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Abstract
Online examinations remain widely used in higher education, but their effectiveness depends on student access, technical reliability, clear procedures, and perceptions of fairness. This study evaluated satisfaction, challenges, preferred assessment modality, and written perceptions of an online examination among Bachelor of Science in Criminology students at Merchant Marine Academy of Caraga, Inc., Butuan City, Philippines. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used. All 300 first-year and second-year students who completed the online examination participated. Quantitative data came from a validated questionnaire with an overall Scale-level Content Validity Index/Average of 0.93 and Cronbach’s alpha of 0.89 for the challenge scale. Qualitative data came from open-ended student responses analyzed thematically. Frequency, percentage, weighted mean, rank, and thematic analysis were used. Most respondents were satisfied with the examination (88.67%), especially with clear instructions (98.00%), timely administration (97.33%), and successful answer submission (96.00%). Nevertheless, poor internet connection affected 79.00% of respondents, login problems affected 65.33%, and technical-issue anxiety affected 59.67%. Unstable mobile signal (mean = 2.72) and internet connectivity (mean = 2.65) were the only moderate challenges. Students preferred either online or written examination (40.30%) over exclusively online examination (27.00%). The qualitative strand generated eight themes: remote-access convenience, immediate feedback, connectivity, time pressure, system stability, instruction clarity, academic integrity, and constructive feedback. Integration showed that students valued online assessment but wanted flexible options that protected them from technical inequity. The study concludes that online examinations are acceptable when supported by reliable infrastructure, contingency procedures, and integrity safeguards. It recommends a flexible and resilient assessment protocol.