Reinventing Exams: A Conversation Between Dr. Malpani and a Principal Who Cares
In every staff room and parent-teacher meeting, one concern echoes louder than the rest: the overwhelming pressure of exams. Students are buried under textbooks, parents are drained by tuition fees, and schools are judged by board results rather than the joy of learning. It’s clear—something is deeply wrong with how we assess our children.
Dr. Aniruddha Malpani, a vocal advocate for education reform, sat down with Mrs. Mehra, a veteran school principal, to question the very foundation of our current examination system. What followed was an eye-opening conversation about how technology could free students from rote learning and usher in a more humane, meaningful way to measure progress.
The Problem with Exams Today
Mrs. Mehra is a respected principal with over 25 years of experience.
Dr. Malpani: Mrs. Mehra, I wanted your perspective as an experienced educator. I believe our current examination system is completely broken.
Mrs. Mehra: I’ve watched student pressure skyrocket over the years. What makes you say it’s “broken”?
Dr. Malpani: Today’s exams mostly test memory and rote learning. They rarely assess creativity, understanding, or problem-solving skills. Worse, they cause extreme anxiety and push students into expensive coaching classes like Physicswallah and Aakash, just to score marks in MCQs—a skill with little real-world value.
The Coaching Trap and the Fear of Failure
Mrs. Mehra: I see it too. Parents spend lakhs on tuitions, believing it’s the only way to “crack” exams. But it drains students of joy and curiosity.
Dr. Malpani: We’ve reduced childhood to a competition of marks. Our current exams are simply a race to fill bubbles on an answer sheet. We must ask: “What kind of future are we preparing them for?”
The Case for Reinventing Exams
Mrs. Mehra: But exams are still essential to measure progress. What’s your alternative?
Dr. Malpani: We need to reinvent exams using technology. Imagine an AI-powered digital examiner, just like an oral viva, which tests each student one-on-one.
Mrs. Mehra: A digital avatar? Tell me more.
Dr. Malpani: It would engage the student in dialogue, tailoring questions based on their answers. The session would be recorded for fairness and transparency, and human moderators could review the process if needed.
Eliminating Cheating and Restoring Fairness
Mrs. Mehra: That would eliminate cheating completely! No papers, no exam halls, no leaks. Every student gets a fair shot.
Dr. Malpani: Precisely. It becomes a learning assessment, not just a scorecard. The AI tutor would guide the student to think, reason, and even learn during the process.
Mrs. Mehra: This could finally humanize assessments. I’ve seen brilliant students fail just because of stress or time pressure.
Dr. Malpani: A calm, dynamic conversation removes that stress and gives us a true test of understanding.
Personalized and Transparent Assessments
Mrs. Mehra: You’re describing personalized, adaptive testing. It could lift both high achievers and struggling learners.
Dr. Malpani: Yes! No more one-size-fits-all papers. Each student’s test would adjust to their learning level and pace.
Mrs. Mehra: But what about standard benchmarks?
Dr. Malpani: The recordings ensure complete auditability and objectivity. Large datasets will help maintain consistency far better than exhausted human examiners.
From Industrial Age to Information Age
Mrs. Mehra: I’m convinced. The current model crushes students and teachers. This is the humane reform we need.
Dr. Malpani: We’ve been stuck in an outdated, industrial-age model of mass testing. It’s time to move to an information-age model focused on thinking, creativity, and true comprehension.
Mrs. Mehra: The biggest hurdle is mindset. Traditionalists will resist change.
Dr. Malpani: That’s why we must start small. Progressive schools and Teach to Earn learning pods are ideal pilots to lead the change.
The Role of Learning Pods
Mrs. Mehra: I’ve admired how Teach to Earn learning pods offer community-driven, self-paced digital education.
Dr. Malpani: Our mission is to give students autonomy and agency, supported by caring adults and cutting-edge technology.
Mrs. Mehra: I want to be part of this movement. Education must empower, not oppress.
Dr. Malpani: Let’s start today. We urge parents, teachers, and communities to take the lead. Don’t wait for the government.
Take the First Step
Dr. Malpani: Take matters into your own hands by starting your own digital learning pod—your children will not get a second chance! 👉 Learn how at: www.teachtoearn.in/start-a-teach-to-earn-learning-pod