Imaya Ayikwei Writes- Cambridge Lower Secondary Checkpoint Exams- The Lessons, My Experience And The Way Forward

Although instrumental, I wanted it to end even before it began and by it, I mean the Cambridge Lower Secondary Checkpoint Exams. If you are wondering why I couldn’t wait for an exam formulated to set a tone for my future to be over and done with, then happy reading.

The truth is right from the prepping stage to the very day I sat to write my first paper, the one thought that played untiringly in my head was that the checkpoint was designed in a way to take everything you love from you and nothing anyone said was going to make me believe otherwise. In other words, I was entrenched!

And why won’t I ? when my mates and I practically ate, slept and breathed this exam? At a point, it felt like our lives revolved around nothing else other than the exams and I had had it up to my neck with everything checkpoint hence the urgency in my need for it to end. However, I hope my fleeting convictions about the checkpoint exams are not taken amiss. If I am being honest, I will say I much know its relevance.

The Cambridge Lower Secondary Checkpoint Exams provide a transitional stage for IGCSE students by developing learners’ skills and understanding of Mathematics, English and Science for the first three years of Secondary education. This provides excellent preparation for higher Cambridge qualifications including the IGCSE. Again, the Checkpoint exams grant teachers an easy means to assess students as they progress to mention but a few.

Whereas it may appear as a simple external exam, it is not at all an easy nut to crack. One needs to be thorough with their preparation if they aim to score excellent grades. I for one intended to pass my papers with colours brighter than the rainbows so I leave my ‘thorough preparation’ to your able imagination.

That nonetheless cannot go without saying checkpoint in more ways than one challenged my mates and me in a rather demonstrative way. We finally sat up. We were losing sleep, having virtual and physical classes for hours on end.

We disassociated ourselves from all other extra-curriculum activities— Tiktok became a constant reminder that time was drawing nigh. The only thing we spent time facing were our books and the sound of gram only linked our minds to a unit of measure. As for the PlayStations, they were kept out of sight and only came alive on selected weekends.

All of a sudden, coming to school meant one thing that is studying. We were exempted from everything, even ReadOut30 where all we had to do was sit on a rug to read any book of choice to kickstart our mornings. So as the hours added to days, we became nothing less than a live definition of the word stress until the day of reckoning came.

My heart thumped faster than Usain Bolt who has just finished a 100 metres race when the English paper was placed in front of me. I was truly scared but guess what? I would have been more worried if the paper the least could not run chills down my spine. For if there was one thing I picked up during this checkpoint phase, it was the fact that you are challenged to put in your ultimate best when you are petrified of the fear of failure that seems to have a permanent seat at the back of our minds.

Well, the good news is that all three papers were not as difficult as I envisioned which I credit to adequate preparation and the selfless efforts of my teachers. As it stands, I can only hope for the stars to align in my favour— after all, I worked tirelessly.

For now, I am just dreading the two weeks break we have. I am mortified saying this taking into account how much noise I have made about needing rest. The truth is, I find my classmates and classroom therapeutic. The one other thing checkpoint did was the creation of a new bond with my classmates. We became more supportive and understanding of each other so leaving for two weeks feels weird. Now that I am sanely thinking about it, I see the fun I didn’t even realize I was having.

Post my two weeks needed break, I am hoping to walk through the gates of Ecole Ronsard feeling free, relieved and ready to face any challenge with a zeal to create solutions to these challenges. I am happy to be called a Ronsard student because this school creates memories for children that they will cherish forever.