Exploring the relationship between experienced students' preference for open- and closed-book examinations,approaches to learning and achievement

The relationship between university students' approaches to learning and preference for the open- and closed-book examinations was investigated for 144 Greek undergraduate (56 third- and 88 fourth-year) students attending a Philosophy, Education and Psychology Department. The approaches were explored by the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST). Examination preferences for open- or closed-book exams were assessed by 3 self-report questions. Students who preferred the open-book examination scored lower on “Time management”, “Achieving”, and “Unrelated memorising”. The study provides links between the students' study orchestrations/profiles, assessment preference, and achievement. The deep profile students (mainly 3rd-year students) seem to prefer the open-book exam but appear unorganised in their study in a similar extent to surface-profile students. They also reported low achievement. The study cautiously suggests the influence of the year of study on students' assessment preference. The results are discussed in relation to recent literature.