Schools, parents can help students succeed on exams

Grade 12 students at Viking School, and all across the province, began writing their Diploma Exams for the semester on Jan. 16. The exams count for 30 per cent of the students’ final grade and as such, can be a stressful time for both the students and their parents or guardians. To help deal with this both Viking School and Battle River School Division (BRSD) are doing their best to help students succeed on the exams.

The first Diploma examinations were written in 1984, as a set of mandatory course-specific examinations. This followed a period of no mandatory province-wide testing in Grade 12 after the discontinuation of Departmental Examinations in 1973.

At that time, the examinations were worth 50 per cent of the student’s final grade. This weighting continued until September of 2015, meaning this is only the second full year in which the exams will be weighted at 30 per cent.

Diploma exams provide a cumulative assessment of student progress that is consistent across the province, said Viking School Principal Adam Madsen.

“Diploma exam results are used by schools to inform … FOR MORE SEE THE JAN 17/17 WEEKLY REVIEW