Why do some professors create very difficult exam schemes?

Question

I have a Bio professor who loves to complicate the difficult criteria of mammalian physiology by making exams which you always have to select the most incorrect answer out of 5 choices. Some problems have partially incorrect statements but since it is MOST incorrect, you have to guess the answer basically. The average on the last exam was 9/20 and nobody out of our 300+ student class achieved a 100. The professor also loves to pick C and D answers to force the student to read a lot of the answers to determine which one is wrong. (I have a new method of starting from the middle of the question C, then go on to D, B etc to save time but it still is annoying when you get 4 Ds followed by 3Cs and no A answers the whole exam because you think you did it wrong. In addition to this he loves to use complex words of english to complicate matters for non-native students, this isnt a problem for me but I still will complain. To top things off he said that <20% might still be passing, lying to us.

Answer 1

It could be, as someone else said, designed to weed out the students who cannot handle the program... That is not a myth.

Is this pre-med or pre-vet or even med or vet school?

The structure of the exam-question you present seems a lot like the type of thinking that would be required of an MD or vet in making a diagnosis. And, gosh, lots of times MDs and vets have to make diagnosis quickly and under great pressure.

Perhaps the Prof is trying to see who has the aptitude to perform well in real life.

I don't think the Prof is doing this just to be mean. Creating questions like this is a whole lot more work than a straightforward spit-out what you have memorized kind of test. You are being tested on your thinking ability as it relates to physiology... Can you apply what you have learned?

Complex words of english? Perhaps the same reasoning I give above applies. Do you think medical books, pharmacology information, CDC notices and such are written at the 5th grade level like all newspapers and magazines? Again, I bet you there is a specific intent here and it is a good one.

The teachers and professors that I have had... the ones that I remember best and who helped me most (although I didn't realize it at the time) were the toughest ones. Fair but tough.

If it is really bothering you and you would like to improve in this class - schedule and appointment with the Prof and talk to him. Ask him for suggestions on how to improve your ability to perform on his tests. Don't ask him to change what he is doing but ask him for suggestions on how you can change to better meet the challenge he puts in front of you.

All that being said... as in any walk of life there are people who are plain and simple $%@$% (apply your own expletive here). So maybe that is the case with your prof but I doubt it.

Answer 2

You made a lot of points in your question.

I once took an exam where the choices were for all the questions.

A. True
B. False
C. More true than false
D. More false than true
E. You cannot tell the truth of the statement from the information given

Some professors just like to stay up late thinking of silly things

Some do not realize the difficulty of what they are asking

Some like to use exams to determine how well students are doing so that they ask questions that discriminates among different knelled levels.

Answer 3

I don't know.. but I think Zaphod is a prime example of habits not broken and hung onto. Creating a new habit takes a lot more thought than some realize. When giving up a "bad" habit, many trade it in for another bad habit. What some consider a routine can be a habit. What some consider to be the right way to do something can be no more than a habit. Even traditions can be habits. Something you do repetitively.. can be a habit.. without a thought given to it. Even Yahoo is a habit... I have changed some things that might be considered ingrained, but were also routine...

Answer 4

Research every professor from now on before signing up for their class. You are paying a lot of money and you don't want to waste your time with nonsense. It is to late to drop your class, so read each chapter assigned, and look in the front of the book to see if they have a website. If so, the website will have flashcards, and practice quizzes for each chapter. Take on each chapter one at a time. Memorize all of the terms.

I've listed a website that has all of your professors "report cards". You can read former students accounts of praise, or damnation. Good luck

Answer 5

Here is a TIP.
Almost all freshman level classes are of the opinion that many of the students are there for one of 2 things.
Party, or Learn.
Many of the Proffesors by design try to weed out the Party Animals.
So, going under that pretense, you can see where many can be extremely tough.
Been there and done that.
Also remember several of the subjects tend to be much tougher by design as well, Many of the Math Courses, Physics, Chemistry, and many of the sciences.
Were-as the Humanities and English tend to be much easier, but require more reading.
Don

Answer 6

The hooley kuran and mohammet the profit stated only professors suffering from erectile dysfunction create difficult exams.

Answer 7

because they want you to fail. no, just kidding. but i really cant stand teachers like that, its lame, cant they just be straight up? its a lot easier to learn that way.

Answer 8

They do it because they are the professors and they can!

Answer 9

Ugghhhh that prof is a PITA!!!... maybe he thinks this builds better students.

Answer 10

I am completely brainwashed into thinking that they want you to fail.