Muhammad Nauman Shad, Ajaz Fatima, Shahnaz Fatima, Sadia Chiragh.
Item Analysis of MCQs of a Pharmacology Term Exam in a Private Medical College of Pakistan.
Pak J Med Health Sci Jan ;12(2):700-3.

Background: Multiple choice questions (MCQs) are widely used to assess students in local and university examinations in the medical field. The quality of the MCQs given in these examinations should be assessed from time to time to ensure medical students are given right choice of questions. Aim: To evaluate quality of MCQs with assessment tools and to store, revise or discard MCQs based on the results. Methods: The study was conducted in the department of Pharmacology in a private medical college. Thirty students of 3rd Year MBBS appeared in the term exam comprising of 65 MCQs and 10 SEQs, each MCQ having 5 options . Evaluation of the MCQs (items) was done by item analysis. The MCQs were analyzed for difficulty index (p-value), discrimination index (DI), and distractor efficiency (DE). Items having p-value between 30-70 and DI > 0.20 were considered as having good difficulty and discrimination indices respectively. Functional distractors were considered as the ones selected by at least 5% of the students. Items with 100 % distractor efficiency were those with no non-functional distractors (NFDs). Results: The mean score was 29.5 (out of 65) . Difficulty index of 44 items (67.7%) was within therecommended range. 42 (64 %) of the items had discrimination index above therecommended value. 31 items (47.7%) showed a good difficulty index as well as a good discrimination index. 45 items (69.2%) had 100% distractor efficiency. Conclusion: If quality MCQs are given even to students in a private medical college, acceptable values of various item analysis parameterscan be produced.

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