ANSWERING MULTIPLE- CHOICE AND ESSAY QUESTIONS JD ADEYEMI

INTRODUCTION Before focusing on the main topic of this session it will be useful to look at basic evaluation issues and their relevance in psychiatry. Some information on the range of assessment techniques frequently deployed in the fellowship exams will also be highlighted.

WHAT IS EVALUATION 1. A continuous process, 2. Based upon criteria cooperatively developed, 3. Concerned with measurement of the performance of learners, the effectiveness of teachers and the quality of the programme

Certifying evaluation -Designed to protect society by preventing incompetent personnel from practising -Designed for grading students based on merit for the purpose of progression -Carried out less frequently compared to formative evaluation, usually at the end of the period of instructional unit

ATTRIBUTES OF A GOOD ASSESSMENT A GOOD ASSESSMENT SHOULD BE ECONOMICAL, VALID, RELIABLE, AND HELPFUL TO THE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

Miller’s Pyramid for Assessing Clinical Competence Performance Action Competence Knowledge WORK OSCE PMPs MCQs

METHODS OF ASSESSMENT ORAL EXAMS Candidate asked to tell examiners what he knows about a topic or what he would do in certain situation which might happen in clinical practice Advantage: because it is ‘LIVE’ examination candidate may be asked to provide more detail & probed to find out the depth of his knowledge. Disadvantages: seriously anxiety inducing & criticized as unreliable, ? rarely tests important skills and does not help learning. Avoid except if there are powerful reasons otherwise.

ESSAYS Widely used in medical profession but has important disadvantages. i.The intention of examiner may not be quite clear ii.Markings could be unreliable iii.?Not valid because candidates may not be required to write essays in their job iv.Marking take a long time v.Learning from the test is minimal Problems minimized by use of marking scheme, questions made very specific, after the exam make marking scheme available to students and discuss to improve learning

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS Allows larger coverage ot the course, more accurate & quick marking. Disadvantage: remembering facts rather than application of knowledge or skill demonstration

TYPES OF MCQs: -One correct response -Multiple true-false responses -Matching items

MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS Advantage: marked quickly, wide coverage, for testing factual knowledge, self assessment or peer assessment. Problems: difficult to construct, may only test knowledge, rarely tests decision making ability, does not test ability to communicate or performing procedures. May not be valid.

PATIENT MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS Short answer qs, series of questions about a real case, useful to assess decision making Advantages: easy and quick to mark, more valid and reliable.

PROJECT REPORTS Motivation enhanced if it counts towards the final results Difficult to assess because there are no standards to follow. Some candidates present good work poorly others present poor work very well. Problem minimized by having 2 assessors, standards should be known to candidates,

CHECKLISTS Mostly for clinical and practical assessment to reduce low reliability due to different standards of assessors, marking faster & fairer, useful for feedback to candidate/teachers

RECORD BOOKS Contains list of tasks, skills which the candidate should be able to do, usually they are the objectives of the study. Record book helps learning. Advice can be given early to the candidate who is not measuring up to standard. It should be highly valid ie candidate evaluated on the task or jobs they are trained to do. Attaining satisfactory standard required for success. Problems: some assessors are easier makers (reliability problem)

MAIN FOCUS OF THIS SESSION TECHNIQUES FOR ANSWERING MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS AND ESSAY PAPERS

PREPARING FOR EXAMINATION MCQ PAPER 1. Study extensively: at least cover the syllabus 2. Bear in mind that factual knowledge is predominantly the focus 3. Be familiar with the types of mcq format 4. Study using past questions to guide the focus of your attention 5. Use past questions blind, the check answers later to give you some idea about how much you know

MCQ CONTINUES 6. Study to improve knowledge, then repeat same self-evaluation with larger number of questions 7. Evaluate speed at answering comparable questions to those u might encounter at exam 8. Perfect your strategy to respond quickly to questions yet sensitive to potential pitfalls 9. Learn to minimize or avoid guessing. 10. Note also that response options might be very similar and avoid being led to ‘dark ales’

MCQ CONTINUES 11. Develop the habit of attempting as many of the questions that you are reasonably sure of before going to check those you seem to have some idea but not too sure about initially. Beware of the danger of shading incorrect responses 12. Avoid question to which you have know clue 13. Practice using counter-marking always

DURING THE MCQ EXAM Make sure you had adequate rest in the previous night for morning papers Arrive early at examination venue Have the materials for mcq papers ready: HB pencils, eraser, shapner, etc Keep away all prohibited items eg cell phones, suspicious materials Do not open the questions until asked to by invigilator Provide all the means for identification on each answer booklet CORRECTLY Read the instructions to candidate carefully (2minutes) Put into practice what you have learnt Avoid wild guesses.

PREPARATION FOR ESSAY PAPERS 1. Study extensively: at least cover the syllabus 2. Bear in mind that factual knowledge and ability to organize ones thought are in focus 3. Be familiar with the essay formats – long and short answer types. 4. Study using past questions to learn how to approach such papers 5. Some prepare highlights on the answer sheets for each question before writing the essays 6. Write essay papers and give to your consultant to grade

7. Study to improve knowledge, then repeat same self-evaluation with more questions 8. Evaluate speed at answering comparable questions to those you might encounter at exam 9. Pay attention to the theme and direction of each question carefully 10. Never ignore any part of any essay paper, as single question may require specific often related types of information from you.

11. Learn the habit of spending the first 5 minutes to read through all the questions then select those that you have reasonable knowledge and confidence to handle well. 12. Note that short answer questions require factual information and avoid turning them to long essay paper 13. Time management is crucial, allot roughly equal amount of time to all questions. 14. Never answer less questions than that requested in the instruction to candidate. Close marking system is used in postgraduate exams hence the failure to attempt a question will severely hurt a brilliant candidate! 15. Answering more questions than what has been requested puts the candidate at risk, for not being able to adhere to simple instruction.

DURING THE EXAM Make sure you have had adequate rest in the previous night for morning papers Arrive early at examination venue Have the materials for mcq papers ready: pen, HB pencils, eraser, shapner, cassio calculator with no memory functions etc. Avoid taking in prohibited materials in the examination hall eg cell phone, scripts or other materials that may be construed as capable of giving undue advantage Do not open the questions until asked to by invigilator Provide all the means for identification on each answer booklet CORRECTLY Read the instructions to candidate carefully (2minutes) After choosing the questions, deploy the strategy for essay writing you have perfected. Obey all instructions that may be given at examination venue

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