Impact of Assessment Formats on Student Performance in Oral Histology: A Comparative Analysis of Multiple-Choice (MCQ) and Very Short-Answer (VSA) Questions
by Bermejo Adriana, Bricco Oscar, Garas Silvina, Matilla Victor, Stoehr Rodrigo, Zavala Walther David
Published: February 12, 2026 • DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS.2026.10100449
Abstract
This study aimed to compare the academic performance and discriminatory power of questions on oral mucosa and dental tissue development Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs; 2024 cohort) versus Very Short-answer Questions (VSAs; 2025 cohort) formats among first-year dentistry students. Ten identical questions from two cohorts (n =74 each) were analyzed for difficulty (p-index) using chi-square and t-test statistics. Results revealed higher average performance in MCQs (85.08%) than VSAs (79.48%; p=0.292), with significant differences in 3 questions (p<0.05), mostly easy ones (p value >061). We conclude that both formats are suitable for assessing foundational knowledge; however, the MCQ format provides greater reliability, while the VSA format reduces guessing bias