Item Position Impact on Student Performance in General Chemistry Multiple-Choice Exams

General chemistry instructors often use multiple exam forms with different item orders to minimize cheating during high-stakes assessments. However, doing so can introduce item order effects that may negatively impact students based on their assigned form. While item order effects have been shown to be prevalent in chemistry examinations, little is known about the effect of item position, meaning where items are placed within an exam, on student performance. This study explored the effect of item position on student performance for multiple-choice exams over 5 semesters of a second-semester general chemistry course. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to determine the effect of item position on percent correct on two types of exams (in-term and final exams) and for three different types of chemistry exam items, varying by the number of mathematical formulas required to solve them. Results showed a significant effect of item position on performance on the final exams but not on the in-term tests. Additionally, results showed a significant effect of item position on performance for items that require either no or multiple mathematical formulas and not for items that require a single mathematical formula to solve. Given these findings, instructors should consider prioritizing placing single formula type items toward the end of exams and avoid switching different types of items with one another when crafting multiple exam forms.