The effect of using an alternative method to calculate station cut scores in an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)

grantor: University of TorontoThe Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a performance-based assessment that is gaining wide-spread recognition as an examination format for assessing clinical competence of health professionals. One method currently used to obtain cut scores is a modification of the mean borderline group method. The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of using an alternative approach to this method whereby the opinion of each examiner of a given station is weighted equally. The study examined the effect of this alternative method on cut score values obtained as well as the impact on task specific and examination level pass/fail decisions. The study also attempted to identify factors that could potentially impact on the size of the effect, if any, on cut scores established through this alternative method. The results do not indicate a significant difference between the two methods, thereby suggesting no need to after the current method of calculating cut scores.M.A