School is the number one stressor in students’ lives (Coxon). From August till June, teens live in a constant stage of anxiety and worry, but the end of each semester brings the worst fear of all, final exams. These tests are notorious for the stress they cause, although some of them may not even be necessary. High grades are typically a sign that students have fully grasped the information they are learning, so why do students with A’s in a class need to confirm that understanding again with a final? Students with A’s in a class at the end of the semester should not be forced to take that course’s final exam. They have already demonstrated their knowledge in the subject, and it would remove some of the pressure of finals, allowing students to focus on other classes.

Final exams for A students cause unnecessary stress in their lives. A study showed that 96% of students felt anxious about finals, and 59% felt an even greater deal of pressure from their parents to do well (Coxon). In addition, the higher the grade a student has, the harder it is to keep that grade after a final exam. If a student has a 92% in a class, and the exam is worth 20% of their overall grade, they will need to score a 92% just to keep the score they already earned, and a 97% to raise it another percentage. With all the other tests the students have piled on, this is extraordinarily difficult to achieve. Countless students, including me, have had their grades drop from an A to a B due to a final exam. I personally know what it’s like to be studious for months just to have all of your work wasted at the very end. It was unfair that the grade I had worked tirelessly for the entire semester was gone because of a single, unnecessary test. If students that made it within the A mark still wanted to take the final exam and try to raise their grade, they should have the option to, but it is thoughtless to subject hard-working students to a likely drop in their grade after they have already proven to know the material taught in the course.

Secondly, the incentive of an optional final exam would cause students to work harder throughout the entire semester, instead of simply cramming during finals week. It would encourage students to work hard and study for each individual test and make them think twice about slacking off. It will ensure that they truly understand the material of the course as well by spreading out the time that they learn it. Since students will be trying their hardest throughout the year, it will also increase the school’s average GPAl.

In addition to creating a healthier and more efficient environment, making finals optional for A students will lessen the load, allowing them to focus and do better on their other exams. High levels of stress can negatively affect the cognitive ability and brain development of students (The Impact of Stress on Academic Success). Eliminating some of this stress will again be a benefit for the school overall because these students will have more time to study for their remaining finals, increasing the likelihood that they will perform well.

Some may say that finals are a cumulative test that shows if the student actually remembers the information, and therefore are necessary for all students, even those with an A in the class. This statement is false; finals actually do not cause the students to retain the information better at all. Because the exams are so extensive, most students cram before the tests, which is proven to decrease the amount of information that sticks with a student. Amy Reichelt of RMIT University shares, “Shallow processed information can be encoded by the brain based on the simple characteristics of the words, rather than the meaning. So the knowledge is only able to be stored in short-term memory stores, where it is only retained for a short period”.  Although it may seem like the solution is then to stop students from cramming for exams, this is simply not a reality. According to Tom Stafford with BBC News, “At least one survey has found that 99% of students admit to cramming”. The majority of students just do not have time to memorize an entire semester’s worth of information on top of end-of-term projects, tests, homework, and countless other responsibilities. The sheer quantity of finals completely contradicts the purpose of them. Instead of causing students to retain the information better, it ensures that they do not even have enough time to truly learn it. If students had a smaller amount to take, then they might have time to study periodically, causing them to actually learn the information in the long run.

In conclusion, final exams are a stressful event for any student. It is simply not fair, though, to force a student that has already shown their understanding of a subject to take a test that is only likely to bring their grade down. Leaving final exams optional for students with an A in the class would be a benefit to both the students and the school. It would allow the students to truly learn the material of each class and give them time to study for classes that they need the practice in. School may still be the largest stressor in students’ lives, but at least making final exams optional for those with an A would decrease some of the worry, allowing them to perform better in other areas while also providing an incentive to learn the material throughout the entire semester.

Coxon, Rebecca. Pressures of Exams Causing Worrying Levels of Anxiety in Students. Mental   

Healthy, http://www.mentalhealthy.co.uk/news/321-pressure-of-exams-causing-worrying-levels-of-anxiety-in-students.html. 6 Dec 2017.

Stafford, Tom. Memory: Why Cramming for Tests Often Fails. Future, 18 Nov 2014,

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140917-the-worst-way-to-learn. 6 Dec 2017.

Reichelt, Amy. Exam Cramming Doesn’t Help Your Brain Retain Crucial Knowledge Long Term.

ABC News, 29 Oct 2016,

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-29/why-cramming-for-exams-the-night-before-rarely-works/7974910. 6 Dec 2017.

The Impact of Stress on Academic Performance. Evoke Learning,

https://www.evokelearning.ca/the-impact-of-stress-on-academic-success/. 6 Dec 2017.