A study by the University of Messina shows that the timing of oral examinations at Italian universities has a significant impact on students’ chances of success. According to the study published in “Frontiers in Psychology”, pass rates are highest around lunchtime, while they fall early in the morning and late in the afternoon.

The researchers led by Prof. Carmelo Mario Vicario analyzed 104,552 exams taken at the University of Messina between October 2018 and February 2020. The data includes 1,243 courses, 680 examiners and varying levels of difficulty, measured by the credits awarded. The analysis showed that only 57 percent of exams were passed, with a clear peak in the pass rate around lunchtime (11:00 to 13:00). Exams at 08:00, 09:00, 15:00 or 16:00 had lower pass rates, with the lowest rates being the same early in the morning and late in the afternoon.

The results point to biological rhythms that could influence both the cognitive performance of students and the judgment of examiners. Cognitive performance increases in the morning and decreases in the afternoon, while decision fatigue among professors could lead to stricter assessments. Different chronotypes – students in their 20s as “night owls”, older examiners as “morning people” – could explain the discrepancy at the start of the day. The study rules out exam difficulty as a factor, but cannot fully control for influences such as sleep habits or stress.

The findings could be relevant beyond academic examinations, for example for job interviews or other assessment processes. Vicario recommends strategies such as better sleep, avoiding exams during personal performance lows and taking breaks to think before exams. Institutions could schedule exams in the late morning to promote fairer results. Further studies should clarify the mechanisms behind these effects, in particular by analyzing sleep, stress or chronotypes.

Original Paper:

Frontiers | Timing matters! Academic assessment changes throughout the day

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