Issues Related to the Objectivity of Student Assessment in Medical Education

Abstract

This paper addressed various issues related to the objectivity of student assessment in medical education. The objectivity of assessment was related to all the steps of test development, administration, and results reporting in terms of reliability and validity. Specifically, the objectivity of item formats, representativeness of test content, standardization of test administration, consistency of scoring procedures, and appropriateness of reporting test results were discussed by comparing performance assessment with traditional paper-and-pencil tests. The conclusions were derived from current measurement theories such as standards-based assessment, evidencebased design, and outcome-based assessment. Further, based on Shepard’s propositions (2006), the objectivity of student assessment could be achieved by improving the concordance between educational objectives and assessment components such as item types, test contents, and test administration, scoring, and reporting.