Limiting the Number of Revisions While Providing Error-Flagging Support During Tests Amruth N. Kumar Ramapo College of New Jersey, Mahwah, NJ 07430, USA amruth@ramapo.edu Abstract. Error-flagging support provided during tests leads to higher scores, as reported in literature. Although many beneficial factors contribute to higher scores, one undesirable contributing factor is that students abuse error-flagging feedback to find the correct answer through trial and error even when the test is not multiple-choice in nature. A limit can be placed on the number of revisions allowed per problem to foil the trial and error approach. A follow-up study was conducted to examine whether limiting the number of revisions allowed per problem yielded the benefits of error-flagging feedback while alleviating its shortcomings. The study also considered the effects of error-flagging feedback on partial scores. The findings are: even with a limit placed on the number of revisions per problem, students revised more often and scored higher with rather than without error-flagging. When students solved problems incorrectly without revisions, their solution qualified for more partial credit when error- flagging support was provided. When a limit was placed on the number of revisions and students solved problems correctly with revisions, they did so with fewer revisions when error-flagging feedback was provided than when it was not. When students solved problems incorrectly with revisions, even with a limit placed on the number of revisions, they revised more often with error- flagging than without, scored more partial credit, but did not take more time than when error-flagging was not provided. A limit on the number of revisions may discourage students from using error-flagging feedback as a substitute for their own judgment. Overall, students solved problems faster with error- flagging feedback, even though revisions prompted by such feedback can cost time. Keywords: Error-flagging, Testing, Adaptation, Evaluation. 1 Introduction and Experiment In a recent study of online tests that do not involve multiple-choice questions [1], students scored better on tests with rather than without error-flagging support. A follow-up study [2] found that when error-flag feedback is provided, students save time on the problems that they already know how to solve, and spend additional time on the problems for which they do not readily know the correct solution. It also found that students may abuse error-flagging support to find the correct solution by trial and