The Impact of Take-home Open-book Examinations due to COVID-19 among Business Students. Do Gender, Age, and Academic Skills Matter?

Abstract

Due to COVID-19, numerous universities and colleges have been forced to arrange home-based exams in many countries. We know relatively little about what consequences this might have for the ranking of students based on qualifications in the various subjects. This is an important issue for administrators, educators, and others involved in planning the design of higher education. The intention of this article is to get more insight into this issue. By analysing administrative data from a Norwegian Business School, we examined the impact of moving from traditional school exams to home-based exams in 2020 due to COVID-19. The chosen methodology is the comparison of means by using t-test and standard linear regression models. The results indicate a weaker link between high school performance and achievements in business administration courses. Furthermore, home-based exams might disadvantage older students. This is useful knowledge in the judgement as to whether or not to introduce home-based exams as a permanent arrangement.