Effect of Continuous Assessment (CA) and Examinations to Students’ Academic Achievement

Abstract

The main focus of this research was on the contributions of continuous assessment and examination to academic achievement. The study used an ex-post facto design. The sample used for the study was forty students of the same class from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam. Instruments for data collection were their continuous assessment scores and examination scores in two courses. Data were analyzed using means, correlation coefficients and t-test for correlation statistics. The results showed that examinations, which had higher mean scores, made more contributions than continuous assessment in academic achievement. There was also a direct positive correlation between continuous assessment and examinations. The results also showed that there was no significant difference between continuous assessment and examinations. Generally, the findings revealed that students attach more importance to examinations than to continuous assessment since they cannot afford to miss or ignore their end of semester examinations. Recommendations were made which include that continuous assessment questions, scripts, and scores should be moderated internally or externally by measurement and evaluation experts.