It has come to my realization that the “multiple choice” section of the midterm exam does not follow the standard format of most exams. I realize that you had expressly stated that students were to read the instructions provided with the exam in order to complete it competently, and clearly I did not do so. I am not writing to you in order to whine about marks which I “should have” received but, rather, to express my concerns with this method.

I believe that the format that the exam took was not conducive to illustrating my actual command of the material. Consider that the vast majority of the students in a science class will have taken countless exams where the “multiple choice” section is one wherein only one right answer per question is provided. Coming from this background, it is unsurprising that (most probably) a visible minority of students (including myself) will immediately interpret a section formatted as such as following the standard multiple choice procedure. In truth, I assumed that your call to “read the instructions” meant to read the cover closely, which I did. After doing so I quickly moved on to the “multiple choice” section, assuming the instructions to be standard fare. This brings me to my second point.

To be blunt, we are not in a logic class. I understand that the skills of reasoning and observation should be cultivated in those who study science, but these very skills should not be required to simply understand the question format. This used method was never covered in class and, due to my class schedule, I was unable to make the study session yesterday. The aim of a science class should be to empirically test the knowledge of the student in the field in which he is taking the class, and said student should never be obstructed from providing his knowledge by some wordplay at the beginning of the exam. To restate: questions should be straightforward in how they should be appropriately answered. I shall expand on this with my third point.

I am no stranger to internationally recognized standardized exams. In both the SAT (98th percentile) and the AP (National AP scholar, including a 5 in Biology) exams I have been met with considerable success. I attribute this success to having been given the tools to succeed by the proctors. To explain, every section was explained at the outset of the exam: how questions are to be answered in order to receive marks. By removing such ambiguity I was able to accurately and confidently display my knowledge of the subject matter at hand and consequently achieve a mark I felt was reflective of my command of the material. Please consider reiterating the format of this first section before the next exam you give as, I will assure you, this will allow students to much more accurately display their knowledge.

Again, I am not fishing for marks. I simply believe that I was barred from displaying my full knowledge of the topics at hand by a method which has nothing to do with my knowledge of Biology. I am more than willing to discuss this matter with you in person should you find my case to be confusing as I believe that it is imperative that this issue be remedied.

Please consider what I have written,