Wanted! Evidence based guidelines for unseen invigilated examinations

Abstract

Assessment has been the subject of vast amounts of literature in higher education for at least the past two decades. In undergraduate health science and science courses assessment of practical classes or clinical performance are quite common assessment components for students. Additionally, assessment components also frequently include unseen, invigilated, timed examinations. They are widely used to summarise what students know at certain times i.e. assessment of learning, in order to report achievement and progress. This is in spite of extensive literature around engaging students in assessment for learning through coursework assessments, particularly in the context of group work. This paper explores aspects of unseen invigilated examinations, such as their alignment with 'traditional' as opposed to 'alternative' assessments, the use of multiple choice questions, whether of a lower or higher cognitive level, the mix of multiple choice questions, short answer and essay questions used in papers, open book versus closed book papers and argues that there is a need for the development of evidence-based guidelines or principles which help guide and inform practice for the construction of unseen invigilated examinations.