What does the author mean by calling exams 'blunt'?
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. They are crude instruments that measure less than we might like
- Step 1: 'Blunt' suggests a tool that lacks fineness, followed by 'but they test every candidate under the same conditions'.
- Step 2: So they are crude but fair in conditions.
Answer
They are crude instruments that measure less than we might like.
Why not the others: The word does not mean unfair, cruel, easily cheated or intended to hurt.
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