Personally, I preferred in-class exams to take-home assignments, because I was a perfectionist when it came to papers but thrived under pressure. But that also makes me worry about what the shift to in-person exams will do to students who understand the material but crack under pressure.
A solution to that is offering students more time to take the test and/or other accomodations, like splitting the class into 2 rooms for tests As someone who suffered w undiagnosed anxiety (and ADD) in college, professors who acknowledge the "problem" and offered "no pressure" solutions were a Gift
To help with that I give students a review sheet that includes that larger essay question they will have to write - they know exactly what it is at least a week ahead of time. I also give them hints on the other parts. I think that helps those who are anxious.
What I have found is that those who are consistently engaged in class, taking notes and occasionally asking questions, do very well. I also weight exams differently so that the first one is the lowest. Those who incorporate feedback tend to do better on subsequent exams.