Ulta Pulta Exam

Its time we brought some zing, some fun, some levity in the humongous task of giving a test or exam. Here are some simple saucy suggestions:

1. Don’t give any tests (rated idea no 1 by children from all over the universe)
2. Let child give you tests and grade you.
3. Let children give test to each other and grade each other
4. Give real tough question paper and mark it A⁺ on all
5. Give a really easy question paper but mark it F for all
6. Child write what the child knows / has learned and then he or she simply builds the test question around it – this way everybody gets A⁺
7. Answer test papers in different ways- only draw, write a poem/song, make a speech, create a dance/drama with your team, give a logic or reason for each answer (start with a because), go to a field trip as a class to find answers outdoors, make a book full of answers (one question can have as many answers as you like).
8. Write your answers using only words. You can use many words but not sentences to express your answer for this question.
9. You can only answer the paper by copying from your friends, no writing your own answers.
10. Write the answers ulta pulta, for the first question write the last answer, write the answers for not that question. Teacher has to find which question has which answer.
11. For every question, write another question as an answer.
12. Don’t give marks – rather rate the answers in terms of say types of cake – was this chocolate truffle answer or black forest answer etc.
13. Tell children your test papers will be rated for ‘something’ but then rate them on ‘something else’ – eg – tell them we will rate on facts and figures, but then rate on original opinions.
14. Take test on the topic you have not covered in the class.
15. Write tests/exams about something that you have NOT learnt from your SCHOOL syllabus.
16. Write each answer in new colour or style or simply decorate your test paper in some fancy way – so 30 min to answer the test and then 15 min to decorate your test paper.
17. Each answer has to begin with “If we had donkey tails …. the sun would rise in east”
18. Tests that need not be done immediately, take your own time to take them, the way you like them. Children choose how they want to respond to tests/exams.
19. Give them 50 true false statements – with actually all answers as either true or false
20. Give bonus questions – if you answer those correctly you simply get bonus marks. Make these bonus questions fun – like how many bubbles can I (the teacher) blow out of my bubble gum or if a crocodile married an owl what will their child’s surname would be?
21. For every wrong answer give a toffee.
22. Give questions verbally with lot of drama – use whisper or ascent or character’s voice or stammer etc.

22.5 Give half question, children write half answer in half the time and if correct get half mark!