Group Work or Exams: Does Your Polytechnic Course Shape How Well You Score?

Walk into any polytechnic in Singapore, and you’ll quickly notice a divide — not between schools, but between assessment cultures.

Some courses thrive on group projects, presentations, and teamwork. Others lean towards individual assessments, where written exams or personal reports carry heavier weight.

Both approaches aim to measure learning — but in practice, they seem to shape different kinds of students.

So, here’s the question worth debating:

Does your course’s assessment style determine how well you perform — and what kind of learner you become?

The Case for Group Work: Collaboration Breeds Strength

Supporters of group-based learning often argue that projects mirror real-world skills — teamwork, communication, and adaptability.

In courses like business, design, or media, where group presentations and projects form the bulk of assessment, students learn to negotiate ideas, divide responsibilities, and manage deadlines collectively.

Some even argue that this format naturally boosts grades:

• Stronger teammates can guide weaker ones.

  
  

• Group synergy often leads to higher overall output.

  
  

• Marks are distributed across shared effort, softening individual weaknesses.

In other words, group-based courses might lift students who are cooperative, expressive, and socially intelligent.

But — is that always fair?

The Case for Individual Exams: Meritocracy in Its Purest Form

On the other end, exam-heavy courses — such as engineering, accounting, or IT — often prioritise individual mastery.

Every student sits for the same paper, under the same conditions. Success depends solely on personal understanding and discipline.

For students who prefer working independently or who find group dynamics distracting, this system feels cleaner and fairer.

Yet, it also demands a kind of mental endurance and test-taking skill that not every student naturally excels at — particularly when real-world jobs rarely resemble timed exams.

So again, which is the “truer” reflection of ability — collaboration or competence under pressure?

The Hidden Factor: Personality and Learning Style

Perhaps the real difference isn’t the assessment method itself, but how each aligns with the student’s personality and strengths.

• The extroverted problem-solver thrives in group settings, where ideas bounce freely and teamwork drives motivation.

  
  

• The independent thinker performs best when left to focus deeply, without having to compromise on vision or pace.

Research in educational psychology supports this — assessment outcomes often correlate not with intelligence, but with learning style compatibility.

So maybe it’s not that one course type yields better grades. It’s that each attracts students whose strengths are naturally rewarded by that format.

What It Means for Students

If you’re a current or prospective polytechnic student, perhaps the real question isn’t “Which course is easier to score in?” but rather:

“Which assessment environment brings out my best?”

Do you thrive on teamwork and discussion — or do you prefer quiet, focused mastery?

Do you gain energy from collaboration — or clarity from solitude?

Knowing the answer to these may be just as important as choosing the right course itself.

Open Reflection

At the end of the day, polytechnic education aims to prepare students for diverse futures — and both forms of assessment hold value.

But as we continue to debate about fairness, GPA differences, and learning outcomes, perhaps it’s time to ask:

Should we rethink what “good performance” means — or simply recognise that success looks different depending on how we learn?