Sir, the UK curricula in dentistry is set by the General Dental Council with universities required to provide assurances that intended learning objectives (ILOs), clinical and non-clinical milestones and competencies have been satisfactorily achieved. Assessments in these courses are longitudinal and end of year examinations assess different sections of the ILOs to demonstrate evidence-based practice in clinical scenarios and decision making mirroring the clinical environment.
Traditionally, closed book examinations such as multiple-choice questions, where learners are not permitted to have any supportive material with them, are the preferred format for UK dental courses. The COVID-19 national lockdown resulted in re-structuring of assessments to open-book formats so learners could complete their examinations at home and has provided a novel opportunity to reflect on examination practices.1
In open-book examinations, learners have access to supportive material such as revision notes, books and online resources thereby testing the application of knowledge rather than its recall.2 Studies have shown that learners revising for open-book examinations prepare by proactively understanding the content and its application for problem solving, thereby encouraging deep learning.3 Learners have also reported feeling less anxious about exam preparation, which is reflected in significantly higher test scores.4,5 Nonetheless, these examinations can test information retrieval rather than knowledge and this is a well-recognised limitation. More research is required to determine if open-book examinations are suitable formats for end of year assessments and to optimise curriculum development and learner experiences.
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Agarwal P K, Karpicke J D, Kang S H K, Roediger Iii H L, McDermott K B. Examining the testing effect with open- and closed-book tests. Appl Cognitive Psych 2008; 22: 861-876.
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Dave, M., Ariyaratnam, S., Dixon, C. et al. Open-book examinations. Br Dent J 229, 149 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-020-2008-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-020-2008-6
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