In the article "Two Cheers for Examinations," author and former English teacher, Joy Alonso, discusses the pros and cons of examinations in two to four year colleges. Alonso notes that, though not loved by students, examinations serve two purposes. The first purpose is to assess how well a student is doing in a given course, and the second is to encourage learning of the broader topic. Alonso explains that the first goal of most examinations is to see the level of student achievement for various rewards such as honors within the institution. The second purpose is to make the student connect the smaller topics and comprehend what the larger ideas are. She notes that students feel a greater sense of achievement from examinations than from papers, however exams are not without flaws. Factors such as the teacher/professor's mood when correcting, and how far into the stack the grader is, can give some students an unfair advantage. Exams can also point out flaws of the instructor, which make them an even more useful tool. The article shows that though there are drawbacks, exams are a useful tool for students and instructors as each one can evaluate his/herself. Joy Alonso aims to show the place of examinations in collegiate courses, through a series of pro and con analysis. In the beginning of her argument, she explains, in detail, the way an examination fulfills the two purposes of tracking achievement and encouraging learning. The first purpose serves both the students and the professor. She mentions that, through examinations, students obtain self-reassurance of their performance in the course. The article states that a professor will know if his/her instruction is effective and clear in a way that the majority of the class understands the material. When grading the exams, both students and professors are being assessed. Examinations, as Alonso notes, will also stimulate learning. Through the relatable example of students writing ess