The utility of oral exams lies in their ability to assess:

• conceptual as well as algorithmic command of the subject matter;
• the facility with which students approach old or new problems;
• their abilities to self-correct and make conceptual leaps (perhaps leading to a novel approaches); and
• the extent to which they understand the "big picture."

These are but a few of what one might refer to as "higher-order" cognitive skills that are naturally assessed in the context of an oral exam. Thus, it may be that oral exams provide the broadest spectrum of assessment of student knowledge. Unfortunately, they are extremely labor intensive, making them an unlikely choice for regular content assessment even in courses of moderate size. Nonetheless, they can be ideal for special assessment projects, or when used in a limited capacity in a given course.

1. Complete Tool 1: Chem 110 Oral Assessment Spring `95
2. Complete Tool 2: xxx…