Why Open Note Exams Should Be Administered

By: Erin Duffy USP Life Editor

During the pandemic, many teachers began giving students open-note exams. While remote learning was going on, it took more work for teachers to guarantee that their students wouldn’t cheat while taking tests at home. Now that schools are back in-person, open-note exams should stay.

Often, allowing open-note exams are seen as a way only to make the exam content easier. However, allowing students to use their notes does not change the actual content of the exam, nor does it make the content any easier. On the contrary, allowing students to use their notes enables them to focus more on understanding and absorbing the material while applying it to real-world situations. On closed exams, students are forced to remember every minute detail, which can lead to less understanding of the actual material and a much more stressful situation. Students taking open-note exams still have to prepare for exams. It becomes noticeable if they don’t, according to a study called ‘Test Anxiety, Student Preferences and Performance on Different Exam Types in Introductory Psychology.’ The study found, “The exam scores on the two tests were strongly correlated – good students tend to do well, and poor students tend to underperform regardless of the exam type.”

A 2019 study from the Vishnu Dental College in India found that “significantly lower stress levels were observed before open book test compared to closed book test. In addition, a positive experience was reported by the students regarding the open book test.” Students who are less stressed about remembering every detail of course material can focus and concentrate on the test itself rather than recalling what they have memorized. “Open note exams removes a lot of the pressure for me, personally, and it’s overall very beneficial to my grade and tests me on my ability to analyze information rather than remembering it,” said Rachael Jordan, a current senior. Isabella Fontanes, a current senior as well, had similar thoughts: “Open note exams allows me to actually use the information and apply it,” said Fontanes. “Using resources helps me to retain the content for much longer.”

Most classes, especially in high school, are meant to prepare students for the real world by teaching them the material they will need in their careers. However, post-graduation, the rest of the world uses their notes daily. Scientists take extensive notes during their research, which they later use to craft their conclusions. Lawyers take notes during their preparation, which they can use once they get to a trial. Asking adult professionals to do their daily job without notes would be nearly impossible. Learning how to take notes also but adequately use those notes in a productive, successful way is a vital skill that we should be teaching our students. The Association of College Librariesw and Research emphasized the importance of “ recognizing when information is needed and having the ability to locate, evaluate, and effectively use the needed information.”

By offering open-note exams, teachers can maintain the rigor of their courses and tests while lowering their students’ stress levels and teaching them valuable skills that are applicable for the rest of their lives. “There’s a difference between testing our memory and testing our knowledge on the content learned in class,” said Giselle Pichout, a current junior. “I know that [open note exams] can seem like ‘cheating,’ but I think it’s important to note that rote memoriziation actually causes students like myself to forget important information frequently.”