Breaking News English

Cambridge University may end handwritten exams

Handwriting - Level 4

Cambridge University may end handwritten exams after 800 years. Students may soon type their answers on a computer rather than use a pen. Exam markers are complaining that exams are becoming more difficult to read because of poor handwriting. Today's students mainly use laptops in lectures. They are losing the ability to write by hand because writing causes students physical difficulties. Their hand muscles are not used to writing for three hours at a time.

A Cambridge lecturer said handwriting is a "lost art". She said: "Twenty years ago, students routinely [wrote] by hand several hours a day, but now they write virtually nothing by hand, except exams." She said handwriting has been on "a downward trend" for years. The lecturer said some students' handwriting is so illegible that students had to return to the university to read out their answers to examiners who could not read the writing.

SPEED READING

Speed 1    |     Speed 2    |     Speed 3    |     Speed 4

MORE

11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Handwriting - Level 5

Cambridge University may abolish handwritten exams after 800 years. The university may ask students to type their exam answers on a computer rather than use a pen. Exam markers are complaining that test papers are becoming increasingly illegible due to poor handwriting. Academics say today's students mainly use laptops in lectures instead of pens. Students are losing the ability to write by hand. One academic said hand writing exams actually causes students physical difficulties. The muscles in their hand are not used to writing extensively for two to three hours at a time.

A Cambridge lecturer told Britain's 'Daily Telegraph' newspaper that handwriting is a "lost art". She said: "Twenty years ago, students routinely [wrote] by hand several hours a day, but now they write virtually nothing by hand, except exams." She said declining handwriting has been a problem and on "a downward trend" for years. She added it is difficult for examiners to read exam scripts. Some students' handwriting is so illegible they had to return to the university over the summer to read out their answers to examiners who could not read their writing.

SPEED READING

Speed 1    |     Speed 2    |     Speed 3    |     Speed 4

MORE

11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Handwriting - Level 6

The world-renowned Cambridge University is considering abolishing handwritten exams after 800 years. University officials may ask students to type their exam answers on a computer rather than use a pen. The move follows complaints from examination markers who say they are finding test papers increasingly illegible due to poor handwriting. Academics say today's students primarily use laptops in lectures and tutorials instead of pens. Students are losing the ability to write by hand. One academic said asking students to hand-write exams actually causes them physical difficulties. The muscles in their hand are not used to writing extensively for prolonged periods of two to three hours.

A Cambridge University lecturer, Dr Sarah Pearsall, told Britain's 'Daily Telegraph' newspaper that handwriting was becoming a "lost art". She said: "Twenty years ago, students routinely [wrote] by hand several hours a day, but now they write virtually nothing by hand, except exams." She added: "We have been concerned for years about the declining handwriting problem. There has definitely been a downward trend. It is difficult for both the students and the examiners as it is harder and harder to read these [exam] scripts." Dr Pearsall says some students' handwriting is so illegible that they had to return to the university over the summer to read their answers out loud to examiners who could not read their writing.

SPEED READING

Speed 1    |     Speed 2    |     Speed 3    |     Speed 4

MORE

25 online activities    |    26-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson