Difficulties in written exam preparation

The Bologna reform led to significant changes in academic teaching, including an increase in the importance of written examinations. From the beginning of their studies, Bachelor students in psychology face massive pressure to achieve very good grades, especially in light of the need to qualify for a good Master's programme. Test preparation is an important part of successfully passing exams. In our current study, we analyzed a total of 1,242 open and 1,542 anchored statements from psychology students regarding their difficulties in exam preparation. Statements were derived from standardized exam evaluations, which were collected at the University of Muenster over four years starting in the 2007/2008 winter term. Our content analysis yielded inductively developed categories and showed that most difficulties are caused by lack of time, which is frequently due to the amount of subject material to be learned, and difficulties in understanding. Furthermore, the lack of transparency of examination requirements is often mentioned, as well as problems on the student side, such as motivation and time management.

18.06.2012 | Olga Bechler & Meinald T. Thielsch (Münster)