Benilde-St. Margaret’s students have officially made it through the first quarter of the 2024-2025 school year. By now, students have become familiar with the many types of assessments BSM has to offer. From projects and presentations to formal tests and written papers, BSM’s assessment processes cover a large range of skills providing students with the opportunities to go outside their comfort zones to show their knowledge of the class material in various ways.

Students are all across the board when it comes to choosing which type of assessments they prefer. Looking at the different types of assessments students need to take at BSM, there are five main types: tests, projects, discussions, written papers, and presentations. Junior Abbie Kagel prefers participating in discussions. She believes they best help her show her understanding of the class material and likes to expand on other people’s ideas to portray her own understanding too. “[I like discussions because] I can add onto people[‘s ideas] and then share my own view with stuff like that I’ve learned. And it’s not just one specific question being asked,” Kagel said.

Unlike Kagel, freshman Luke Machalek prefers doing presentations to show his understanding of the class. He thinks that presentations, especially ones you present to the whole class, help him show off his best work to his peers and teachers. “Because you’re going to share them to the entire class, I think it always gives off the mindset that you have to do as best as you can and show as much as you know,” Machalek said.

BSM also provides students with both physical and online testing. In most cases, it comes down to what the teacher prefers their class to take. The BSM community has mixed opinions on whether online or physical tests are more beneficial. Though most teachers prefer physical tests, both Kagel and Mackalek like online tests better than physical. Kagel enjoys the quickness of online testing and prefers to type out her answers rather than write them. “I like typing better than writing and also, I just feel it’s a lot easier, simpler, and quicker to get your answers,” Kagel said.

With the use of AI on the rise, teachers rarely allow online tests unless they are necessary. Mackalek rarely gets to take online tests because of this and agrees with Kagel as he enjoys typing better than writing too. [I prefer online tests over physical tests] because I like typing more than writing,” Machalek said.