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“Its all about the end result” ,

“Work can only be judged by the result it produces”,

“You cannot measure the intellect of a person. The only thing you can show the world is your report card.”

These might be some of the things that you may have heard about the importance of exams. You hear these words from family, teachers, friends and sometimes even strangers. These words echo in the exam halls. Every student who takes exams must face the reality that exams are a big part of one's life. You might like them or hate them, the truth is that you cannot avoid them. Exams are taken to measure how much you have learnt . They are the only means to see if a person is capable enough to be called “learned” at any subject matter.

When we think of exams we tend to think of the long and life altering tests we take at the end of every year or every semester. They are taken by the school, college or university. This is as far as a normal person's mind goes when he/she hears the word exam. But there are more to exams and tests  than a person realizes. Tests are taken in every path of life and are almost unavoidable.

To measure the intellect of any person we have IQ tests. To measure if a person is good enough to get into a school, college or university, we have entrance tests. To graduate from said school, college or university, we take one final big test to see of a person is ready to move on to the next level. Some companies even take written and oral tests to hire a potential employee. To keep that employee competent, vigilant and productive the company takes a different kind of test. One that involves a comprehensive study of the work he/she is doing. This allows the company to see if an employee can still do his/her job properly and if he/she should or should not be promoted. Tests and exams are everywhere. No one has ever succeeded in life without giving an exam or a test in every step of the way.

“Giving exams means a result will be gained. That result will decide your future.” This is something that has been engraved in the mind of every person on earth. Everyone thinks that getting good marks in an exam is the way to success and happiness. This is true to an extent. Good marks mean people will respect you, think of you as a capable and learned person, praise you for your hard work and provide you with opportunities that others rarely get. Think about it, a person who scores good in exams gets a chance to go to a good school, gets to apply for a good job, gets to apply for VISA to go to foreign countries. They get the opportunities that some of us just don't get. But if you look closely, you will see that they don't “get” anything. They just “get the chance”. Nothing is decided in life and neither is success. People who get higher marks just get more opportunities than others, they do not get success or happiness. If they prove themselves, then they get to go to the next level, whatever it may be. A report card does not decide your future, you do. A good report card only gets you the opportunities to do better in life. Whether you fail or pass depends on what you do with the opportunities you get in life. There are many successful people who have failed their exams but with hard work they have passed the test that life takes. They say that, “If you truly want something, the universe conspires to make it come true.” A report card will never be able to judge a person, his/her character, his/her beliefs, hidden talents and definitely not the way he/she should live out his/her life. Report card provide you with opportunities but opportunities come by every day, they are just very difficult to see. Everyday is a new beginning and new beginnings are what a young person like myself wishes for. So, don't mind how much you get in a subject. If you are capable enough to do something and work towards it, you will surely reach your destination. A report card is only a piece of paper. It "is" important in life but it is not all there is to life, especially not towards a happy and fulfilling life.