Is writing with a pen really that onerous?

THE headmaster of Malvern College says using pens is too tiring for pupils and that they should be able to type their exam answers (Mail). When I was an A-level and GCSE examiner, we were permitted to reduce marks by a maximum of 5 per cent for grammar, so students often answered in text speak. Multiple choice, where students have to select the answer from four options, is dubbed multiple guess! What next? Will we award a pass to pupils who simply ‘like’ the subject?

DAVID M. GODFREY, Ware, Herts.

THE option of on-screen exams could benefit many people, not just pupils. Due to declining standards in handwriting, it can be difficult for examiners to read scripts. When it comes to writing fatigue among young people, the reason isn’t an over-reliance on computers. The solution is simply to hold your pen less tightly. Write with a gentle and light touch and then neither the fingers nor wrist should hurt. I wish I’d known this as a teenager. Taking the last of my exams, I felt as if I was slowly crushing my hand in a car door.

EMILIE McRAE, Trowbridge, Wilts.

IS USING a pen in an exam really too tiring for pupils or is it that examiners find it easier to read typing?

JACKIE MACFARLANE, Pangbourne, Berks. WHY not supply the answers with the exam questions? It would save the little dears so much stress.

GORDON MORRIS, Southwick, Wilts. IF EXHAUSTED pupils are given the option to type exam answers, will the poor souls also need help turning the pages of the exam paper?