Effect of Paper Color and Question Order on Exam Performance

Abstract

To deter cheating, teachers commonly use exams printed on differently colored paper or with varied question orders. Previous studies, however, reported that paper color and question order affect exam performance and suggested that teachers should adjust students' scores accordingly and discontinue the use of alternate exam forms. We conducted 2 experiments testing the effects of paper color and question order on exam performance. Students performed worse on exams printed on primary blue paper, but pastel colors had no effect. We found no effect of exam question order (sequential vs. random). We conclude that colored paper or differently ordered questions do not affect exam performance.