title: The impact of various assessment parameters on medical students' performance in first professional examination in physiology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was carried out to assess the relationship between thevarious assessment parameters, viz. continuous assessment (CA), multiple choice questions (MCQ), essay, practical, oral with the overall performance in the first professional examination in Physiology.
  
  
  METHODS
  The results of all 244 students that sat for the examination over 4 years were used. The CA, MCQ, essay, practical, oral and overall performance scores were obtained. All the scores were rounded up to 100% to give each parameter equal weighting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis showed that the average overall performance was 50.8 ± 5.3. The best average performance was in practical (55.5 ± 9.1), while the least was in MCQ (44.1 ± 7.8). In the study, 81.1% of students passed orals, 80.3% passed practical, 72.5% passed CA, 58.6% passed essay, 22.5% passed MCQ and 71.7% of students passed on the overall performance. All assessment parameters significantly correlated with overall performance. Continuous assessment had the best correlation (r = 0.801, P = 0.000), while oral had the least correlation (r = 0.277, P = 0.000) with overall performance. Essay was the best predictor of overall performance (β = 0.421, P = 000), followed by MCQ (β = 0.356, P = 000), while practical was the least predictor of performance (β = 0.162, P = 000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that the department should uphold the principle of continuous assessment and more effort be made in the design of MCQ so that performance can improve.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Olasupo Stephen
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Adeniyi
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Sunday Adakole
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ogli
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Cecelia Omaile
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Ojabo
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Kinetics, and Health Education, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Danladi Ibrahim
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Musa
keywords: Continuous assessment; MCQ; essay; examination; oral; practical