IELTS Advanced · Đầu vào · Writing: Effort or Results?

In most education systems, a student's future still hinges on a handful of examinations taken at the end of their schooling. Some argue that this approach should be replaced by one that rewards effort and improvement instead. While I accept that progress deserves far more recognition than it currently receives, I do not believe it should become the main basis of assessment.

The case for valuing effort is undeniably strong. Final examinations capture a student's performance on a single day, so they inevitably penalise those who are unwell, anxious or simply slower to mature. A pupil who climbs from a failing grade to a solid pass may well have shown more determination than a gifted classmate who coasted to the top mark, yet conventional reports treat the latter as the greater success. Recognising progress would therefore motivate weaker students, who often disengage once they conclude that high grades are beyond their reach.

Nevertheless, making effort the primary criterion would create serious problems. Effort is notoriously difficult to measure objectively, and teachers' judgements could easily be swayed by a student's personality or behaviour in class rather than by what they have actually learnt. More importantly, universities and employers need a reliable indication of what an applicant can do. A surgeon or an engineer is ultimately judged on competence, not on how hard they tried, and an assessment system that obscured genuine differences in ability would end up failing the very students it was designed to protect.

In my view, the most sensible solution is a balanced one. Final results should remain the principal measure of attainment, but schools could supplement them with records of progress and coursework, giving a fuller picture of each learner. In this way, effort would be rewarded without undermining the credibility of qualifications.