Which of the following does the author's argument against coursework assume?
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. That marks should reflect the pupil's own unaided work
- Step 1: The worry about help from parents, tutors or software only matters if the mark is supposed to reflect the pupil's own work.
- Step 2: That is the assumption.
Answer
That marks should reflect the pupil's own unaided work.
Why not the others: The author does not assume that pupils should not work at home, that exams are easier, that parents never help, or that teachers are dishonest.
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