Does exam performance correlate with perception of readiness or pretest quizzes?

We tested the hypothesis that student's perceived readiness for examinations was not correlated to exam performance as has been previously reported. In a population of 615 undergraduate nursing, midwifery, baccalaureate health sciences (BHSc) and engineering students in a required human anatomy and physiology course perceived readiness for examinations was surveyed prior to the beginning of the midterm exam. Perceived readiness was weakly correlated with exam performance (r=0.21, p=0.05). Performance on fortnightly quizzes administered in the lab was more strongly correlated with exam performance (r=0.34, p<0.005) than perceived readiness. Though perceived readiness had a small significant correlation for most students groups the BHSc students, who have the highest course average of 84%, showed no correlation (r=0.15, n = 211). The quiz performance was most strongly correlated with the midterm exam performance in the midwifery students (r=0.61, p<0.005, n=22) and the nursing students (r=0.46, p<0.005, n= 322). This research confirms that students are only poorly able to judge exam preparedness and quantitative measures on structured tests are the most useful predictor of student success.