Why We Insist on Exams at UAB — and Why That’s a Good Thing

Let’s be honest: the word exam doesn’t exactly inspire joy. For many adult learners, especially those from North America, exams bring back memories of rigid classrooms, unfair grading, and unnecessary stress. Some of our students arrive at UAB with a very clear demand: “I want to learn Hebrew — but no tests, please.”

We hear you. But we still give you a final written and oral exam. In every single course. From A1 to H1.

Here’s why.

Language Learning Requires Implementation, Not Just Exposure

Unlike studying history or economics, learning a language isn’t about what you know — it’s about what you can do. You need to recall vocabulary in real time, form sentences on the fly, and understand what’s happening in a fast-paced conversation. That doesn’t happen through osmosis. It happens through repeated, structured practice — and assessment.

According to Dr. Patsy Lightbown and Dr. Nina Spada, leading researchers in second language acquisition, adult learners make meaningful progress only when they’re required to actively produce language and reflect on their errors (Lightbown & Spada, 2013). Exams, when designed well, offer exactly that: an opportunity to stop, perform, and reflect.

Exams Give You Feedback You Can’t Get Anywhere Else

Let’s say you’ve been attending class, doing your homework, even watching Netflix with Hebrew subtitles. You feel like you’re making progress. But are you actually able to use the past tense? Are you able to talk about your weekend in Hebrew, write an email, understand someone ranting on the street?

An exam — especially one that includes a speaking and writing component — forces you to confront that question. It’s a mirror, not a punishment. It tells you where you shine and where you need to work harder. That kind of feedback is vital in adult learning, where progress isn’t always linear or obvious.

In fact, research on adult education by Brookfield (1986) highlights the importance of self-assessment and critical reflection as essential parts of adult learning. A structured test supports both.

It’s Not About Passing or Failing — It’s About Not Wasting Your Time

At UAB, exams aren’t there to trick you. They’re there to protect you. If you’re not ready for the next level, you shouldn’t be there. Moving on too early means you’ll feel lost, frustrated, and — eventually — stuck. We’d rather have you repeat a course, fix your weak points, and move on with confidence than advance just because the semester ended.

As adult education expert Stephen D. Brookfield writes, effective teaching “challenges assumptions and reveals gaps in understanding.” That’s what our exams are designed to do.

Exams = Confidence

Believe it or not, most students who are nervous about the final exam at the start of the semester are grateful for it at the end. Why? Because they’ve earned something. They’ve faced a challenge, measured their skills, and come out stronger.

Passing an oral exam in a foreign language as an adult is a huge achievement. It proves you’re not just learning passively — you’re becoming a Hebrew speaker.

Bottom Line?

We’re not here to traumatize you. We’re here to help you get better at Hebrew. Exams are part of that process — not because we’re old-fashioned, but because they work.

If your past experience with exams was unpleasant, we get it. But maybe it’s time to reframe what a test can be: not a punishment, but a milestone.

And at UAB, we’ll be cheering you on — every step of the way.