Exam-taking in Turkey

Since exams are a big part of student life here (as you will see below), and I have now proctored (or as they say here, "invigilated") several of them, I thought I would do a blog entry about them. First off, it is important to understand that the students' presence or absence at univesrity is determined (academically, at least) entirely by one exam, the ÖSS. The ÖSS would be similar to the SAT's, only if the American version was harder, essays and grades didn't count for admissions in the US, and there was a cash prize for scoring well. I say cash prize, because getting a high enough score on the ÖSS gets you a free ride at pretty much any university you choose, including lodging. This has led some people to take the test repeatedly, so they can end up in a high enough bracket to spend a few years going to school for free. So, with this as a fundamental part of the Turkish education system, you can see why the testing itself is taken so seriously.

How seriously? This is the fun part. In BUSEL, students file in for exam days to find their desks about 25 feet away from anyone else's, because they have been spread out to prevent cheating. This liberal use of the classroom and all its corners creates a dilemma for the person monitoring the exam, namely that they are left trying to perch on a radiator or attempting to lean unobtrusively against the wall. But there has to be a way to make their lives harder, right? I know, we'll make it so MORE people have to watch the exam! Yup, 20 students, spread out to approximately the population density of the Dakotas, and you still need at least two people "invigilating". At least this gives the "invigilators" a chance to practice techniques they may have seen in John Cleese's "How to Annoy People". (Whistle "Camptown Racers" next to someone taking an exam the rest of their life depends on some time- high comedy!) Meanwhile, the Heads of Teaching Unit patrol the corridor with mace and attack dogs, in case anyone decides to make a run for it. All I'll say about those situations is: Poor Mehmet, he never had a chance.

And this all happens not once a semester, but six times per semester! In each 8-week course, there are two Course Achievement Tests, one End of Course Assessment, and an American Gladiators-style speaking exam. One of my favorite twists on the whole ordeal is that on main campus, where I invigilated a Faculty Academic English mid-term, you have to present your ID card and sign a sheet of paper. So essentially it's like taking the SAT's... every time you sit an exam. Well, you'll say, at least they have good incentives to study hard around the calendar! On that note, let me just mention that I am typing this in the computer lab, and there are enough people watching YouTube videos around me to single-handedly keep Google stock afloat no matter what the current recession does to the US economy.

BUSEL is in its relative infancy, having been around as an institution only a little over 20 years. Hence, I am optimistic that the reforms to the testing procedure which are mentioned at nearly every staff meeting will eventually help the process orient itself it more towards the learning needs of the students than the security paranoia of the administration. There are lots of smart teachers here who care about making the exams more effective in helping the students, and the students do a good job whining about it themselves. The school is also slow to implement new technology into the process, but once it does that will help as well. In the meantime, be glad that you don't have to undergo an optical scan to sit a final in the US, and that no one walks you to the bathroom.