A comparison of traditional assessment with the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE)

As the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) was being introduced into the medical curriculum, its validity was evaluated and the results obtained were compared with three components of the traditional assessment, i.e. tutors' mark, clinical assessment (long case) and multiple-choice questions (MCQs) in 170 5th-year students. The OSCE appeared to be a reliable and valid test of clinical skills, although this became apparent only with increasing experience. Traditional methods, in particular those which are inherently subjective, were found to upgrade students more often than OSCE scores. There were some correlations between OSCE marks and results of traditional examinations, especially the clinical assessment and the MCQ. Accordingly the OSCE appears to measure aspects of both clinical competence and theoretical knowledge. It has many advantages over traditional methods and should therefore be considered for inclusion in the assessment of medical students.