Equivalence of students' scores on timed and untimed anatomy practical examinations

Abstract

Untimed examinations are popular with students because there is a perception that first impressions may be incorrect, and that difficult questions require more time for reflection. In this report, we tested the hypothesis that timed anatomy practical examinations are inherently more difficult than untimed examinations. Students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Thomas Jefferson University were assessed on their understanding of anatomic relationships using multiple‐choice questions. For the class of 2012 (n = 46), students were allowed to circulate freely among 40 testing stations during the 40‐minute testing session. For the class of 2013 (n = 46), students were required to move sequentially through the 40 testing stations (one minute per item). Students in both years were given three practical examinations covering the back/upper limb, lower limb, and trunk. An identical set of questions was used for both groups of students (untimed and timed examinations). Our results indicate that there is no significant difference between student performance on untimed and timed examinations (final percent scores of 87.3 and 88.9, respectively). This result also held true for students in the top and bottom 20th percentiles of the class. Moreover, time limits did not lead to errors on even the most difficult, higher‐order questions (i.e., items with P‐values < 0.70). Thus, limiting time at testing stations during an anatomy practical examination does not adversely affect student performance. Anat Sci Educ 6: 281–285. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.

Comparison of physical therapy anatomy performance and anxiety scores in timed and untimed practical tests

“…Despite conflicting results in the literature, it was found that the students did perform appreciably better on the untimed test than on the timed test. In similar studies of the effect of timed and untimed conditions on academic (Zhang et al, ) and clinical performance (Farri et al, ) it was concluded that there was no difference between testing conditions. However, Zhang et al () used the term “untimed” to mean no set time limit for each individual station, but the students tested in the “untimed” condition still had an overall time limit of 40 minutes for 40 stations.…”

“…There is conflicting evidence regarding the benefit of untimed conditions in academic testing and its effects on performance. Some investigators have found that performance improved during untimed or extended time conditions, whereas others found that students did not perform better (Table ), (Runyan, ; Onwuegbuzie and Seaman, ; Alster, ; Mandinach et al, ; Lewandowski et al, ; Zhang et al, ). In a review of five studies, Zuriff () found evidence that students perform better on untimed examinations.…”

A scoring framework for assessing anatomy competence of undergraduate preclinical students

“…Some concerns voiced about OSPEs and IAPPs are that they are labor intensive (Yaqinuddin et al, 2013;Smith and McManus, 2015) and that the timing of stations (e.g., one minute per station) could add to students' stress of completing an assessment, undermining performance. However, a study done by Zhang et al (2013) demonstrated that there is no statistically significant difference between student performance in practical examinations, whether timed or untimed. It appears that these means of assessment are indeed valuable and appropriate.…”

“…These tests involve not only the identification of structures, but also asking questions that need application of knowledge, but unlike OSPEs, the two parts of the question, although related, are not dependent on each other (Smith and McManus, 2015). However, a study done by Zhang et al (2013) demonstrated that there is no statistically significant difference between student performance in practical examinations, whether timed or untimed. Some concerns voiced about OSPEs and IAPPs are that they are labor intensive (Yaqinuddin et al, 2013;Smith and McManus, 2015) and that the timing of stations (e.g., one minute per station) could add to students' stress of completing an assessment, undermining performance.…”

Microscopic Examination of Findings Encountered during Cadaver Dissection: Malignant, Benign or Anatomic Variation?

“…Anatomy instruction at Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University is based on overview lectures and cadaver dissection [6]. Cadavers were obtained from the Humanity Gifts Registry, embalmed using "Maryland State Anatomical Solution" (Hydrol Chemical Company), and maintained at 10°C.…”