Assessment

One of the chief objectives of education at St. Xavier’s is to develop the whole range of cognitive abilities of the students. Progressively the tests and exams of the school reflect this objective. Testing is not focused on mere recall and reproduction of facts gathered in the classroom or memorized from the textbooks. Understanding of the subject matter and the ability to apply knowledge in novel contexts are at least as important skills. In other words, the tests also probe for higher order thinking skills. Consequently, it would be erroneous to contend that in the assessment of children what is stated explicitly in the textbook or taught in the classroom should be included verbatim.

The school helps the students to form the habit of regular and sustained academic work by a system of assessments spread over the academic year. Formative assessments can facilitate effective diagnosis of learning and remediation of deficiencies in what is learned.

The primary section has two-unit tests and one summative examination each semester. The unit tests have a weightage of 20% in the final evaluation. In each semester other classes have one midterm test, two-unit tests and a summative examination. The unit tests contribute 10%, the midterm test 10% and the semester examination 80 to the final evaluation. Classes X and XII have a single unit test and a midterm test in the final semester prior to the Pre-Board examinations.