Studentss Time-Allocation, Attitudes and Performance on Multiple-Choice Tests

Abstract

This study addresses students’ executive functioning and time allocation while taking Principles of Economics multiple-choice exams, their attitudes toward these exams, and their performance on them and in the course overall. Students’ decision how much time to spend on an exam and whether to review answers before submitting the exam is linked to students’ attitudes toward multiple-choice exams and toward grades, students’ background, their score on the exam, and their eventual performance in the course. I find that time allocation varies significantly across cultural settings, students’ demographic and academic backgrounds, and students’ skills and values. Most results validate a hypothesis that students’ expected marginal productivity on exam questions affects their effort positively, and falls as time goes by.Students in Korea forsake significantly less of their exam time than students in the U.S. Men, Black students, and Asian students forsake less time than other groups, possibly for cultural reasons. Quantitative-science students forsake less time than students of applied science or humanities, suggesting that one’s familiarity with the material improves one’s productivity and motivation to exert marginal effort on exams. Similarly, students who scored well on a previous exam tend to spend more time on the following exam – likely a self-selection by student marginal productivity on exams. Also, controlling for other student characteristics, upper-classmen are shown to forsake less time than lower-classmen.Regarding students’ personalities I find that students who reportedly typically check their answers before submitting them indeed take more time to finish exams. Students who attribute more importance to grades also spend more time on exams. However, there is no indication that students who reportedly usually finish their exams on time submit their answer sheets earlier.