Online education and examination were never a thing of the past. People could never think of taking education and related activities any other way. But in the pandemic era, people got to know about this new way that can save the education system from stopping. Almost all institutions went online during covid. Students gave online exams, sometimes by writing them by hand and editing through PDF tools, and then forwarding them. The covid era came to an end but the system of online education persists. There are countless benefits of online examination. On the other hand, there are drawbacks to it as well.

Benefits:

•   Online examination is convenient

Online testing is convenient in terms of time and expense. Neither the instructor nor the student makes the trip to the testing location. Simply decide on a time, and a comfortable location, turn on the computer and conduct the exam. Additionally, teachers save time while creating tests, rearranging questions, evaluating them, and communicating the results to students. If they can save time at each of these stages, it will lower the cost of administering the exam, labor costs, and possibly other fees. Additionally, it uses a lot of paper, which hurts the environment. Its treatment will undoubtedly be expensive. The test taken online will save you money.

•   Higher chance of accurate results

Accuracy is another benefit of online testing. Teachers can check the test’s validity by taking it beforehand in less time than when using paper-based tests. They can identify test faults brought on by outside influences by doing that. The answers are also pre-programmed, particularly for objective test questions. The results of a test are communicated to the pupils once it has been finished. By doing this, we will stop regrettable errors from happening during the grading phase as a result of weariness and distractions brought on by the examiners.

Cons:

•   You need smart devices to take the exam

Without a doubt, we need equipment to take the tests online. The optimal device is still a computer or laptop, although it can also be a phone or a tablet. An outdated, sluggish device might not be appropriate for an online test. The rationale is that effective time management is crucial during the exam. The test, answering the question, and moving on to the next question all require quick actions. When a device malfunctions, the mouse breaks, or the computer crashes, a student could occasionally be unable to finish the test. Since then, the evaluation of students has also been flawed.

•   You cannot take the exam without an internet

The only way the online exam can function normally is through the internet. It is a flaw with online tests as well. It will be challenging to transfer exam questions and answers if the Internet connection is unstable, shaky, or even lost. Students’ test performance is impacted by this. Furthermore, distant school districts might only have sporadic Internet access. The online assessments are therefore not really appropriate for the pupils in this setting.