Should students be given a second chance to prove their understanding, or should a single test define their grasp of the material? In a national survey conducted online by Edutopia, around 78 percent of U.S. high school teachers offer retakes. Retakes are an excellent opportunity to improve students’ grades and help them master material, as well as spark a newfound interest in the concepts. At the same time, many higher-level high school courses do not have time to review every unit and offer retakes. While retakes can be a powerful tool to reinforce learning and help students master material at their own pace, they should be offered thoughtfully, balancing growth and learning with preparing students for the real world.
A benefit of retakes is that they allow students to relearn material and ingrain concepts into their long-term memory. Because school is about learning, and all students learn at their own pace, retakes are a logical option to allow different students to demonstrate their mastery of the subject, in a more flexible time frame. “Retakes help all students, even those who don’t need to retake because we do retake review, and what we call space retrieval practice is good for driving long-term memory formation, according to some of the more recent cognitive science research,” said Aaron Glimme, an AP Chemistry teacher at Berkeley High School. In other words, retakes aren’t just a second chance; they’re a smarter way to learn. “Retakes fit naturally by driving that (learning) the stuff, (putting) it away for a while, (coming) back to it, and (relearning) it again. That repeated retrieval practice has been shown scientifically to drive longer-term memories,” Glimme said. Such scientific research that demonstrates the benefits of retakes should not be ignored.
Furthermore, for students who learn at a slower pace, receiving low scores on tests can be very daunting. Without a retake, students are more prone to just giving up when they can’t learn the material quickly enough. “If you don’t have a retake, students who don’t learn the material at the pace that the class is moving have very little incentive to learn the material. And this way, at least there is a continual incentive to master material that you haven’t learned or ensure you have understood the content eventually,” Glimme said. Retakes provide a way for all students to master material and receive a good grade, at their own speed. In this way, retakes make students excited about a new opportunity, rather than upset over previous assignments, mitigating disengagement in classes.
Nevertheless, retakes can be an unrealistic safeguard against failure, as retakes are not offered in college and beyond. Additionally, some higher-level courses do not have the time to allow for retakes. Jesse Pabico, the AP Physics C teacher at BHS, said, “In college, you are expected to remember a lot of information for the current class that you’re taking. And if you forget something, it’s not the responsibility of the professor to review, because they have to cover more advanced material in a limited time frame.” College professors don’t have the time to go back and review material for students who fall behind, making retakes a very large burden for them. Without the option of retakes, students in higher-level courses are forced to learn how to take responsibility for their own learning by studying extra hard for their exams. “I find that even without giving retakes, students are willing to improve themselves and they take it upon themselves to improve their skills and be better prepared for the next exam,” Pabico stated, emphasizing the benefit of not allowing retakes. Although retakes may soften the blow of mistakes, they don’t prepare students for the reality that failure is a part of everyday life.
All in all, retakes might not work in every advanced class, but for many students, they are a strategic way to learn and understand class material. Improvement and growth should be encouraged over perfection and punishing mistakes. While some more rigorous courses may not have time for retakes, the majority of high school classes should offer them to give every student a fair shot at success. However, when used blindly and without caution, retakes can hinder students’ abilities to accept and move on from failure — a key skill in life beyond high school. Ultimately, when implemented thoughtfully and regulated well, retakes prove to be a vital opportunity for students to improve themselves, deepen their learning of the material, and prepare themselves for future success.