where most of the outcome depends on only two exams.