why doesn't university give past final exams' answers












2















MY professors usually give solutions for part term tests. But it seems that, they never gave any solutions for the past final exams in any courses I've taken.



Anyone has the same experience? or does anyone know why it's like this? I personally believe that students could use past exam's answers to prepare for their own exams.










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  • Even if they agree with you that distributing solutions would be educationally valuable (which not everyone would), professors have a finite amount of time, and creating solutions would take time that could potentially be spent on something more valuable.

    – Nate Eldredge
    1 hour ago
















2















MY professors usually give solutions for part term tests. But it seems that, they never gave any solutions for the past final exams in any courses I've taken.



Anyone has the same experience? or does anyone know why it's like this? I personally believe that students could use past exam's answers to prepare for their own exams.










share|improve this question







New contributor




DesiredOB is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.





















  • Even if they agree with you that distributing solutions would be educationally valuable (which not everyone would), professors have a finite amount of time, and creating solutions would take time that could potentially be spent on something more valuable.

    – Nate Eldredge
    1 hour ago














2












2








2








MY professors usually give solutions for part term tests. But it seems that, they never gave any solutions for the past final exams in any courses I've taken.



Anyone has the same experience? or does anyone know why it's like this? I personally believe that students could use past exam's answers to prepare for their own exams.










share|improve this question







New contributor




DesiredOB is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.












MY professors usually give solutions for part term tests. But it seems that, they never gave any solutions for the past final exams in any courses I've taken.



Anyone has the same experience? or does anyone know why it's like this? I personally believe that students could use past exam's answers to prepare for their own exams.







exams






share|improve this question







New contributor




DesiredOB is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question







New contributor




DesiredOB is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question






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DesiredOB is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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asked 1 hour ago









DesiredOBDesiredOB

111




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New contributor





DesiredOB is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






DesiredOB is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.













  • Even if they agree with you that distributing solutions would be educationally valuable (which not everyone would), professors have a finite amount of time, and creating solutions would take time that could potentially be spent on something more valuable.

    – Nate Eldredge
    1 hour ago



















  • Even if they agree with you that distributing solutions would be educationally valuable (which not everyone would), professors have a finite amount of time, and creating solutions would take time that could potentially be spent on something more valuable.

    – Nate Eldredge
    1 hour ago

















Even if they agree with you that distributing solutions would be educationally valuable (which not everyone would), professors have a finite amount of time, and creating solutions would take time that could potentially be spent on something more valuable.

– Nate Eldredge
1 hour ago





Even if they agree with you that distributing solutions would be educationally valuable (which not everyone would), professors have a finite amount of time, and creating solutions would take time that could potentially be spent on something more valuable.

– Nate Eldredge
1 hour ago










3 Answers
3






active

oldest

votes


















1














I think this totally depends on the course or more importantly, the advisor. I've had courses where the final exams of previous years were discussed in the next years so that students learn from them.



As for why that can be the case, well, maybe the advisor intends to use similar questions and that's why they prefer not to reveal them (again, this comes from personal experience)






share|improve this answer































    1














    This depends on the institution & department and potentially the instructor/course.



    The last two institutions I have been at (UK) have provided solutions to past exams. One only odd numbered years, the other all years.



    I'm sceptical about the value of providing solutions to past exams for studying purposes. From my experience the temptation to look at the solutions instead of struggling through the questions is often irresistible. This leads to the false impression of knowing how to solve the problems. Of course past exam solutions can be used effectively to study, for example by only using the solutions to check answers after completing the entire exam as practice. But I have rarely seen students do this.



    Developing appropriate exam questions is difficult so instructors may also want to recycle past questions and therefore not provide past exams (questions or answers).






    share|improve this answer































      0














      They don ‘t give out those solutions as they use the questions in future exams.



      If they handed out those solutions then that question bank is not longer useful.



      Writing suitable questions to the correct level takes time.



      They are well within their rights not to provide the solutions to those final exam questions. Those exam questions may not be officially available either.



      They have provided practice questions with solutions for your benefit throughout the course.



      Also, being able to solve questions without having a pre-prepared solution to refer to is a skill you need to develop.






      share|improve this answer
























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        3 Answers
        3






        active

        oldest

        votes








        3 Answers
        3






        active

        oldest

        votes









        active

        oldest

        votes






        active

        oldest

        votes









        1














        I think this totally depends on the course or more importantly, the advisor. I've had courses where the final exams of previous years were discussed in the next years so that students learn from them.



        As for why that can be the case, well, maybe the advisor intends to use similar questions and that's why they prefer not to reveal them (again, this comes from personal experience)






        share|improve this answer




























          1














          I think this totally depends on the course or more importantly, the advisor. I've had courses where the final exams of previous years were discussed in the next years so that students learn from them.



          As for why that can be the case, well, maybe the advisor intends to use similar questions and that's why they prefer not to reveal them (again, this comes from personal experience)






          share|improve this answer


























            1












            1








            1







            I think this totally depends on the course or more importantly, the advisor. I've had courses where the final exams of previous years were discussed in the next years so that students learn from them.



            As for why that can be the case, well, maybe the advisor intends to use similar questions and that's why they prefer not to reveal them (again, this comes from personal experience)






            share|improve this answer













            I think this totally depends on the course or more importantly, the advisor. I've had courses where the final exams of previous years were discussed in the next years so that students learn from them.



            As for why that can be the case, well, maybe the advisor intends to use similar questions and that's why they prefer not to reveal them (again, this comes from personal experience)







            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered 1 hour ago









            EhsanKEhsanK

            1014




            1014























                1














                This depends on the institution & department and potentially the instructor/course.



                The last two institutions I have been at (UK) have provided solutions to past exams. One only odd numbered years, the other all years.



                I'm sceptical about the value of providing solutions to past exams for studying purposes. From my experience the temptation to look at the solutions instead of struggling through the questions is often irresistible. This leads to the false impression of knowing how to solve the problems. Of course past exam solutions can be used effectively to study, for example by only using the solutions to check answers after completing the entire exam as practice. But I have rarely seen students do this.



                Developing appropriate exam questions is difficult so instructors may also want to recycle past questions and therefore not provide past exams (questions or answers).






                share|improve this answer




























                  1














                  This depends on the institution & department and potentially the instructor/course.



                  The last two institutions I have been at (UK) have provided solutions to past exams. One only odd numbered years, the other all years.



                  I'm sceptical about the value of providing solutions to past exams for studying purposes. From my experience the temptation to look at the solutions instead of struggling through the questions is often irresistible. This leads to the false impression of knowing how to solve the problems. Of course past exam solutions can be used effectively to study, for example by only using the solutions to check answers after completing the entire exam as practice. But I have rarely seen students do this.



                  Developing appropriate exam questions is difficult so instructors may also want to recycle past questions and therefore not provide past exams (questions or answers).






                  share|improve this answer


























                    1












                    1








                    1







                    This depends on the institution & department and potentially the instructor/course.



                    The last two institutions I have been at (UK) have provided solutions to past exams. One only odd numbered years, the other all years.



                    I'm sceptical about the value of providing solutions to past exams for studying purposes. From my experience the temptation to look at the solutions instead of struggling through the questions is often irresistible. This leads to the false impression of knowing how to solve the problems. Of course past exam solutions can be used effectively to study, for example by only using the solutions to check answers after completing the entire exam as practice. But I have rarely seen students do this.



                    Developing appropriate exam questions is difficult so instructors may also want to recycle past questions and therefore not provide past exams (questions or answers).






                    share|improve this answer













                    This depends on the institution & department and potentially the instructor/course.



                    The last two institutions I have been at (UK) have provided solutions to past exams. One only odd numbered years, the other all years.



                    I'm sceptical about the value of providing solutions to past exams for studying purposes. From my experience the temptation to look at the solutions instead of struggling through the questions is often irresistible. This leads to the false impression of knowing how to solve the problems. Of course past exam solutions can be used effectively to study, for example by only using the solutions to check answers after completing the entire exam as practice. But I have rarely seen students do this.



                    Developing appropriate exam questions is difficult so instructors may also want to recycle past questions and therefore not provide past exams (questions or answers).







                    share|improve this answer












                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer










                    answered 1 hour ago









                    mg4wmg4w

                    819311




                    819311























                        0














                        They don ‘t give out those solutions as they use the questions in future exams.



                        If they handed out those solutions then that question bank is not longer useful.



                        Writing suitable questions to the correct level takes time.



                        They are well within their rights not to provide the solutions to those final exam questions. Those exam questions may not be officially available either.



                        They have provided practice questions with solutions for your benefit throughout the course.



                        Also, being able to solve questions without having a pre-prepared solution to refer to is a skill you need to develop.






                        share|improve this answer




























                          0














                          They don ‘t give out those solutions as they use the questions in future exams.



                          If they handed out those solutions then that question bank is not longer useful.



                          Writing suitable questions to the correct level takes time.



                          They are well within their rights not to provide the solutions to those final exam questions. Those exam questions may not be officially available either.



                          They have provided practice questions with solutions for your benefit throughout the course.



                          Also, being able to solve questions without having a pre-prepared solution to refer to is a skill you need to develop.






                          share|improve this answer


























                            0












                            0








                            0







                            They don ‘t give out those solutions as they use the questions in future exams.



                            If they handed out those solutions then that question bank is not longer useful.



                            Writing suitable questions to the correct level takes time.



                            They are well within their rights not to provide the solutions to those final exam questions. Those exam questions may not be officially available either.



                            They have provided practice questions with solutions for your benefit throughout the course.



                            Also, being able to solve questions without having a pre-prepared solution to refer to is a skill you need to develop.






                            share|improve this answer













                            They don ‘t give out those solutions as they use the questions in future exams.



                            If they handed out those solutions then that question bank is not longer useful.



                            Writing suitable questions to the correct level takes time.



                            They are well within their rights not to provide the solutions to those final exam questions. Those exam questions may not be officially available either.



                            They have provided practice questions with solutions for your benefit throughout the course.



                            Also, being able to solve questions without having a pre-prepared solution to refer to is a skill you need to develop.







                            share|improve this answer












                            share|improve this answer



                            share|improve this answer










                            answered 1 hour ago









                            Solar MikeSolar Mike

                            15.9k62756




                            15.9k62756






















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