Are script concordance tests suitable for the assessment of undergraduate students? A multicenter comparative study

Introduction. - Script concordance tests (SCTs) have been developed to assess clinical reasoning in uncertain situations. Their reliability for the evaluation of undergraduate medical students has not been evaluated. Methods. - Twenty internal medicine SCT cases were implemented in undergraduate students of two programs. The results obtained on the SCTs were compared to those obtained by the same students on clinical-based classical multiple-choice questions (MCQs). Results. - A total of 551/883 students (62%) answered the SCTs. The mean aggregate score (based on a total 20 points) was 11.54 (3.29). The success rate and mean score for each question did not differ depending on the modal response but the discrimination rate did. The results obtained by the students on the SCT test correlated with their scores on the MCQtests. Among students, 446/517 (86%) considered the SCTs to be more difficult than classical MCQs, although the mean score did not differ between the SCT and MCQtests. Conclusion. - The use of SCTs is a feasible option for the evaluation of undergraduate students. The SCT scores correlated with those obtained on classical MCQtests. (C) 2020 Societe Nationale Francaise de Medecine Interne (SNFMI). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

SCT is a feasible option for evaluating undergraduate students, with scores correlating with those on MCQ tests. While most students find SCT more difficult than MCQ, there is no difference in average scores.