Entrance examinations: a tool for improving the integration of concepts across the engineering curriculum

The authors define an entrance examination to be a test given during the traditional final exam period that is associated with a course the student will take in the following semester. In their model, entrance exams replace final exams and offer several advantages. First, they reduce the problem associated with compartmentalization of knowledge. Entrance exams will be constructed by the faculty teaching the coming courses and will require knowledge from multiple previous courses. For example, the entrance exam for a senior design course could test mastery of technical concepts from multiple prior engineering and science classes, written communication skills, and the student ability to apply concepts learned in social science and humanities effectives to engineering decision making. Second, entrance exams offer students the opportunity for remedial work in specific areas during the time between the exam and the start of the new semester. This should allow for all courses to be taught at a higher level since a minimum level of student competency in critical skill areas will be guaranteed. Third, entrance exams require the faculty to design a coherent curriculum with well defined goals in all courses. This approach seems to offer advantages from the perspective of ABET 2000 as it provides a natural mechanism for assessment and feedback at the goal and course levels. Fourth, entrance exams may move the student-faculty relationship toward that of a player and coach. The authors envision a student-faculty team working together to prepare for a set of external exams.