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Ndu IK, Ekwochi U, Di Osuorah C, et al. Negative Marking and the Student Physician--A Descriptive Study of Nigerian Medical Schools. J Med Educ Curric Dev. 2016;3doi: 10.4137/JMECD.S40705.
Ndu, I. K., Ekwochi, U., Di Osuorah, C., Asinobi, I. N., Nwaneri, M. O., Uwaezuoke, S. N., Amadi, O. F., Okeke, I. B., Chinawa, J. M., & Orjioke, C. J. G. (2016). Negative Marking and the Student Physician--A Descriptive Study of Nigerian Medical Schools. Journal of medical education and curricular development, 3. https://doi.org/10.4137/JMECD.S40705
Ndu, Ikenna Kingsley, et al. "Negative Marking and the Student Physician--A Descriptive Study of Nigerian Medical Schools." Journal of medical education and curricular development vol. 3 (2016). doi: https://doi.org/10.4137/JMECD.S40705
Ndu IK, Ekwochi U, Di Osuorah C, Asinobi IN, Nwaneri MO, Uwaezuoke SN, Amadi OF, Okeke IB, Chinawa JM, Orjioke CJG. Negative Marking and the Student Physician--A Descriptive Study of Nigerian Medical Schools. J Med Educ Curric Dev. 2016 Nov 13;3. doi: 10.4137/JMECD.S40705. eCollection 2016. PMID: 29349304; PMCID: PMC5736262.
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J Med Educ Curric Dev. 2016 Nov 13;3. doi: 10.4137/JMECD.S40705. eCollection 2016.

Negative Marking and the Student Physician--A Descriptive Study of Nigerian Medical Schools.

Journal of medical education and curricular development

Ikenna Kingsley Ndu, Uchenna Ekwochi, Chidiebere Di Osuorah, Isaac Nwabueze Asinobi, Michael Osita Nwaneri, Samuel Nkachukwu Uwaezuoke, Ogechukwu Franscesca Amadi, Ifeyinwa Bernadette Okeke, Josephat Maduabuchi Chinawa, Casmir James Ginikanwa Orjioke

Affiliations

  1. Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu, Nigeria.
  2. Child Survival Unit, Medical Research Council UK, The Gambia Unit, Fajara, Gambia.
  3. Omega Pediatrics, Roswell, Georgia, USA.
  4. University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria.

PMID: 29349304 PMCID: PMC5736262 DOI: 10.4137/JMECD.S40705

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is considerable debate about the two most commonly used scoring methods, namely, the formula scoring (popularly referred to as negative marking method in our environment) and number right scoring methods. Although the negative marking scoring system attempts to discourage students from guessing in order to increase test reliability and validity, there is the view that it is an excessive and unfair penalty that also increases anxiety. Feedback from students is part of the education process; thus, this study assessed the perception of medical students about negative marking method for multiple choice question (MCQ) examination formats and also the effect of gender and risk-taking behavior on scores obtained with this assessment method.

METHODS: This was a prospective multicenter survey carried out among fifth year medical students in Enugu State University and the University of Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was administered to 175 medical students from the two schools, while a class test was administered to medical students from Enugu State University. Qualitative statistical methods including frequencies, percentages, and chi square were used to analyze categorical variables. Quantitative statistics using analysis of variance was used to analyze continuous variables.

RESULTS: Inquiry into assessment format revealed that most of the respondents preferred MCQs (65.9%). One hundred and thirty students (74.3%) had an unfavorable perception of negative marking. Thirty-nine students (22.3%) agreed that negative marking reduces the tendency to guess and increases the validity of MCQs examination format in testing knowledge content of a subject compared to 108 (61.3%) who disagreed with this assertion (χ

CONCLUSIONS: In the assessment of students, it is more desirable to adopt fair penalties for discouraging guessing rather than excessive penalties for incorrect answers, which could intimidate students in negative marking schemes. There is no consensus on the penalty for an incorrect answer. Thus, there is a need for continued research into an effective and objective assessment tool that will ensure that the students' final score in a test truly represents their level of knowledge.

Keywords: South East Nigeria; medical schools; multiple choice questions; negative marking

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests:Authors disclose no potential conflicts of interest.

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