Why does the author say that coursework is 'expensive to moderate'?
Examinations are blamed for stress and narrow learning, and coursework is praised as a fairer test of what pupils can do over time. Yet coursework has problems that the praise overlooks. It is hard to be certain whose work it is, particularly when pupils can obtain help from parents, tutors or software. It rewards those with quiet homes and supportive adults. And it is expensive to moderate, because teachers marking their own pupils' work have an interest in the result. Exams are blunt, but they test every candidate under the same conditions. The best arrangement is probably a mixture, in which exams secure the foundations and extended work tests what exams cannot, with the latter done in school under supervision.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Teachers who mark their own pupils' work have an interest in the result
- Step 1: The passage says teachers marking their own pupils' work have an interest in the result.
- Step 2: Their marks therefore need to be checked, which costs money.
Answer
Teachers who mark their own pupils' work have an interest in the result.
Why not the others: Writing time, moderator pay, disputes and length are not given.
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