Gender plays no role in student ability to perform on computer-based examinations

This study involved first year medical students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign over three Academic Years 2002–03/2003–04 and 2003–05. Comparisons of student performance by overall class and gender were made. Specific comparisons within courses that utilized both the paper-and-pencil and computer formats were analyzed.Overall performance scores for students among the various Academic Years revealed no differences between exams given in the traditional pen-and-paper and computer formats. Further, when we looked specifically for gender differences in performance between these two testing formats, we found none.The format for examinations in the courses analyzed does not affect student performance. We find no evidence for gender differences in performance on exams on pen-and-paper or computer-based exams.Delivery of examinations via computer (on-line testing) is becoming more and more prevalent in medical education. Since 1998, students have taken the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1, Step 2 and Step 3 on-line. In the very near future, the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) will be administered on-line only. The National Board of Medical Educators is now developing on-line Subject Examinations. Current thinking is that on-line testing is the same as paper-and-pencil administration [1-5].Given the sweeping changes that are now occurring in medical school testing methods, it is important to understand the potential performance differences in students taking paper-and-pencil examinations compared to on-line examinations and to implement on-line examinations so that students have the best opportunity to show their level of proficiency [6,7].This study involves first year medical students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. During Academic Year 2004–05 the biochemistry and neuroscience courses each began administering one of their major examinations via computer. The purpose of the study was to detect any differ