Formative Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) as an Assessment Tool in UK Undergraduate Medical Education: A Review of Its Utility

Sep 20, 2026

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The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a globally established assessment used to evaluate clinical competence in undergraduate medicine and other healthcare education. OSCEs use multiple stations to test a broad range of competencies expected at training-specific levels, and they are widely adopted as a benchmark of assessment quality. However, evidence on formative OSCEs varies, and concerns about objectivity have been raised. This review summarizes the literature on formative OSCE use, focusing on utility components and approaches to reduce threats to objectivity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction And Background

Formative vs summative assessments

OSCE history and role in medical education

Formative OSCE evidence and reported benefits

Open Access Review Article DOI: 10.7759/cureus.38519 Review began 04/16/2023 Review ended 05/01/2023 Published 05/04/2023 © Copyright 2023 Al-Hashimi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CCBY 4.0. , which permits unrestricted use , distribution , and reproduction in any medium , provided the original author and source are credited. Formative Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) as an Assessment Tool in UK Undergraduate Medical Education: A Review of Its Utility Khalid Al-Hashimi 1 , Umar N. Said 2 , Taherah N. Khan 3 1. Vascular Surgery, Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Shrewsbury, GBR 2. Trauma and Orthopaedics, Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, Huddersfield, GBR 3. General Medicine, Worcestershire Acute Hospital NHS Trust, Worcestershire, GBR Corresponding author: Khalid Al-Hashimi, [k.alhashimi97@gmail.com](k.alhashimi97@gmail.com) Abstract The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a globally established clinical examination; it is often considered the gold standard in evaluating clinical competence within medicine and other healthcare professionals’ educations alike. The OSCE consists of a circuit of multiple stations testing a multitude of clinical competencies expected of undergraduate students at certain levels throughout training. Despite its widespread use, the evidence regarding formative renditions of the examination in medical training is highly variable; thus, its suitability as an assessment has been challenged for various reasons. Classically, Van Der Vleuten’s formula of utility has been adopted in the appraisal of assessment methods as means of testing, including the OSCE. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the literature surrounding the formative use of OSCEs in undergraduate medical training, whilst specifically focusing on the constituents of the equation and means of mitigating factors that compromise its objectivity. Categories: Medical Education Keywords: objective structured clinical examination (osce), undergraduate medical education, clinical skills assessment, formative assessments, clinical competency Introduction And Background A paradigm shift has been seen with regard to various aspects of medical education. Alternative principles and methods have arisen over time for both the student and the teacher with respect to methods in both learning and teaching, respectively [1] . However, emphasis has also been placed on developing various modes of another component of education: assessment. Assessment and evaluation are imperative in every aspect of professional development and throughout the course of a learner’s educational process [2] . This has become increasingly important within the context of medical education due to ongoing attempts to ensure continuous patient safety [3] . Due to this, assessment processes have progressed over the years within medical education to ensure specific competencies are met by medical students, varying from multiple-choice questions to simulations [4] . Assessments are generally divided into two key sub-types: formative and summative. Both forms aim to assess a student’s competency. This is usually done by ensuring that specific learning outcomes, derived from competency-based medical education (CBME) frameworks [5], within the curricula are being met. Despite some similarities, each tends to serve different purposes [6] . Formative assessments are ones usually undertaken at various intervals throughout the course of the academic year that have the sole purpose of providing feedback to allow students to gain insight into and monitor their own progress. They additionally play a role in providing direction for teachers in altering learning activities whilst promoting more beneficial learning for areas of weakness identified following the provision of feedback [7,8] . Conversely, summative assessments generally serve as an i

FAQs

What is an OSCE and why is it widely used?

An Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a globally established clinical examination that evaluates competence using multiple stations testing diverse clinical skills. It is often considered a gold standard for assessing clinical competency.

How do formative and summative assessments differ in medical education?

Formative assessments are conducted at intervals to provide feedback, helping students monitor progress and guiding teachers to adjust learning activities. Summative assessments indicate whether a student has met minimum requirements for progression.

What does the review focus on regarding formative OSCE utility?

The review provides an overview of literature on the formative use of OSCEs in undergraduate training, emphasizing components of utility and strategies to mitigate factors that compromise objectivity.

Sep 20, 2026

Upload by Riley