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Development of a modified Cohen method of standard setting
1Medical School, The University of Birmingham, UK. c.a.taylor@bham.ac.uk
Medical Teacher
|January 10, 2012
Summary
A modified Cohen method for educational standard setting, removing guessing corrections and using the 90th percentile, proved effective. This approach reduced pass rate variation across medical modules, offering a promising, economical standard-setting solution.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Psychometrics
- Educational Assessment
Background:
- A novel Cohen approach to standard setting uses the 95th percentile score, adjusted for guessing, to determine the pass mark.
- This study addresses criticisms of the Cohen method and proposes a refined version.
Purpose of the Study:
- To modify the Cohen standard-setting method by removing guessing corrections and adjusting the percentile reference point.
- To incorporate an indirect criterion-referenced passing standard.
- To test the modified method's assumptions using local medical school data.
Main Methods:
- The modified Cohen method utilizes the 90th percentile score instead of the 95th.
- It removes the correction for guessing.
- An indirect criterion-referenced standard is integrated by adjusting the multiplier based on modified Angoff standard-set exams.
Main Results:
- The assumption of consistent 90th percentile student performance over time was validated for multiple-choice questions.
- Applying the modified Cohen method to 32 medical modules generally decreased failure rate variability compared to a fixed 50% pass mark.
- The modified method demonstrated potential for more stable pass rates.
Conclusions:
- The modified Cohen method is a promising and economical approach for educational standard setting.
- It offers a potentially more stable and reliable method for determining passing standards in medical education.
- Further application may lead to more consistent assessment outcomes.
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