Progress testing in resource-poor countries: a case from Mozambique

A wealth of evidence for the effectiveness of progress testing in problem-based learning curricula has been collected in the Western academic world, but whether the progress testing can be equally effective in problem-based medical schools in resource-poor countries is a question that remains to be answered. In order to provide an initial answer to this question, we describe our experiences with progress testing in a medical school in Mozambique since its establishment in 2001, specifically focusing on test acceptability, formative educational impact, test validity and test reliability. After 7 years of experience, we think that the conclusion is justified that the progress testing can be a feasible and effective assessment instrument even in a resource poor setting. Institutional collaboration is important to guarantee test quality and sustainability.