Assigned seating in students’ exams: A field experiment

I set up an experiment to examine the effects of assigned seating versus free seating on the multiple-choice part of exam scores during students’ bachelor final exams. Using a simple multiple regression, I find that students in the assigned seating group perform significantly better than students in the free seating group. Students sitting in the back of an examination block generally perform worse; this effect disappears when seats are assigned. I furthermore find that giving different students different versions of the exam does not alter their scores. The assigned seating system is easier to use according to the proctors supervising.