Want to supercharge your students’ performance on exam day? Read on…
The desks and tables students sit at during exams matter more than many educational facilities realize. As test season looms, it’s time to stop thinking of exam furniture as an afterthought or a budget drain. Instead, choose the right desks and tables and create the conditions where your students can perform at their peak.
In this article, we’ll guide you through:
- The real impact of exam desks on student performance
- Essential features to look for in the best exam tables and desks
- Tips for making the right furniture choices for your exams
Why Exam Desks Are a Performance Issue
Pause for a second…
Students sit at exam desks for hours at the most stressful time in their academic year. Regular classroom desks just won’t cut it. The right exam tables for all educational environments are carefully engineered to meet unique requirements that typical classroom furniture can’t meet.
Exam desks and tables should:
- Provide students with their own workspace without distraction
- Be stable for long periods of writing
- Allow appropriate spacing between candidates
- Accommodate a variety of body types and heights
Educational furniture manufacturers are listening. The global educational furniture market size is projected to reach $7.24 billion by 2030, fueled in part by demand for specialized furniture solutions like exam desks.
The Comfort-Performance Link You Can’t Afford to Miss
Want a quick look at an easy way to give your students an edge?
It’s right in front of you. Literally. The desks they sit at during exams. Physical comfort affects cognitive performance. When students sit in subpar furniture, they fidget, slouch, and lose focus. All that discomfort steals mental energy and attention away from the test.
Studies confirm this. Research shows that ergonomic furniture can lead to improved concentration and better grades. When your students are in good chairs with sturdy tables and appropriate desks for sitting during exams, they can direct more of their brainpower to the questions in front of them.
Good furniture during exams means:
- Better posture and fewer distractions from physical discomfort
- More ability to focus on questions
- Overall improved exam performance
The connections between the physical and the mental may be complicated. But this one is simple.
Features of the Best Exam Desks
Exam desks don’t all perform equally.
They don’t all have the features and qualities that help your students do their best. Exam furniture varies a lot in quality, durability, and usefulness.
When you know what to look for, though, the right exam desks and tables really stand out. They combine several key features that work in concert to set your students up for success.
Here are some of the most important factors:
Stability and Durability
Nothing makes an exam period more stressful than a wobbly desk. Students need solid stability under their books. When they’re writing essays or filling in bubble sheets, the last thing they should have to think about is a shaky desk.
Metals and powder coatings are the strongest and most durable for exam furniture frames and finishes. Desks should hold up year after year under constant use. Schools can’t afford to replace desks every few years as newer styles come out or old ones wear down.
Sizing and Spacing
Don’t forget about the size of desks.
Exam desks need to be large enough to fit all the materials candidates are permitted. They also need to be spaced in the testing room so that everyone has enough space around them. Most exam regulations require spacing between candidates, and your desks should help, not hinder, your ability to achieve the right room setup.
Find desks that are as compact as possible without being so small that students’ papers, books, or folders fall off or block views of the front of the room.
Quality Desktop Surface
Exam desks also need a sturdy, flat desktop surface.
Materials like melamine and laminate provide a nice balance of durability and functionality for exam table desktops. The desks should also be dark in color to hide wear and scuffs. Bright colors can cause glare in exam halls, so be aware of that.
You also want to avoid distracting textures, finishes, and colors on your exam desks and tables. Patterns or busy graphics can draw students’ eyes away from the exam itself.
Adjustable Height: The Exam Desk Game Changer
Pay attention here…
Height adjustability is the game-changing feature that really sets great exam desks apart.
Adjustable desks can be set to suit students of all heights. That way, they don’t have to hunch over or strain their arms and necks by sitting in an awkward position.
Here are some of the key benefits of height-adjustable exam desks:
- They allow students to achieve ergonomic positions based on their unique body types.
- Candidates can maintain these positions without fatigue for hours of testing.
- Better posture allows for greater blood flow and less fidgeting.
- Good posture and reduced fidgeting lead to better focus on the exam.
Height-adjustable desks are more expensive than fixed-height ones. But they last longer because they’re built to higher quality standards. Plus, they can accommodate a wider range of students.
Storage Options: The Practical Details
Don’t miss the practical details either when it comes to quality exam desks.
One feature that’s often overlooked are storage options on exam desks and tables. The best exam furniture often has storage hooks or shelves underneath.
This allows students to keep their bags and belongings up off the ground. Plus, it keeps them in plain view of teachers rather than on the floor where cheating can occur.
Look for desks that also have practical storage and setup benefits, like:
- Ability to stack efficiently when not in use
- Easy movement for different classroom layouts
- No tools required for basic height adjustments
- Quick cleaning between exam sessions
Exam rooms that see frequent testing will need furniture that’s easy to move from storage to setup and back.
The Exam Desk Cost Reality
Look, no one is saying that high-quality exam desks are cheap.
But here’s the thing, they’re an investment. An investment in your students’ ability to perform on exam day. They’re also an investment in your school’s reputation.
If you take the time to figure out the cost per exam session over the lifetime of a desk, the price premium for quality furniture is nothing.
Contrast that to the cost of low-quality desks that require constant complaints, faster replacement, and cause nothing but stress and discomfort for your students. The right desks and tables are investments that pay for themselves many times over.
Deciding on Your Exam Furniture Purchases
Feeling ready to take action on your school’s exam desks and tables?
The first step is to assess your unique needs.
How many students take exams at once? What about your storage and setup requirements? Height adjustability is important for diverse student bodies.
If you can, try to get samples of the desks you’re considering. Bring them in and have some teachers and even students sit at them. They’re the ones who will actually use them. Ask their opinions on desk stability, comfort, and overall practicality.
Delivery and warranty terms are also important when you shop for furniture. Quality brands and suppliers back their products with good warranties and responsive customer support.
Wrapping Up: The Perfect Desk Is a Performance Booster
Exam desks and tables are easy to take for granted.
They’re just a feature of the education world, right? Not so fast. The right exam furniture can create the ideal setting for students to do their best on test day.
Good exam desks = less fidgeting and discomfort for students
= better focus and performance = higher scores and grades
Educational facilities that care about student performance should care about exam desks. After all, exam day is one of the most important days of the school year for your students.
Choose wisely, and your students will thank you.
