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ABSTRACT
The Exam Analysis is a diagnostic and prescriptive program in which a student and an instructor identify why the student failed to answer specific questions correctly on an examination. Problems related to incorrect answers are then categorized into five problem areas. This analysis is used to develop a plan which will help the student utilize specific skills in order to improve examination performance. This article describes the Exam Analysis program, gives specific information which will enable an instructor to assist a student in completing an Exam Analysis, and discusses the results of a survey in which 105 nursing students evaluated the impact of participating in the program on subsequent examination performance. A large majority of the students surveyed agreed that participation in the Exam Analysis program resulted in improved examination performance. Improved exam-taking skills, better study skills, decreased test anxiety and increased self-confidence were identified as Exam Analysis program outcomes by the students included in the study.
The Problem
Attempting to solve the problem of how to help the student who studies hard yet scores poorly on examinations resulted in the development of the Exam Analysis program. The problem has been recognized by educators for many years. Phoebe Helm of Triton College expressed this concern in 1977 when she wrote:
Many students seem to have good study habits, acquire information rather easily, and perform well in class discussions and clinical situations, and yet score lower on multiple choice tests than their general performance as students would indicate. Students in health sciences and professional schools who may be facing for the first time situational types of questions, designed to measure application of information to practice, seem to be particularly plagued by the problem. In discussing this problem with students as well as their instructors, one often hears evidence of feelings of frustration, lack of control and despair (Helm, 1977).
The purpose of this article is to describe the Exam Analysis program, discuss how it can be used to improve examination performance and to report the results of an opinion survey administered to 105 nursing students following participation in the program. The objective of the survey was to collect opinions concerning the effectiveness of the Exam Analysis program in improving examination performance.
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