Are matric exams a fair test? Here is how to tackle systemic biases and work towards equity

Thousands of young people are writing their matric exams. These are high-stakes exams and the future trajectories of so many depend on them. A few years ago I explained the limitations of these exams in an article in this newspaper, and last year Michael Workman highlighted more. Here, I set out to explore if the exams are fair enough.

I watched pupils in my school struggle with placement tests. The tests were too long and took no account of the context they came from. What I saw reminded me of Caroline Gipps and Patricia Murphy’s book, A Fair Test? Assessment, Achievement and Equity. The authors focus on equity in assessment and show how traditional methods often reinforce social inequalities.

They argue that traditional assessment practices often put certain student groups at a disadvantage, particularly those from poorer or lower socioeconomic backgrounds. They examine how these biases arise and how they might be mitigated.

A central theme is the concept of “fair testing”, which looks at how assessments should be designed and applied to offer equal opportunities for all students to demonstrate their abilities.

Gipps and Murphy discuss the consequences of assessment-driven instruction, or “teaching to the test”, which can narrow the curriculum and limit pupils’ learning experiences. They advocate more varied and inclusive assessment forms that consider a broader range of student abilities and learning styles.

The role of educational policies in shaping assessment practices is discussed and the authors highlight the need for policymakers to consider fairness and equity when designing assessment systems.

Read more: The pressure of matric exams – don’t judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree

Here is where Umalusi – the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training in South Africa – can play a vital role in changing things. After all, one of its central roles is to maintain and enhance the quality of matric exams. It does an excellent job of overseeing the entire examination process, ensuring that exam papers meet rigorous national standards.

But Umalusi can do far more to ensure the exams are “fair” for all. After all, it moderates question papers to confirm their alignment with the curriculum and evaluates marking processes to maintain consistency and accuracy. But, maybe, more attention needs to be paid to the various contexts students come from.

The equity debate was always a concern in Umalusi and the organisation has provided useful guidelines to address equity. Examination bodies can ensure that exam content is fair and considerate of diverse contexts by adopting some of the following approaches:

Including teachers from various cultural, socioeconomic and regional backgrounds in the question-setting and review process can help to ensure that questions are relevant and considerate of different perspectives.

Questions should be written in clear and accessible language, avoiding jargon or idioms that may be unfamiliar to students from different backgrounds.

Developing a balance of content that reflects various cultures, histories and experiences can make exams more relatable to all students. Avoiding questions that assume familiarity with specific cultural experiences can help to achieve this.

Running a pilot of exams with diverse groups of students can highlight any un­­intentional biases or difficulties.

Ensuring all questions have objective, clear marking schemes helps to minimise subjective interpretations that could lead to inconsistencies. Marking schemes should also consider different ways of arriving at a correct answer if appropriate.

Systemic biases

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.