[Evaluation of examination preparation methods in veterinary students]

As part of a study on competence-based assessment, students of the University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover (TiHo), were asked to fill in an online questionnaire regarding their exam preparation and common examination formats. The aim of this investigation was to attain the students' opinion on different exam formats as well as the intensity and method of their preparation in order to further improve and develop the assessment formats.

Data was collected using an online questionnaire developed in LimeSurvey^® (LimeSurvey GmbH, Hamburg, Germany) which included 29 questions and 3 follow-up questions. A link to the questionnaire was sent to all veterinary students at the TiHo by e-mail.

A total of 215 questionnaires were completed and entered the evaluation. It was shown that the duration of the exam preparation depended on the specific exam format. Students' preparation time for an oral exam was longer than for a written-electronic exam. In the students' view, the assessment contents of oral examinations appeared to be more "relevant for later professional life". Electronic exams, on the other hand, were perceived as being more "fair" and less stressful. 30.3 % of respondents indicated to be suffering from test anxiety.

Based on these findings, new recommendations for the development of teaching/learning materials may be derived. The opinions of students collected in this investigation provide an up-to-date insight into their perception of examinations. These results may serve as a valuable contribution to the optimization of examination scenarios in veterinary education. In addition, such surveys contribute to university-wide quality management of the examination systems.