The introduction of test-based exams
The creation of the first in Ukraine Licensing Testing Board for professional competence assessment has been preceded by nearly 5 years of research, organization, and international collaboration of medical education experts.
The technology, upon which the Licensing Exams are based, was discussed at the nationwide workshops throughout 1996–1998 by the representatives from all Ukrainian medical schools (more than 30 meetings, with over 1000 professors and associate professors among the participants).
The extensive discussion and strong support of the Licensing Exam technology led to voluntary participation of practically all Ukrainian medical schools (Decree №113 adopted by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine on April 09, 1997) in an educational experiment aimed at introduction of the Licensing Exams and initiated by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine in its Decree №396, dated December 31, 1996.
After Decree №251 “The regulations for the system of Licensing Integrated Exams” was adopted by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine on August 14, 1998, all the Ukrainian universities that train students majoring in Medicine and Pharmacy (including 4 universities subordinate to the Ministry of Education and Science and 3 private universities) expressed their intention to join the system of Licensing Integrated Exams.
The Medical Licensing Exam technology implemented in Ukraine has undergone expert assessment in the leading global certification centers, such as the National Board of Medical Examiners (USA) and Centre for Medical Education (UK), as well as in the national Institute of Education Content and Learning Tools (currently the Institute of Information Technologies and Learning Tools) and the Institute for Pedagogy and Adult Education at the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine.
The results of the Licensing Examination Program implementation in Ukraine are regularly presented at the annual conferences initiated by the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) and at the International Conferences on Medical Education (ICME).
Based on the decision reached by the 8th International Conference on Medical Education (the Ottawa conference), the Ukrainian Licensing Examination Program was recommended as an adoptable model for the other countries that implement their own licensing or certification exams.
For the purposes of international expert assessment, the Testing Board actively collaborates with various international organizations that promote open and democratic society in Ukraine:
- the Open Society Institute (OSІ) – Budapest (George Soros Foundations Network),
- the European Commission TEMPUS Programme,
- the International Renaissance Foundation with its Higher Education Support Program,
- the UN Mission in Ukraine,
- the Ukrainian Standardized External Testing Initiative Legacy Alliance (USETІ Legacy Alliance), etc.
The main landmarks in the history of the Testing Board at the Ministry of Health of Ukraine
1993 - 1994
Introductory visits of principals and leading educators of Ukrainian medical schools to the medical schools in the USA, Canada, UK, France, and Germany.
1993 - 1994
1994
Creation of research laboratories for undergraduate training of doctors at the Donetsk National Medical University and for postgraduate training of doctors at the Kyiv National Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education.
1994 - 1995
International project with participation of 6 countries, aimed at approbation of the clinical competence assessment exam (the Bohomolets National Medical University).
1994 - 1995
1995 - 1997
The USAІD/ІREX Partnership Program in medical education is concluded between the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Bohomolets National Medical University, and Dnipropetrovsk State Medical Academy.
1995
The doctoral thesis by I. Ye. Bulakh on computer-based tests in education. Founding of a research team.
1995
1996
The workshop on the issues of standardized assessment of medical knowledge held in the headquarters of the USA National Board of Medical Examiners (the first workshop the NBME held for foreigners).
Decree №396 “On preparation for implementation of the system of integrated intermediate and graduation licensing examination in higher education establishments of the III-IV accreditation levels” is adopted by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, which marks the beginning of an educational experiment in a number of Ukrainian medical schools: the Bohomolets National Medical University and Dnipropetrovsk State Medical Academy.
1997
The Collaboration Agreement is signed between the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Bohomolets National Medical University, and Dnipropetrovsk State Medical Academy. It states the need to create the Testing Board based on the methodological and technological foundations provided by the USAІD/ІREX Partnership Program.
Decree №113 is adopted by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, which on voluntary basis extends the educational experiment to the Donetsk, Lugansk, Lviv, Odesa, and Kharkiv National Medical Universities, along with the Ukrainian Medical and Dental Academy, Bukovinian State Medical Academy, and Kyiv Medical University at the UAFM.
The Agreement on Collaboration in the Implementation of the Medical Licensing Exams in Ukraine is concluded between the USA National Board of Medical Examiners and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
1997
1998
Decree №1166 “The implementation strategy for the main directions of social policy in 1998–2000” is issued by the President of Ukraine and approved by Decree №422 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, under which the Ministry of Health of Ukraine is entrusted with the development and implementation of the system of Licensing Integrated Exams in the higher education establishments for the purpose of standardized control over the quality of the healthcare professionals’ training.
Presidential Decree №615\98 “On adoption of the integration strategy of Ukraine into the European Union” and the official resolutions of the meetings held by the Ukrainian part of the Council on Ukraine-EU Cooperation foresee the implementation of joint European projects under the TEMPUS Programme (Trans-European Mobility Programme), including the Integrated Licensing Exams for the professionals majoring in Medicine and Pharmacy (within the period from the IV quarter of 2000 to the IV quarter of 2001).
A meeting is held by the principals of medical (pharmaceutical) schools, which approves the results of the educational experiment held in 1997–1998, when the Integrated Test-Based Exams (“Krok 1. Medicine”, “Krok 2. Medicine”, “Krok 2. Stomatology”) were administered in Ukrainian medical schools.
The International Forum for Medical Educators (the Ottawa conference, Philadelphia, USA) recommends the Ukrainian Licensing Examination Program as an adoptable model for the other countries that implement their own licensing exams.
Decree №1247 “On development of the state standards of higher education” is adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
Decree №251 “The regulations for the system of Licensing Integrated Exams for the professionals majoring in Medicine and Pharmacy” is adopted by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
The Open Society Institute (OSІ) supports the Project of Standardized Assessment of Medical Education Quality in Ukraine.
1999
Under Decree №7, adopted by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Testing Board for Professional Competence Assessment of Higher Education Trainees in Medicine and Pharmacy is created.
All the higher education establishments that train students majoring in Medicine and Pharmacy participate in the implementation of the Licensing Exams.
The Testing Board becomes a member of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE).
The European Committee supports the Project for the Development of an Independent Testing Board for Implementation of the Medical Licensing Exams in Ukraine.
The Collaboration Agreement for Scientific and Methodological Substantiation of the Medical Licensing Exams Methodology is signed between the Testing Board and Donetsk National Medical University.
A partnership is established with the Ukrainian Medical and Dental Academy and National Pharmaceutical Academy of Ukraine.
The International Renaissance Foundation supports the “Objective Methods of Knowledge Assessment” Project. A new training course – the Basics of Educational Assessment – is created.
1999
2000
The Medical Licensing Exam becomes mandatory for the graduating students of stomatological departments.
The Testing Board and the technology of Medical Licensing Exams implemented in Ukraine undergo the international expert assessment and receive high appraisal.
2001
The UN Office in Ukraine and International Renaissance Foundation support the research into education monitoring in Ukraine. Medical education is acknowledged as the most developed education branch in terms of objective assessment and monitoring.
A partnership is established with the Association for Educational Assessment – Europe (AEА-E) and Krakow Examination Committee.
2001
2002
The Medical Licensing Exam becomes mandatory for the graduating students of medical, pediatric, and preventive care departments.
The branch standards are adopted for the specialties: Medicine, Pediatrics, Medical Preventive Care, and Stomatology.
2004
The branch standards are adopted for the Pharmacy specialty.
The Medical Licensing Exam becomes mandatory for interns.
The Testing Board becomes a member of the Association for Educational Assessment – Europe (AEА-E).
2004
2004 - 2007
The European Commission supports the TEMPUS Project “True Assessment” (TRAST) aimed at the introduction of scientifically grounded assessment methods into education.
2005
An experimental curriculum of medical training is introduced in compliance with the Bologna Declaration.
2005
2006
The Medical Licensing Exam becomes mandatory for the graduating students of nursing specialties.
The concept of a reformed medical training system in compliance with the Bologna Declaration undergoes an expert assessment and receives positive recognition among the international community of medical educators, particularly the WHO Regional Office for Europe and World Federation for Medical Education (WFME).
2007
The Medical Licensing Exam becomes mandatory for stomatology interns.
The Testing Board employees become members of the Public Council of the Ukrainian Center for Education Quality Assessment (UCEQA). that supports the system of external independent assessment.
2007
2008
The Association of Educational Assessment and Testing is founded as a Ukrainian public organization.
2009
The Medical Licensing Exam becomes mandatory for the graduating students of pharmaceutical specialties.
2009
2010
The development of the higher education branch standards of the 2nd generation begins for the students majoring in Medicine and Pharmacy.
The Testing Board becomes a member of the Ukrainian Standardized External Testing Initiative Legacy Alliance (USETІ Legacy Alliance).
2011
The European Commission supports the TEMPUS Project “Modernising Undergraduate Medical Education in EU Eastern Neighbouring Area”.
2011
2013
The monitoring working groups at the Ministry of Health of Ukraine oversee the educational process at the 19 universities subordinate to the Ministry of Health, including the 3 postgraduate education establishments.
Video surveillance is made mandatory in the classrooms where the “Krok” Licensing Exams take place.
The Testing Board web-portal opens. The statistics for the Test Item Bank sources is made public: years, schools, authors, etc.
2015
The “Krok 1. Pharmacy” and “Krok 2. Pharmacy” Licensing Exams are being piloted for the distance learning students majoring in Pharmacy.
Participation in the coordination group at the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to create the new generation of the higher education standards.
2015
2016
The minimum passing score is raised and becomes 60.5% of correct answers for the “Krok 1” and “Krok 2” Exams and 70.5% of correct answers for the “Krok 3” Exam.
2017
For the first time Ukraine conducts an international comparative research of medical education quality at the undergraduate and postgraduate stages of training. The International Foundations of Medicine Clinical Sciences Exam (IFOM CSЕ) and an emergency aid subtest consisting of the test items following the template of the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination) are used as assessment tools.
The Testing Board receives high appraisal from the National Board of Medical Examiners (USA) for its administration of the IFOM CSE and its methodological and organizational support of the exam.
The leading experts of the NBME conduct an assessment of the system under which the Test Item Bank is being formed for the “Krok” Exams, as well as the methodology for test item quality evaluation.
The Testing Board jointly with the NBME administers the IFOM CSЕ in the web-based format in English, using a certified computer lab as the exam location.
The Testing Board works with the officers from the Department of Police Security at the National Police of Ukraine to ensure proper adherence to the “Krok” Exam procedure and prevent the examinees from using any devices forbidden during the exam.
2017