Are Multiple Choice Questions for Post Graduate Dental Entrance Examinations Spot On?-Item Analysis of MCQs in Prosthodontics in India

Construction of appropriate test items is a challenge in preparing quality multiple choice questions. Item analysis provides valuable feedback data on validity of multiple choice questions. The present study was conducted to evaluate the difficulty index, discrimination index and distracter efficiency of the items present in the multiple choice questions of post graduate dental entrance examinations. A list consisting of 20 MCQs was taken from the entrance exam books of MCQs on an introductory topic and administered to 104 undergraduate students. In the present study 15% of the MCQs related to impression making procedure were difficult with difficulty index (p) less than 30%, 15% were poor discriminators and 55% had at least one non-functional distracter. Item analysis of MCQs in post graduate entrance examinations demonstrated low difficulty index, discrimination index and distracter efficiency. Hence, we propose a strong need for faculty training in test constructors and their post validation.