Standard setting in optometric clinical skills examinations

Area of Science:

• Optometry
• Medical Education
• Assessment Science

Background:

• Objective-based clinical skills examinations (CSE) are standard for assessing optometry licensure.
• These examinations evaluate essential competencies required for practice.
• Ensuring the reliability and validity of these assessments is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the fundamental components of Clinical Skills Examinations (CSE) in optometry.
• To identify areas for enhancement in the standard-setting processes for CSEs.
• To improve the accuracy and fairness of competency assessments for optometric licensure.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing Clinical Skills Examination frameworks.
• Analysis of standard-setting methodologies used in high-stakes assessments.
• Synthesis of best practices for objective assessment design and implementation.

Main Results:

• Key elements of CSEs include test construction, administration, and scoring.
• Current standard-setting methods for CSEs may lack robustness.
• Opportunities exist to refine standard-setting to better reflect minimal competency.

Conclusions:

• Clinical Skills Examinations are essential but require rigorous standard setting.
• Improvements in standard setting can enhance the validity of optometry licensure exams.
• Optimized CSEs ensure optometrists meet the required standards of care.