I received an e-mail from an obfuscated address that was puportedly from a student of IISER Mohali. I do not like to respond to such e-mails. However, the questions raised need to be answered. Moreover, the semester is just over and examinations and results are on everyone's mind.

With due respect I want to state that I’m a responsible student of IISER MOHALI. And I consider it my moral duty to write this letter.

Since your letter does not contain any matter which is confidential, why did you think it necessary to make it anonymous?

In IISERM grading is treated like a measurement. Hence, it is reviewed critically by all. Questions about it are quite openly discussed without fear of prejudice.

In most of the courses question paper is prepared in a manner comfortable for 2% of the class only. And the rest of the class though being intelligent looks average!!!

The first statement does not appear to be true. I have seen many examinations where 10% of the class have scored 80% or more.

Why cannot the question paper be set like the other colleges set with 3 levels [difficult–average-easy].After giving more than 50 exams in IISER I really wanted to raise this issue.

The measurement of class performance must be tuned to the expected class level. To give an analogy, suppose we make an instrument to make a fine measurement of microvoltages ... and then you apply 220 volts to it --- what will happen!

In "other colleges" students are not in the top 5% of the students from across the country; and the faculty are not selected from top places in the country and abroad. In this context, the expectations of the faculty (and I hope of the students as well) is that our students can learn things better and faster than students of "other colleges". If we do not live up to these expectations then we are not giving value-for-money to the taxpayers who have invested so much in us.

In this context, there are questions in each paper which are "difficult-average-easy" for students in that class. This has some assumptions about what the class can learn and has learned.

It will not be a hyperbole to say that nearly all students of IISERM are hardworking and they definitely spend hours on studies.

This is not a statement which most instructors will agree with! However, I do agree that our students are working harder than students of "other colleges" --- the question is "How much harder?" In many "other colleges" studying hard means (a) do not go for movies/clubs for one month before exams (b) study their books really hard during that month.

But still most of the times question papers are set in a “hi-fi level” that many of us find our efforts fruitless and it really becomes hard to bear this exam pressure.

Instructors do need to adopt the point of view that students must be given a chance to show what they have learned.

Then, if students get around to the point-of-view that examinations are supposed to help them (and their instructors) understand what has been learned and what has failed to get across, they will feel less pressure before examinations.

An reasonably accurate measurement of learning is the main purpose of examinations!