DDS Course Policies

Guidelines on Examinations

These guidelines on examinations are provided in response to the many students and faculty who inquire each year regarding guidelines and policies for the administration of course examinations to evaluate student performance.

Courses should not limit student evaluation to a single examination, such as a final exam. A student's grade should not depend on performance in a single situation. Examination formats that use case-based scenarios are especially encouraged. When possible, examinations should test more than mere retention of facts, but should test for comprehension, synthesis, and critical thinking. Case-based exams test all these levels and provide practice in using the format of part two of the national board dental examination.

The length of the examinations generally should relate to the number of credit hours of the course. In general, courses with fewer credit hours would be expected to use shorter examinations. To maintain schedule integrity, exams scheduled during the semester (prior to final exam week) must end at least 10 minutes before the next scheduled activity.

Objective examination items (multiple choice, true/false, matching, etc.) should be analyzed electronically and items with poor discrimination carefully considered for removal. Students should be informed of their exam results as soon as practical after the examination. Grades may be posted as long as confidentiality is maintained. Students should have their examinations returned to them or have an opportunity to review their examinations so that they can learn about the items they missed.

The schedule for each semester's final exams will be published and distributed with the semester class schedule prior to the beginning of each semester. Any requests for changes in the final exam schedule must be made to the appropriate Teaching Committee by a course director or student representative by October 15 (fall), March 15 (spring), or June 15 (summer). A student representative requesting a change in the exam schedule must first have the permission of the course director. Each class must approve proposed changes in their exam schedule by majority vote. Course directors may schedule the final examination during the final week of classes, with the exam preferably scheduled during the course's regular class time. The deadlines above will apply.

Last modified: 09/11/2002 at 04:49:21