Questions about test-based evaluation of student progress and achievement.
Questions tagged [exams]
559 questions
47
votes
13 answers
Exam design: give maximum score per question or not?
When designing an exam, would you mention the maximum score per question or not? Is it common practice?
In my view this promotes cherry-picking. This could be seen as a way to prioritize or to satisfice (leaving questions open since "they are…
GertVdE
- 593
- 1
- 5
- 7
46
votes
10 answers
Asking an exam question that requires a specific technique
This question Inadmissible theorems in research mentioned a scenario in which a student was not allowed to use a theorem that he knew because it wasn't in the course. I've administered exams in which the instructor said "using X technique, solve…
Michael Stachowsky
- 9,768
- 5
- 36
- 45
42
votes
8 answers
Why are examinees often not allowed to leave during the start and end of an exam?
I notice that, quite often, exams have a rule similar to this:
You may not leave the exam theater during the first ten minutes and last ten minutes of the exam.
I'm wondering what the purpose of this rule is. In the first ten minutes presumably…
Allure
- 127,528
- 50
- 325
- 493
38
votes
5 answers
What should I do if my professor changes the question mid-exam?
I was writing a 3-question examination today (undergrad) with 1200 other students when our professor comes in after ~2/3 of the exam and changes a question to make it solvable. This was a 1.5 hour exam where each question was designed to take 30…
anonymoususer11111
- 361
- 1
- 3
- 4
32
votes
7 answers
How to prevent students from having an unfair advantage on exams, when they are held on different days?
I teach a writing course to different sections, across different days of the week. From the schedule, some students will take their mid-term exam early in the week, while others will take it later in the week. Recently, I found one student who was…
Village
- 12,524
- 12
- 76
- 121
31
votes
9 answers
When to Allow Makeup Exams
I have a classroom (as opposed to online) course for which I set the date of the first exam about a week before the last date a student can withdraw without penalty, such that I can have grades returned before the withdrawal date. The date was in…
Bob Brown
- 26,946
- 11
- 77
- 110
31
votes
13 answers
How to choose a good grading curve for yes/no exams?
I teach a certain course where I think the best way to test knowledge is using yes/no questions. However, with a simple yes/no exam, a student can just answer randomly to all questions and get, in expectation, a score of 50%, which is not very…
Erel Segal-Halevi
- 16,877
- 14
- 66
- 111
29
votes
8 answers
Should I be concerned about student access to a test bank?
If I am using a test bank to formulate a test based on a textbook, should I be concerned about students getting access to the test bank? I have read that student use of a test bank is cheating, but I guess I don't agree with that 100%. If I am…
Tyler Durden
- 1,649
- 3
- 14
- 16
23
votes
3 answers
Recourse for patently unfair make-up exam?
I am a senior finishing dual degrees in chemistry and mathematics and missed an exam in an upper level chemistry course due to a brief hospitalization which was fully documented. I was granted a make-up exam by the instructor along with a few other…
R.T
- 333
- 3
- 5
21
votes
8 answers
Why doesn't the university give past final exams' answers?
My professors usually give solutions for part term tests. But it seems that, they never gave any solutions for the past final exams in any courses I've taken.
Does anyone has the same experience? Or does anyone know why it's like this? I personally…
BOBOB
- 329
- 1
- 2
- 5
17
votes
9 answers
Can an energy drink or chocolate before an exam be useful ? What sort of other edible goods be helpful?
At the end of a session, we have to give an examination where 2 years worth of syllabus is asked and it is the most important examination. It takes place in 2 sessions 9-12 and 2-5. I have heard from some of my peers that having things like energy…
Mr.HiggsBoson
- 765
- 1
- 6
- 11
12
votes
2 answers
Methods for Assessing The Performance of an Exam
What are some common methods for assessing how well a exam works, once you have the results back? This is something of a generalization of How to measure entropy of exam results.
I've seen professors regress scores against some potentially…
Fomite
- 51,973
- 5
- 115
- 229
11
votes
2 answers
The exam time was less than the students expected
Some time ago, a course I visited had final exams, and the time announced to the students in advance (several weeks earlier via email by the instructor) was 3 hours. Rather shortly after the students began to write (about 20 minutes), it was…
mafu
- 1,472
- 13
- 25
11
votes
1 answer
Effect of cold temperatures on exam performance
Recently, at a university I know, students sat one of their exams in a room that was (apparently) about 40 Fahrenheit (4.4°C) because the heaters had broken. They also had to take their coats off due to exam condition rules.
The students have…
Simd
- 3,171
- 2
- 21
- 41
10
votes
1 answer
Are there formal studies analyzing available test time versus performance?
Are there any studies showing that there is a direct connection (or a lack of a connection) between extending the time given for students to complete a written exam and their performance on the exam?
I think there's a lot of anecdotal evidence that…
aeismail
- 173,481
- 34
- 418
- 736