North American Veterinary Licensing Examination pacing study

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medical Education
• Assessment and Evaluation
• Psychometrics

Background:

• The National Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners observed a trend of increasing item word count in the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE).
• Concerns arose regarding the potential impact of these longer items on examinee pacing and performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between item word count and examinee pacing during the NAVLE.
• To analyze the effect of item word count on examinee performance, specifically item difficulty and omission rates.
• To assess potential pacing issues arising from increased word count over time.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of item word count trends from 2001 to 2008.
• Statistical examination of the correlation between item word count and average time spent per item.
• Evaluation of the relationship between word count and item difficulty, considering presentation order.
• Assessment of item omission rates and pacing patterns within examination sections.

Main Results:

• A significant relationship was identified between increased item word count and the average time examinees spent on each item.
• No statistically significant relationship was found between item word count and the average difficulty of the items.
• Analysis of omitted items and pacing patterns did not reveal any overall pacing problems attributable to word count.

Conclusions:

• While longer veterinary licensing examination items require more time per question, they do not appear to negatively impact item difficulty or overall examinee pacing.
• The findings suggest that increasing word count in the NAVLE has not led to significant detrimental effects on examinee performance or examination integrity.
• Further research could explore the qualitative aspects of item complexity beyond mere word count.