Organisation of the final examination in medical science

• The exam includes the clinical subjects taught in years 4 and 5 of the curriculum of Medicine: internal diseases with infectious diseases, surgical disciplines, oncology, anaesthesiology, intensive care and emergency medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, nervous system diseases, psychiatry, dermatology and venereology, otorhinolaryngology, ophthalmology, and family medicine.
• Proportionality between disciplines in the exam questionnaire is not regulated. To bring the exam closer to real-life context, cross-disciplinary questions within the limits of taught materials may be asked. Up to half of the total number of exam questions are based on situational assignments or situational descriptions.
• Final exam questions will be compiled based on the revision questions submitted to students. Heads of the Institute of Clinical Medicine and the Institute of Family Medicine are responsible for the drafting of exam questions, their compliance with revision questions, and their validity.
• An exam will be considered passed with a positive grade if the student gets more than 50% of the maximum score of 160 points, i.e. at least 81 points. The following methodology is used for grading the final exams: the point range between the maximum score obtained at this exam and the minimum positive score (81 points) will be divided into five equal parts (grading quintiles) pursuant to rounding rules. Scores in these ranges correspond to grades A, B, C, D, and E. 80 or fewer points correspond to grade F.
• The composition of the examination committee of the final exam will be approved by the vice dean for academic affairs of the faculty. In addition to the chair, the examination committee comprises the teaching staff members responsible for the speciality subjects (see clause 5). In total, there are eight members in the examination committee of the final exam.
• Examination papers will be evaluated immediately after the paper has been submitted. Examination results will be announced after they have been approved by the examination committee at its meeting.
• Students are allowed to retake the exam once, but generally not earlier than in the next academic year. Students who fail to attend the final exam for a duly justified reason have the right to take the final exam at the time determined by the chair of the assessment committee. Duly justified reasons include illness confirmed by a medical certificate submitted to the chair of the committee, extreme family situation, etc.
• The examination committee of the final exam has the right to change the organisation of the final exam due to the COVID-19 situation in Estonia. 

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Compiled by Anu Sarv, Academic Developer for the Faculty of Medicine

Before preparing for the exam, make sure you know the answers to the following questions:

• What is the date and time of the exam?
• How much time do you have to complete the test?  
• Do you have to take the exam at home or can you also do it in a university computer class, for instance?
• What is the format of the exam? What type of questions are used at the exam?

When studying for the exam, consider the following:

• Start studying early.
• Multiple-choice exams focus on details, and short-term memory is not very efficient at storing many details. If you study a little every day and leave a lot of time for a repeated review of the material, your memory will be much more reliable and long-lasting – this requires repetition.
• While studying, make lists and tables based on the material to create a system and connections – active application of information (vs. just reading) in a different form (compared to the material) supports long-term memory.
• Focus on understanding multi-stage processes, form sequence lists, and group the material. Look for similarities and differences that could be used to determine the correct alternatives at the exam – creating systems and active application of information (vs. just reading or listening) in a different form (compared to the material) supports long-term memory.
• Write by hand and create tables, schemes and graphs on the topics in which you feel the least secure – it supports long-term memory.
• Since there will be many situational assignments at the exam, do not focus on memorising the material – look for ways to use what you have learned in different forms.
• Discuss the possible questions and answers with your peers – teach and check each other’s knowledge – rewording what you have learned and teaching others supports long-term memory.
• Practice the sample questions, take the sample test in the Moodle environment (date to be announced).

Also:

• Make sure that you are familiar with all the technical requirements and details of taking the exam (the recommended web browser, the required speed of internet connection for taking the exam, etc.) and know which activities are prohibited during the exam.
• Make sure your computer meets the requirements. Avoid last-minute problems! Regardless of whether you use your own computer or that of the university’s computer class, make sure it has all the right hardware and software before the exam.
• Make sure you have a reliable internet connection and a quiet place for taking the exam.
• Plan your time. When practising for the exam, try not to exceed the time limit given for the actual exam and decide how much time you can spend on each question.
• Test yourself. Everyone can take the sample exam – do not miss this opportunity!
• Do not spend the night before the exam studying! While you sleep, your brain is busy with creating links and storing them in permanent memory – by learning enough in advance and getting a good night’s sleep you will create the best prerequisites for a successful exam!

At the exam:

• Read the test instructions and make sure you understand them.
• Take a deep breath! Once you are logged in, find a moment to relax and focus.
• Answering questions – even a well-prepared student can make foolish mistakes with multiple-choice questions or fall victim to choosing what looks very similar to the correct answer. Here are some tips to reduce such risks.
• Try to think of the right answer to the question before looking at the alternatives. Only then read the alternatives.
• If you see the answer you had in mind, tick it and make sure that no other alternative is better.
• If you do not see the answer you were thinking of, consider using the elimination strategy to find the alternatives that are most likely wrong.
• Manage your exam time carefully. Do not spend too much time on one question.
• Do not leave any questions unanswered – even if you do not know the answer, there is still a small chance that you tick the correct alternative.

Read more:

• https://tips.nuigalway.ie/m/85608/l/1223576-giving-guidance-about-online-mcq-type-tests-to-your-students
• https://www.ucc.ie/en/skillscentre/preparingforexams/preparationformultiplechoicequestionsmcqexam/
• https://people.uwec.edu/ivogeler/multiple.htm
• https://blog.cengage.com/tips-taking-online-exams/
• https://www.ecpi.edu/blog/how-online-exams-work-how-to-be-successful-in-online-test-taking
• https://www.educationcorner.com/multiple-choice-tests.html
• http://elisabeth-fm-schlegel.weebly.com/elearning-bites?utm_source=AMEE&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=AMEE&utm_content=home

• Make a schedule for yourself! Assess the bulk of the material based on the volume of the subject or the volume of the study material and, if possible, plan for days off between study periods (this can also help you make up for time lost should you fall behind). Do not give up on the schedule – you may feel that a subject (e.g. gynaecology) takes an eternity, but it is important to learn the basics within the time you have allocated for it. Make sure you plan time for going over the material, as well!
• If a topic is very difficult, for example, if you feel you do not understand nephrology at all, then ask a fellow student for help – all of us have our weaknesses and strengths. Besides, sometimes someone has already found a good way to memorise something or can explain it well.
• Use your old lecture notes, as they often underline what the lecturers have particularly emphasised on this particular topic. I first looked through the official material, and then reviewed my notes for what I had considered important during my studies.
• Study or go through the material together with someone. This has several advantages: it helps you to keep in schedule and allows repeating the material in a question-answer form. Going through the material in a question-answer form allows not only to study but also to prepare for the exam itself. I always recommend choosing the study format according to the format of the exam.
• If possible, do not get too nervous about the exam. You just have to do what you have been doing for six years – study, study, and study (and sometimes rest).