To understand these patterns—especially the gender gap—we estimate a structural model of how students approach multiple-choice questions. Students receive noisy signals for each option. If no option stands out enough, they skip. Skipping is shaped by confidence and risk aversion.

The results? Three big takeaways:

1. More time = higher scores & less skipping (unsurprising)
2. Effects are concentrated in “within reach” questions—low performers gain on easy Qs, high performers on hard Qs
3. Score gains are larger for males, driven by greater reductions in skipping. 🤔

Time-constrained choices are everywhere—exams, contests, tasks at work. But how much do time limits really matter?

This project began as my third-year paper—and my first time running an experiment. It's now an NBER WP joint with Kala Krishna & Pelin Akyol. 🧵

it looks like structural econ people have trained gpt4 well.

I wrote about how you can streamline your workflow using VS Code—check it out here: esmaozer.github.io/resources/al...