Voices of Academia: Perceptions of Exam Question Formats among Students and   Faculty

Introduction: Evaluation of students is a crucial aspect of teaching and learning in higher education, particularly in nursing education. Effective assessment methods should evaluate cognitive, psychomotor, and communication skills while promoting professionalism. This study aimed to examine the perceptions of nursing students and faculty members regarding their preferences for assessment methods, specifically comparing Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and essay questions, at the Faculty of Nursing, Northern Border University in 2022-2023. Methods: A cross-sectional comparative design was utilized, involving 80 nursing students from both genders and 53 faculty members. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaires assessing demographic information, preferences, and perceived challenges related to assessment methods. Results: The study revealed a significant preference for MCQs, with 94.1% of students favoring them over essay questions (9.4%), and 88.7% of faculty preferring MCQs as well, although they leaned towards short essays and case studies. Post-intervention, perceptions of assessment types improved markedly; poor perceptions of MCQs decreased from 69.4% to 22.4% (p < 0.001), and for essay questions from 74.1% to 12.9% (p < 0.001). Training in question formulation was significantly correlated with improved perceptions of MCQs (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Both groups favored MCQs for their ease and reliability, while faculty expressed interest in integrating diverse assessment methods to enhance learning outcomes and evaluate student competencies effectively.