A practical examination for student assessment in an externship program

This paper describes the development, reliability, and validity of a practical examination to evaluate student attainment of course objectives in an externship program. Content of the examination was determined by surveying preceptors and soliciting suggestions from practicing pharmacists. The reliability of the practical examination was assessed by interrater agreement and internal consistency measures. Multiple regression analyses showed that the practical examination correlated better with National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Licensure Examination (NABPLEX) scores than with written examinations and preceptor ratings of student performance. The practical examination is a valid method of assessing attainment of course objectives, and it can be used as an important component of an overall evaluation system.