Multiple Choice Exams

[StevensBibi]

1st year here

Our exams so far have all been multiple choice (a few free response here and there). But what I've noticed is that everything is basically 1st order, with some 2nd order questions thrown in. It's more "can you memorize all this stuff we throw at you" and less "apply the knowledge you know."

I just wanted to know if this is more school specific. Are any of you preclinical students getting more 2nd order/3rd order exams? Or is that just basically for boards?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[FindMeOnTheLinks]

Our first exam was mostly 1st order type questions but we just had our second one today and it required quite a bit more 2nd order thinking, though still a lot of rote memorization stuff too

 

[Entadus]

That's because you're a first year. There just aren't that many 3rd order questions that are going to be pertinent. There is a lot of foundational info to learn before you can start integrating things and applying your knowledge toward clinical scenarios.

 

[masaraksh]

I'd say at my school definitely 50% of test questions (its all multiple choice) are ''1 order' in that you don't really need to take several steps to get to the answer. If all questions were on the harder end difficulty-wise I'm sure a lot more people would be failing.

Even still, med school throws a lot at you at a pretty fast pace so its not easy. Just being able to keep up and organize all the stuff that gets taught into some sort of framework within your own brain is no simple feat.

 

[Psai]

You want to run before you've learned to walk?

 

[Stagg737]

1st year here

Our exams so far have all been multiple choice (a few free response here and there). But what I've noticed is that everything is basically 1st order, with some 2nd order questions thrown in. It's more "can you memorize all this stuff we throw at you" and less "apply the knowledge you know."

I just wanted to know if this is more school specific. Are any of you preclinical students getting more 2nd order/3rd order exams? Or is that just basically for boards?

Definitely school specific. Give it time though, questions will likely get harder.

That's because you're a first year. There just aren't that many 3rd order questions that are going to be pertinent. There is a lot of foundational info to learn before you can start integrating things and applying your knowledge toward clinical scenarios.

We had a lot of 3rd and 4th order questions on our exams right from the start in my first year. I've only had 1 exam where the bulk of the questions weren't at least 2nd/3rd order, and our class average for it was in the 90's. It wasn't clinically based stuff, but it's pretty easy to write 3rd order questions for sections like immuno, even if you're just testing for the 'foundation' information. I'll also add that our test averages were pretty poor for our first two sections (biochem and immuno) and didn't pick up until we got into the systems.

 

[jqueb29]

I imagine most of your first year stuff will be first order. Ours was, but second year so far here is very heavy on second/third order stuff.

 

[Anicetus]

I'd say at my school definitely 50% of test questions (its all multiple choice) are ''1 order' in that you don't really need to take several steps to get to the answer. If all questions were on the harder end difficulty-wise I'm sure a lot more people would be failing.

Even still, med school throws a lot at you at a pretty fast pace so its not easy. Just being able to keep up and organize all the stuff that gets taught into some sort of framework within your own brain is no simple feat.

Why do I feel like I remember you saying how easy medical school is last spring?

 

[masaraksh]

Why do I feel like I remember you saying how easy medical school is last spring?

I mean, med school is time consuming and there is a lot to learn, however its not as difficult conceptually. I majored in a physical science in undergrad and I remember having to work through brutal problem sets (that were a nightmare even with open notes). The hardest questions we get in med school don't quite compare to that.

 

[Teddy.KGB]

I mean, med school is time consuming and there is a lot to learn, however its not as difficult conceptually. I majored in a physical science in undergrad and I remember having to work through brutal problem sets (that were a nightmare even with open notes). The hardest questions we get in med school don't quite compare to that.

Remind me to move to your medical school and sit behind you in class during exams. One tap for a), two taps for b)...

 

[Anicetus]

I mean, med school is time consuming and there is a lot to learn, however its not as difficult conceptually. I majored in a physical science in undergrad and I remember having to work through brutal problem sets (that were a nightmare even with open notes). The hardest questions we get in med school don't quite compare to that.

I preferred hard physical science and engineering courses personally. With averages insanely low getting an A meant just getting 50% correct.

Med school is more like a memory game. Completely different versions of difficulty.