Acceptability of Electronic Examination Pads among First-Year Medical Students and Psychometric Validation of the Questionnaire: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract Background: According to the technology acceptance model, attitude is built from beliefs, which are responsible for intention, which in turn is responsible for our behavior. Adopting electronic examinations via electronic pads (E-pads) will help medical institutions conduct midterm assessments more effectively. To assess the acceptance of the E-pads, we require a useful and reliable tool, such as a questionnaire. This study was carried out to learn about the opinions of medical undergraduates, administering assessments on the E-pad and testing the psychometric properties of a questionnaire assessing the acceptability and feasibility of the E-pad. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 143 Phase 1 undergraduate medical students, and data were collected using a validated questionnaire about their perspective on the use of the E-pad. Factor (exploratory) analysis with oblimin rotation, exploratory parallel analysis, and reliability analysis were executed. Results: Five factors were derived using the exploratory factor analysis, explaining 51.2% of the total variance. The consistency between the factors and the questions encompassed under it, with Cronbach’s α values ranging from 0.809 to 0.862, indicates good internal consistency. Conclusion: The questionnaire demonstrated good validity and reliability for assessing the feasibility and acceptability of E-pad-based examinations. While students perceived compensations in time efficiency and comfort, challenges related to handwriting and diagrammatic representation highlight the need for interface optimization and repeated exposure.