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J Dent Educ. 72(5): 585-592 2008
© 2008 American Dental Education Association
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Critical Issues in Dental Education

Relationship Between Dental Students’ Performance on Standardized Multiple-Choice Examinations and OSCEs

Padraig C. Dennehy, D.M.D.; Srinivas M. Susarla, D.M.D., M.P.H.; Nadeem Y. Karimbux, D.M.D., M.M.Sc.

Key words: OSCE, MCQ, National Board Dental Examination, assessment, competency

Submitted for publication 06/10/07; accepted 02/11/08

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among dental students’ performance on the National Board Dental Examination (NBDE Parts I and II), comprehensive written multiple-choice question examinations (MCQ examinations), and objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) administered at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM). Outcomes were measured during the third and fourth years at HSDM for the classes of 2006 and 2007. Three separate OSCE exams and two comprehensive MCQ examinations are administered during years 3 and 4 at HSDM per class. The study group was made up of sixty-two students (thirty-two females and thirty males). The average NBDE Parts I and II scores of the study population were 93.32 ±4.02 and 84.63 ±4.25, respectively, and were associated with outcomes on all three OSCE examinations (p≤0.044). However, using multiple regression models, the only statistically significant association occurred between NBDE Part II and OSCE 2 (p=0.003). Analysis showed that didactic predictors (NBDE Parts I and II and comprehensive MCQ examinations) explained 20.4 to 22.1 percent of the variability in OSCE scores. These results suggest that performance on OSCE examinations is not highly correlated with performance on NBDE Parts I and II and HSDM-administered MCQ examinations. The findings suggest that OSCE examinations are more likely to measure other qualities such as problem-solving ability, critical thinking, and communication skills.






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