Exam Success Research Articles

‘Exam preparedness’: Exploring non-academic predictors of postgraduate exam success

Introduction: There are certain factors in exam preparedness that are not well studied in the postgraduate medical education context. Non-academic predictors have been extensively researched but usually in isolation. Methods: The study involved a sequential explanatory mixed methods research design. The study was conducted among anaesthesia postgraduates appearing for high-stake nation-wide primary examination. Data obtained by a questionnaire assessing pre-examination attributes were compared with the students’ reflections through focus group discussions (FGD) after the formal declaration of results. The examination had an overall pass rate of 42.9% (18 out of 42). Results: The study showed that pre-examination questionnaire could identify attributes and study behaviours in the postgraduates who passed. Passers procrastinated three times lesser, pursuing a timetable-based study (conscientiousness); had higher metacognitive self-regulation (p value<0.05) applying concentrated self-directed learning & effective group study and higher self-efficacy compared to those who failed. The focus group discussions affirmed of these attributes in candidates who ‘breeze through exams’. Postgraduate success required better ‘work-study’ balance, self & cross regulation and peer and faculty support. Conclusion: Implementing a composite tool to assess ‘exam preparedness’, we propose, would help the learners and teachers to skim for non-academic factors (metacognitive self-regulation, self-efficacy, conscientiousness) that influence the chances of success. Understanding & predicting this would help educators to identify the ‘candidates with difficulty’ and delegate personalised faculty attention. This could guide the exam candidates to have a ‘reality check’ to plan and pace their effort with peer learning, consolidated study and goal orientation.

There is value in taking the time to teach history of dentistry and ethics in dentistry curriculum

Abstract Objectives The teaching and assessment of soft skills such as ethical behaviour remains a challenge to dental schools. This paper aims to attempt to help the description and retrospective evaluation of a history of dentistry and medical ethics course in the dentistry curriculum of Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University. Methods The study included students (n=78) of the Faculty of Dental Sciences of Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University. History of dentistry and medical ethics are taught each for 1 h, total 2 h per week in the curriculum (theoretical/cases). Students’ academic performance was evaluated with mid-term and final exams. Participants were assessed according to their level of success and failure. Results Participants of the study were 51.3% (n=40) male and 48.7% (n=38) female students. The success rate of the midterm exam was 78.34%, while the success rate of the final was 76.32%. Mid-term exam success was not statistically significantly different than final exam (p>0.215). Conclusions The success of our students in the history of dentistry and ethics course are promising clues for us to propose that there is value in taking the time to teach the course in dental curriculum.

Candidate perceptions of the UK Recorded Consultation Assessment: cross-sectional data linkage study

ABSTRACT The Recorded Consultation Assessment (RCA) was rapidly developed to replace the Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) for UK general practice licencing during COVID-19. We aimed to evaluate candidate perceptions of the RCA and relationships with performance. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of RCA candidates with attitudinal, demographic, and free text response options, undertaking descriptive and factor analysis of quantitative data with qualitative thematic analysis of free text. Binomial regression was used to estimate associations between RCA pass, candidate characteristics and questionnaire responses. 645 of 1551 (41.6%) candidates completed a questionnaire; 364 (56.4%) responders permitted linkage with performance and demographic data. Responders and non-responders were similar in exam performance, gender and declared disability but were significantly more likely to be UK graduates (UKG) or white compared with international medical (IMG) or ethnic minority graduates. Responders were positive about the digital platform and support resources. A small overall majority regarded the RCA as a fair assessment; a larger majority reported difficulty collecting, selecting, and submitting cases or felt rushed during recording. Logistic regression showed that ethnicity (white vs minority ethnic: odds ratio [OR] 2.99,95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23, 7.30, p = 0.016), training (UK vs IMG: OR 6.88, 95% CI 2.79, 16.95, p < 0.001), and English as first language (OR 5.11, 0% CI 2.08, 12.56, p < 0.001) were associated with exam success but questionnaire subscales, consultation type submitted, or extent of trainer review were not. The RCA was broadly acceptable but experiences were variable. Candidates experienced challenges and suggested areas for improvement.

Survey Of Maritime Student Satisfaction: A Case Study On The International Student Survey To Identify The Satisfaction Of Students In Mathematical Courses

This study presents the analyses of students’ preferences, satisfaction and perception of learning mathematical subjects at higher education maritime institutions in Croatia, Latvia, Estonia and Poland. All these institutions participate as project partners in the MareMathics project. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and learning mathematics, a preliminary student survey was conducted in all project partner institutions. Two indicators were analyzed: exam success rate and learning outcomes achieved. The developed online questionnaire contained a number of questions about the teaching methods and tools used by lecturers. Students assessed the impact of different teaching methods, expressed their satisfaction with learning materials, their impact on the results achieved by them, and the overall course. The analysis of the obtained data revealed that students faced difficulties in completing their tasks within subjects on mathematics and statistics. These research results lead to the conclusion that the used methods and tools of teaching mathematics and statistics, which are the essential influential factors on the overall satisfaction of students, are not effective and need to be modernized in the institutions under consideration. And this fact is crucial in the process of study and teaching of mathematical subjects as those subjects make up the base and necessary tools in learning other courses contained in the study program, especially in technical and engineering studies.

The Washback of the Ethiopian National English Examination (ENEE) for Grade 10 on Students’ Practice: Debre Markos Secondary Schools on Focus

This study was intended to examine the washback of the General Secondary School English Exam on students’ practice. The study was conducted at three secondary schools in Debre Markos Town. 270 Grades 9 and 10 students were included. Questionnaire, focus group discussion (FGD), exam paper analysis and classroom observation were employed. The questionnaire data were analysed with mean per cent and multiple regression analysis. Whereas, the FGD data and observation data collected with field notes were analysed qualitatively. The content of two years national exam was analysed with percentage. The result revealed students were found practising mainly grammar and technical aspects of writing and speaking disregarding using their textbook in their practice. The factors mediated were students’ ambition for success in the exam, awareness of the exam and teachers’ exam-oriented teaching. Therefore, the washback of the exam negatively affected the successful implementation of the communicative syllabi.

Comparison of student satisfaction, perceived learning and outcome performance.

The goal of this study was to investigate whether blended online with laboratory instruction differs from traditional classroom lecture and laboratory with regard to student satisfaction and performance in a radiographic technique class teaching radiation health and physics. Following institutional review board approval, 122 participants were randomly assigned to either an online or classroom environment for the lecture portion of the course. All participants attended weekly laboratory sessions in person. Anonymous surveys given during midterm and final exams assessed satisfaction with learning experience and expected grades. Linear models assessing differences between groups were adjusted for age, gender, prior online class experience, online class preference, self-reported computer skill, and time of year. Students in the blended cohort reported overall greater satisfaction (p < .03) and found the delivery method more enjoyable (p < .002) than did the traditional classroom cohort. No differences in exam scores between groups were observed. This study demonstrated that a blended format of instruction can improve learner satisfaction as compared with the traditional classroom method. Blended instruction implemented into a traditional educational program helps students balance schedules, has a positive impact on perceived learning, and provides exam success similar to that of the traditional classroom.

The Impact of Student Choice to Engage in Cooperative Learning on the Final Exam While Controlling for Early Exam Performance and ACT in Introduction to Psychology

Background: Researchers suggest benefits for cooperative learning, but often fail to control for choosing to engage cooperatively, ACT scores or early course performance. Objective: To observe the effects of choosing cooperative work on exam performance in an Introduction to Psychology Course, while controlling for early exam performance and ACT. Method: Data from 261 students assessed the interaction between choice to work cooperatively, alone or being required to work alone while controlling for ACT Score and performance on early tests, respectively. Results: We observed an interaction between Group and ACT on final exam scores, indicating students who worked cooperatively showed the greatest exam benefits at lower ACT scores. Additionally, a trend toward a significant interaction was found between group and early exam performance, indicating a possible benefit for choosing to work cooperatively for low performers. Conclusion: Choosing to engage in cooperative learning may decrease ACT-indicated skill differences and early exam success on final exam performance. Teaching Implications: To decrease the impact of ACT-influenced effects on exam scores, choice to complete cooperative learning activities should be offered in Introduction to Psychology courses.

191 Performance at Medical School and Foundation Programme Selection Can Predict Success in The MRCS Examination

Abstract Background Identifying factors that predict success in the Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) examination can aid trainees’ exam preparation and help deaneries identify candidates likely to require additional support. We assessed whether performance at Medical School and UK Foundation Programme selection (Educational Performance Measurement (EPM) and Situational Judgement Test (SJT)) predicted MRCS success. Method We analysed data from the UKMED Database for UK graduates who had attempted MRCS Part A (n = 1,975) and Part B (n = 630) between 2013-2017. Univariate analysis examined the relationship between performance and the likelihood of passing MRCS at first attempt. Logistic regression identified independent predictors of MRCS success. Results Each additional EPM decile increased the chances of passing MRCS by 52% for Part A (odds ratio 1.52 [95% confidence interval 1.46-1.60]) and 27% for Part B (1.27 [1.18-1.38]). Each EPM point awarded for degrees increased the likelihood of passing Part A by 29% (1.29 [1.12-1.48]). SJT score was not a statistically significant independent predictor of MRCS success (P&amp;gt;0.05). Conclusions This is the first study to investigate the relationship between UK medical school performance and postgraduate surgical exam success. Higher ranked students are more likely to succeed in the MRCS compared to their lower ranked peers.

A Comparative Analysis on the Effects of Formal and Distance Education Students’ Course Attendance Upon Exam Success

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of associate degree formal and distance education students course attendance upon their course achievement. The data were obtained from the institutional records of 516 students who registered in formal education programs and 510 students who registered in distance education programs of a vocational school affiliated to a state university in Eastern Anatolian Region of Turkey. It was noticed that course attendance of formal education students was higher than those who registered in the distance education programs; on the other hand, formal education students were more successful rather than distance education students in terms of midterm, final exam and grade point average. It was determined that course attendance was a significant predictor of midterm, final exam and grade point average, and the achievement scores increased as the course attendance increased, as well. Taking measures to encourage students&amp;rsquo; attendance in courses in distance education programs and optimizing access and technical infrastructure could positively contribute upon this issue.

Abstract No. 473 Analysis of Early Career Section survey data regarding initial certification for interventional radiology

The Early Career Section (ECS) group is composed of interventional radiologists who are tasked with providing a hub through which new members of Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) can cultivate a knowledge and resource foundation, network, participate in decision-making, and function as a resource to the SIR Executive Council. The purpose of this study was to gather survey data regarding initial certification from these members and: (1) determine the most used text resources and question banks, (2) determine the highest rated text resources and question banks, and (3) determine the trainee preparedness and overall experience for oral and computerized exams. A survey was sent to all members of the ECS. Over eighty responses were collected from group members. The questions included within the survey sought to gather information about exam preparation for initial certification and encompassed the most common study materials that residents use. The data was then collected, grouped, and analyzed. Of the eighty-three responders from the ECS, 72.8% certified for interventional radiology through the interventional radiology (IR)/diagnostic radiology (DR) certifying exam (that began in 2017) whereas 21% certified through the certificate of added qualification in VIR. The text resources that were most commonly used and had the highest ratings were as follows: Vascular and Interventional Imaging: Case Review Series by Wael E. Saad, Minhaj Khaja, Suresh Vedantham (57 responses), Crack the Core by Prometheus Lionhart (41 responses), and Vascular and Interventional Radiology: The Requisites by John A. Kaufman and Michael J. Lee (39 responses). The question banks that were most commonly used and had the highest ratings were RadPrimer, BoardVitals, Qevlar, Face the Core, and Rock the Boards. The time spent studying for the computerized exam and their corresponding percentages were as follows: 3 to 6 months (16%), 1 to 3 months (52%), and < 1 month (29.3%). Conversely, the time spent studying for the oral exam and their corresponding percentages were as follows: 3 to 6 months (13%), 1 to 3 months (44.2%), and < 1 month (41.6%). Using these resources, 84.9% of responders felt prepared for the computerized exam and 87% for the oral exam. The survey data gathered from the members of the ECS can serve as potent recommendations for physicians-in-training who plan to take these examinations in the coming months. The aforementioned resources were consistently cited as being strong predictors of exam success. Due to the recent changes in residency and fellowship pathways for interventional radiology, consideration of past study methods for board exams is integral.

Image quality of automatic coronary CT angiography reconstruction for patients with HR\u2009\u2265\u200975\xa0bpm using an AI-assisted 16-cm z-coverage CT scanner

BackgroundCoronary CT angiography (CCTA) is a complicated CT exam in comparison to other CT protocols. Exam success highly depends on image assessment of experienced radiologist and the procedure is often time-consuming. This study aims to evaluate feasibility of automatic CCTA reconstruction in 0.25 s rotation time, 16 cm coverage CT scanner with best phase selection and AI-assisted motion correction.MethodsCCTA exams of 90 patients with heart rates higher than 75 bpm were included in this study. Two image series were reconstructed—one at automatically selected phase and another with additional motion correction. All reconstructions were performed without manual interaction of radiologist. A four-point Likert scale rating system was used to evaluate the image quality of coronary artery segment by two experienced radiologists, according to the 18-segment model. Analysis was done on per-segment basis.ResultsTotal 1194 out of the 1620 segments were identified for quality evaluation in 90 patients. After automatic best phase selection, 1172 segments (98.3%) were rated as having diagnostic image quality (scores 2–4) and the average score is 3.64 ± 0.55. When motion corrections were applied, diagnostic segment number increases to 1192 (99.8%) and the average score is 3.85 ± 0.37.ConclusionsWith the help of 0.25 s rotation speed, 16-cm z-coverage and AI-assisted motion correction algorithm, CCTA exam reconstruction could be performed with minimum radiologist involvement and still meet image quality requirement.

Predicting Student Academic Performance by Means of Associative Classification

The Learning Analytics community has recently paid particular attention to early predict learners’ performance. An established approach entails training classification models from past learner-related data in order to predict the exam success rate of a student well before the end of the course. Early predictions allow teachers to put in place targeted actions, e.g., supporting at-risk students to avoid exam failures or course dropouts. Although several machine learning and data mining solutions have been proposed to learn accurate predictors from past data, the interpretability and explainability of the best performing models is often limited. Therefore, in most cases, the reasons behind classifiers’ decisions remain unclear. This paper proposes an Explainable Learning Analytics solution to analyze learner-generated data acquired by our technical university, which relies on a blended learning model. It adopts classification techniques to early predict the success rate of about 5000 students who were enrolled in the first year courses of our university. It proposes to apply associative classifiers at different time points and to explore the characteristics of the models that led to assign pass or fail success rates. Thanks to their inherent interpretability, associative models can be manually explored by domain experts with the twofold aim at validating classifier outcomes through local rule-based explanations and identifying at-risk/successful student profiles by interpreting the global rule-based model. The results of an in-depth empirical evaluation demonstrate that associative models (i) perform as good as the best performing classification models, and (ii) give relevant insights into the per-student success rate assignments.

FRCS General Surgery section-2 examination preparation during COVID-19 pandemic: an innovative and sustainable model.

Background: The Joint Committee on Intercollegiate Examinations (JCIE- domestic) is responsible for the supervision of standards, policies, regulations and professional conduct of the UK/Ireland Specialty Fellowship Examinations. The Joint Surgical Colleges’ Fellowship Examination (JSCFE- International) is organised by the JSCFE Committee in five specialities, and one of them is General Surgery. The syllabus for the examination is extensive and needs rigorous preparation. The Specialty Trainees (ST) get supervised structured training and regular assessments, and hence their pass rate is not only comparatively higher, but they are better prepared for the challenge. However, trainee surgeons who are outside the UK training programmes find the examination difficult. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted surgical training and education by limiting access to conventional teaching methods and available resources. We have been running a teaching and formative assessment platform since May 2017. This teaching resource has helped several trainees in passing the examination and has proven to be a valuable learning resource in the pandemic. Materials and Methods: We provided examination support, guidance and supervision by running Skype/ Microsoft Teams sessions and weekend courses. We emphasised five critical steps in all our sessions and used our course website- WWW.PHOENIXFRCSCOURSE.COM for material 1- Using Landing Sentences to start at the MRCS level 2- 0- 60 mph concept - a safe but quick pace to move from the MRCS zone onto the FRCS zone 3- The MISTER-model of simulation and learning 4- Maintaining pace and grace under pressure 5- Interleaving- revising, rehearsing and consolidating difficult topics The sessions included model scenarios, table viva, academic reading, virtual clinics and peer to peer learning (Examiners’ Drills). The faculty were recent examination graduates and had attended such sessions before their exam success. We followed the JCIE marking descriptors for formative assessment and timely feedback. Results: The first such course was organised in May 2017 and since then (over 40 months) a total of 100 attendees: 90 candidates (domestic FRCS and International FRCS) and 10 observers went through our sessions and workshops. Some 50 virtual sessions and 8 courses (16 days of simulation workshops) have been held so far. 66 (15 CCT and 51 non-CCT) candidates took the examination and 54 passed (82%). Sum 23 candidates have either deferred their examination dates or have been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and are being regularly supported. Conclusions: Simulation-based virtual teaching supplemented with weekend inhouse courses has the potential to improve FRCS Section-2 examination preparation and the success rate during COVID-19 pandemic.

The Impact of Using a Mobile App on Learning Success in Accounting Education

This study examines the impact of a gamified mobile learning application on business and economics students' exam success in a mandatory introductory accounting course. The results indicate that students using the app seriously achieve a significantly higher score in the final exam than non-serious users. Controlling for other antecedents of student success from prior literature, app usage significantly explains academic performance. We apply three approaches, including OLS and 2SLS regression, and an identification strategy based on students who attempt the course for a second time to show the app's positive effect on student exam performance. Especially the 2SLS approach, which addresses the issue of self-selection, may add valuable insights into the use of mobile technology in accounting education. This study not only contributes to the ongoing research on the effects of using gamification and mobile technology in higher education but also sheds light on the determinants of student success.

Communication in chest diseases; cohort analysis on medical faculty students taking communication course in health

Aim: The aim of this course was to evaluate the effectiveness of the 'Communication in Health' course given at the Faculty of Medicine and the effect of taking this course on patient and exam success in clinical education processes, in particular for chest diseases internship in medical students. Materials and Methods: In this cohort-designed study, 102 volunteer students who received medical lessons in the third grade and Chest Diseases internship in the fourth grade in medical school, were evaluated. The Communication Skills Scale (CSS) was applied as a pre-and post-test in lesson and written exam, practical exam, and patient presentation for clinical internship in chest diseases. Results: The mean pre-test score for lessons was found to be 58.77 ± 8.09 and the mean post-test score was found to be 94,46±5,40 in the students who had a mean age of 21.35 ± 1.56 years. While the mean CSS pre-test score was found to be 94.37 ± 9.42, the mean post-test score was found to be 105.53 ± 8.02. It was found that there was an increase in the CSS scores and in the subscale scores of principles and basic skills, effective listening and non-verbal communication, self-expression, and willingness to communicate in the students who received communication in health lesson, and there was a statistically significant difference. In addition, we found a statistically significant positive correlation between the students' chest disease course grades and the total scores of the CSS scale.Conclusion: It is consider that there is an increase in the skills of medical students who take communication in health lessons, and this increase also contributes to the clinical education processes specifically in terms of chest diseases internship. Communication skills and drama lessons should be given in medical education.

Razlike bazično-motoričkih sposobnosti u odnosu na uspeh postignut na prijemnom ispitu i efikasnost studiranja

The system of selection for the admission to the University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies in Belgrade (UCIPS) is designed as a multidimensional model in order to select the individuals of utmost quality. One of the segments is the assessment of the level of general physical abilities (GPA). The aim of this research was to determine the differences between the initial level of candidates' GPA in terms of the success achieved in the entrance exam as well as the success of the study process. General physical abilities of 618 male candidates were evaluated as part of the UCIPS enrolment process. The total sample of respondents was divided into sub-samples: candidates who were not enrolled (NE), candidates who were enrolled but not graduated (ENG) and those who were enrolled and graduated (EG). It was found that both groups of enrolled candidates (ENG and EG) had statistically significantly better GPA compared to NE. There were no statistically significant differences between the ENG and the EG. Considering the fact that the results of the GPA assessment tests, which hypothetically represent 20% of the possible total score, depend on a training process that involves persistence, continuity and commitment, it can be concluded that constant physical exercise could be one of the preconditions for success in the entrance exam to enrol UCIPS.

QUANTIFYING THE IMPACT OF MATRICULANT CREDENTIALS &amp;amp; ACADEMIC ATTRITION RATES ON BAR EXAM SUCCESS AT INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS 99:1 U. Det. Mercy L. Rev. Online 1 (forthcoming October 2021)

A scatterplot displaying bar passage rates vs. academic attrition, across all law schools, suggests that bar passage rates and academic attrition rates are not positively correlated, and may even be slightly negatively correlated. This means that according to the data in the scatterplot there appears to be a slight trend where the higher an institution’s academic attrition rate, the lower the bar passage rate. Such global statistical observations obfuscate the true relationship between attrition and bar passage at individual schools. Academic attrition rates have a significant positive impact on an individual school’s bar passage rate. There are confounding variables which prevent us from seeing the true relationship between academic attrition and bar passage rates in the global scatterplot. This brief article quantifies the impact of academic attrition on bar passage for individual schools. We tangibly demonstrate the impact of academic attrition and matriculant credentials on bar passage at individual schools.

Analysis of Public High Schools Admitting Students by Examination in Turkey

The development level of countries is measured by the cumulative outputs of trained educated workforce. Therefore, the quality and quantity of trained educated workforce; has a great importance in many key points such as economy, politics, culture and production with high added value. How people are educated and the efficiency of the education directly affect the quality and quantity of trained educated workforce. For this reason, countries should plan their policies, investments and support towards educational institutions in a way that students can use their potential at the highest level in order to create trained educated workforce in the most efficient way. In this study, using publicly available data, the efficiency of public high schools in Turkey that enroll students by exam, the factors affecting the efficiency of these high schools, and the university exam success of the students were analyzed. The outputs of the analysis were discussed and suggestions on educational policies were made.

It's Not Where You Start, it's How You Finish: Predicting Law School and Bar Success

The AccessLex/LSSSE Bar Exam Success Initiative is the first multi-institutional investigation into the factors that help predict law school academic and first-time bar exam performance. Mixed effects linear and logit modeling techniques are used to analyze pre-admission data; law school transcript data; and bar exam performance data for almost 5,000 Spring 2018 and 2019 graduates from 20 law schools that participated in this study. Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE) response data were also analyzed for a subset of about 2,000 graduates. Our modeling techniques allowed us to localize the impact of the factors of interest, while also accounting for other factors. For example, our analyses of the impact of various student engagement factors on bar exam performance account for other potentially relevant factors such as law school grades. We find that: • LSAT score and undergraduate GPA (UGPA) are modestly associated with law school GPA (LGPA). LSAT score and first year (1L) LGPA yield the strongest association. Across our sample, a one-point increase in LSAT score is associated with a 0.04 increase in 1L LGPA. A one-tenth point increase in UGPA is associated with a 0.03 increase in LGPA (Figure 2). • LGPA is the strongest predictor of bar exam performance, even at the early stages of matriculation. For example, a one standard deviation increase in 1L LGPA is associated with a 402 percent increase in the odds of bar passage (Figure 3). • Positive growth in LGPA between the end of the first semester and graduation is associated with greater odds of passing the bar exam, particularly among graduates who struggled early on. Graduates with below average first-semester grades who experienced no LGPA growth had a 25 percent chance of passing the bar exam, compared to 43 percent among their peers who experienced average growth of about 0.17 grade points (Figure 5). • Graduates who spent more than 21 hours per week on responsibilities such as caring for dependents or working a non-law-related job had lower third year (3L) LGPAs and bar passage odds than their peers who spent 0 to 5 hours on these activities (Figure 12). • Graduates who worked in law-related jobs while in law school (Figure 9); graduates who felt that their law school experience contributed “very much” to their skills development (Figure 10); and graduates who regularly participated in class (Figure 11) were modestly more likely to pass the bar exam than other graduates. Collectively, our results suggest that academic and bar exam success are driven by what happens in law school, not just early on, but throughout the experience—and the greatest opportunities for impact exist among those who struggle the most early on.

A Surrogate Hero: Generic Innovation and Reinventions of Masculinity in Naihe Tian

Despite being one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the seventeenth century, Li Yu's (1611–1680) contributions to chuanqi drama reflect a genre in decline. Onstage, it had largely dissolved into the performance of extracts, due to its sprawling plots composed around suites of arias. Consequently, chuanqi composition grew out-of-touch with performance. By contrast, Li Yu's own playwriting, directing, and drama criticism were mainly focused on performability. Naihe tian disrupts the stale conventions of the performance of masculinity both onstage and off. Offstage, elite masculinity was hemmed-in by the narrow pathway to officialdom through rote Confucian learning and exam success. Conversely, roles for elite women had expanded with growing acceptance and recognition of their literary and artistic talents.