Abstract: The study has evaluated a three-weeks stay in a pediatric ambulatory care service, applying the same test with 30 multiple-choice questions at the beginning and at the end of the stay, to 90 students during the fifth year of medical graduate training at the Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Medical School of the State University ofCampinas - UNICAMP). The study population was divided into three groups (A, B and C), and each group answered the test at the beginning of the ambulatory service stay and at its end three weeks later. The three groups evaluated rotated at four months interval ITom April - 1996 to April- 1997. The global analysis of the results of the tests, before and after the ambulatory service stay, was performed with the Analysis ofVariance (ANO V A) and with McNemar's Testo The ANOV A did not show any differences among the three groups of students, but has shown a significant difference (p < 0.001) between the tests of the pooled groups. McNemar's Test shows a significant difference (p < 0.001) among the tests of the three groups as well as in the tests ofthe pooled groups, thus confirming the ANOV A results. o However, the analysis, question by question, applying McNemar's Test, shows a significant difference between both tests in on1y 8 ofthe 30 questions ofthe test (questions 6, Tab.6B; 8, Tabo8B; 10, Tab.l0B; 11, Tab.llB;"16, Tab.16B; 17, Tabol7B; 23, Tab.23~). Among the 22 remaining questions, where there was no significant difference, McNemar's Test allowed the discrimination of 4 questions (3, Tab.3B; 4, Tab.4B; 15, Tab.15B and 28, Tab.28B) with a negative performance. The study allowed the conc1usion that th~ pediatric ambulatorycare service stay stage has provided a gain in cognitive knowledge on the contents of the 8 questions where the difference has been significant (p < 0.001). Additiona11y, it may be conc1uded that a test with multiple-choice questions may be more efficient1y used for the evaluation of the gain of cognitive knowledge when such test has a specialized teclmical formulation and considers on1y the taught contents Ver menos