The rustling of paper. On the day of the Written Test, the theory exam hall was silent. Only the rustling of pen tips across paper.
Mia sat down in the exam hall with some confidence. Usually, she had trouble with theoretical knowledge, but this time she had put in serious effort to deal with this big exam.
She not only brushed through the past five years’ final exam questions repeatedly, but also asked Kefi about all the marked red points she didn’t understand in her notebook, and even… even mustered up the courage, suppressing her embarrassment, to ask Teacher Sefina a few times.
After all, what had happened between them last time was still fresh in her mind…
Mia felt that she was fairly well prepared this time. So she wore a calm expression in the exam hall, quietly waiting for the test papers to be handed out.
When Mia received the paper, she first quickly scanned the header to confirm the subject and exam time were correct, then buried her head in answering the questions.
The earlier questions weren’t too difficult. Mia wrote swiftly. Although she occasionally needed to think, she was able to write down answers smoothly for most of them, and her heart gradually settled.
However, when she finished the first side and confidently turned the paper over to tackle the comprehensive questions on the back, her eyes inadvertently caught sight of a certain question type title below—
2. Multiple Choice Questions (Each question has at least two correct options. Choosing more or wrong options yields no points, missing a correct option yields partial points.)
‘What the?!’
Mia’s hand holding the pen twitched, almost leaving a streak of ink on the paper.
‘What’s going on?!’
‘How can the final exam have multiple choice questions like this?!’
Alarms blared in her heart. Her heart began to race irregularly, and a sense of foreboding poured over her like ice water. She forced herself to calm down and quickly continued flipping through—
3. Cloze Test.
4. Material Analysis Question.
5. Proof Problem—Use the knowledge from this semester to prove the following proposition:
‘Cloze Test…’
‘Material Analysis…’
‘And even a “Proof Problem” that sounds like it could make you see stars?!’
Mia felt her vision go dark, as if she could see a failing grade on her final theory exam results sheet waving at her.
‘How did this happen…’
‘What about the “traditional” question types?!’
‘This is clearly the “power-up version” of Teacher Sefina’s midterm exam!’
‘Even a “Proof Problem” that I’ve never heard of has made an appearance!’
Mia wanted to cry but had no tears. She looked up and glanced around, noticing that many classmates wore similar expressions of shock and confusion. Clearly, no one had expected the question types to “keep up with the times” to this extent.
‘It’s over…’
‘It’s completely over…’
A river of tears flowed in Mia’s heart, but the exam time was still mercilessly ticking away.
She could only grit her teeth, brace herself, and relying on her remaining memory and on-the-spot improvisation, begin battling with these familiar yet unfamiliar questions…
***
About a month ago, in the headmaster’s office.
“Teacher Sefina, the question types you designed for the midterm exam were very innovative. They not only tested the students’ memory of knowledge points, but also effectively examined their discrimination ability.”
“The differentiation was high, and it was very helpful for screening and cultivating truly outstanding magic talent.”
Rofilia pushed the documents toward Sefina.
“Therefore, for the final exam’s question setting, I would like to invite you to participate and provide some ideas for question types in the theory Written Test section.”
“Of course, the main scope of knowledge and most of the specific content of the questions will still be handled by the veteran professors of each school to ensure the comprehensiveness and authority of the assessment.”
“You only need to contribute your ‘question type creativity.’ ”
“Understood.”
Sefina had no objections and calmly accepted the headmaster’s commission.
For her, designing questions that could effectively test the students’ true level was already part of a teacher’s duty.
Based on the knowledge system that needed to be assessed for the final, she provided several improved question type ideas, along with simple sample questions.
As for the “Proof Problem” that eventually appeared on that paper, it was indeed Sefina’s handiwork.
It was a comprehensive difficult question that integrated multiple advanced theoretical points, aimed at screening out top-tier students with an extremely solid foundation in theoretical knowledge and meticulous logical thinking.
However, considering its extremely high difficulty, the score for this question was kept very low, so it wouldn’t affect the grade range of most students. It was more like an “Honor Challenge Problem.”
But Sefina didn’t expect that after her suggested question types were adopted and integrated, they would cause such a huge psychological impact on the students…
The bell marking the end of the Written Test rang, like a horn of liberation or a death knell for grades.
Mia dragged her body, which felt like her soul had been drained, drifting out of the exam hall with the crowd.
She looked like a wilted eggplant battered by frost, her head drooping, her blue eyes devoid of their usual luster, filled with a sense of hopelessness.
Most of the surrounding students also looked ashen, discussing among themselves. The air was thick with a sense of survivor’s relief and deep worry about their grades.
“That multiple choice section… I felt like every option was right, but also wrong…”
“How could the question types be like that… I was totally unprepared…”
“I didn’t understand half of that material analysis passage…”
“Proof problem? What was that thing? I took one look and just gave up…”
Kefi walked over to Mia and looked at her friend’s dazed expression, sympathetically patting her on the shoulder.
“Don’t be too discouraged, Mia. The Written Test is over, so thinking too much won’t help. The Combat Exam tomorrow is the main event, and there’s still a chance to pull up your total score.”
Mia listlessly leaned against the corridor windowsill, let out a deep sigh, her cheek pressed against the cold glass, staring blankly out the window.
‘It seems that only those delicious snacks Teacher Sefina keeps in her refrigerator can soothe my fragile heart, battered by the exam, after school today…’
In the afternoon.
Teacher Sefina’s office was quiet and warm. She was sitting behind her desk, with several Written Test papers that had just been collected spread out in front of her, carefully grading them with her pen.
From the occasional frown and sigh, the impact of the new question types on the students was indeed considerable.
Many students who performed decently on traditional questions exposed gaps in understanding and limitations in their thinking patterns when faced with question types that required more analysis and comprehensive ability.
Of course, there were also a few papers that drew a glimmer of approval in her eyes.
Especially for that proof problem—some students had actually attempted to derive it. Although the steps were a bit immature, the direction was generally correct.
Just then, two somewhat impolite knocks sounded.
Before Sefina could say “Come in,” the office door was pushed open directly.
Feliel walked in and closed the door behind her, her movements crisp and even a bit impatient.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest, staring straight at Sefina behind the desk, a hint of resentment in her eyes and voice.
“I never imagined that our dear ‘Ninth Seat’ not only excels at organization missions and undercover identities, but is also so… ‘creative’ in the field of education.”
Feliel took a few steps closer, staring at the stack of papers by Sefina’s hand, and added grumpily.
“That final Written Test paper had really ‘unique’ question types. Multiple choice? Cloze test? Material analysis? And that damn proof problem…”
“Truly your handiwork. Impressive.”
Obviously, as the Seventh Seat, who needs to perfectly play the role of a student, Feliel had also been sitting in the exam hall that morning, forced to experience the “charm” of Sefina-style questions, and was now full of complaints.
Sefina’s grading pen didn’t pause, nor did she even lift her head.
Her wine-red eyes remained on the paper, and she replied in her usual flat, cool voice.
“It’s not that bad. Question types are just tools. As long as they can test the true level, that’s enough.”
She finished grading the last small question on the paper in her hand and put down her pen.
Only then did she slowly raise her eyes to look at the displeased Feliel.
She knew very well that when Feliel came looking for her on her own, it was usually related to the movements of the [Black Utopia] organization. Sefina didn’t want to beat around the bush and cut straight to the point.
“Go ahead. What’s the matter for coming here?”