AbstractBackground: Different assessment methods in educational practice influence students approach to learning. Aim: A study has been conducted to evaluate students perception on different assessment methodologies that included Essay and multiple choice questions and its influences on the approach to learning in a medical college. Settings and design: The study was conducted in the department of physiology on undergraduate first year medical students of Bhaskar Medical College, Yenkapally, Moinabad. The study was conducted on 129 Students of 150 batch as 21 students were absent. The feedback of the students on their perception was obtained after the assessment. Materials and Methods: The students were informed about the assessment that was planned at the end of the chapter in the introductory lecture. At the end of the topic, the students were first assessed by multiple choice questions and then by essay questions. A feedback form containing questionnaire on the students perception was given after the assessment to evaluate the perception of students regarding the assessment methodologies implemented at the end of the topic. The feedback proforma scaled according to 3 point likert scale was obtained and the data analyzed by computing as percentage. Result: 77.5% students perceived that the open end essay questions motivated them more to prepare for the exam compared to multiple choice question format of assessment. There is no difference in number of students agreeing that both methods are easy to prepare. 60.4% students perceived that the multiple choice question format of assessment created test anxiety during preparation compared to open end essay questions. 80.6% students perceived that the essay question format of assessment encouraged deep learning of the subject compared to multiple choice questions. 91.4%students perceived that the essay question format of assessment was assisted compared to multiple choice questions by the present course curriculum and current teaching environment. 81.3% students perceived that the multiple choice question format of assessment method has influenced their learning strategy compared to open end essay questions. Conclusion: Students perception for both these conventional methods of assessment do have major differences but are perceived with different advantages and disadvantages in learning process. The study of students perceptions of the assessments and its effects on the learning process used in this study should be further explored.

Keywords: Assessment, Multiple choice questions, Essay questions, Perception.