Primary Certification

Coming Soon: New Part I Examination Score Reports with Formative Feedback

Part I Examination candidates, your results are coming soon—and starting this year, Part I Examination score reports will include more formative feedback, giving candidates more information about performance that they can use for future learning.

A key transformational strategy in the ABPMR strategic plan, the Formative and Integrated Assessment strategy aims to make feedback on ABPMR assessments more formative—that is, to improve the learning potential of all ABPMR assessment processes, including longitudinal assessment and examinations. The new score report is a big step to support candidates' continued learning for ABPMR board exams and on into their careers.

What the New Score Report Includes

The new score report includes the candidate's score, scaled score required to pass, the mean score for first-time candidates, and the individual candidate's percentile ranking, as before:

But this year, the score report goes on to provide more detailed information about exam performance, including keywords tied to the Class 1 and Class 2 categories from the Part I Examination Outline. Here's an example:

As you can see, the keywords are separated into Class 1 categories (in the example, Amputation, Medical Rehabilitation, and Rehabilitation Problems & Outcomes), then listed according to Class 2 categories (Patient Evaluation & Diagnosis, Patient Management, etc.) in the left-hand column. Each keyword corresponds with a question on the examination that was answered incorrectly.

Candidates can use the tables provided to give them an idea of the areas of PM&R in which they may need to shore up their knowledge—both in preparation for the Part II Examination, and for their lifelong learning beyond certification.

What the New Score Report Is Not

Candidates should be careful not to interpret these new tables as an indication of their raw score (i.e., number correct or incorrect), or to try to calculate 'scores' in different categories of the exam. As a reminder, each candidate's performance on the entire examination determines the pass-fail decision, and to pass the examination, a candidate's standardized score (not raw score) must meet or exceed the standardized (scaled) passing score.

How Candidates Can Use the Score Report

In the example above, the candidate may want to review management of patients with kidney transplant.

Here's another section of a sample score report. This sample candidate may wish to review evaluation and diagnosis of stroke:

Candidates, as you review your new score report, we encourage you to use the tables provided as a template for future learning. Look for those areas where you could focus study efforts for next year's Part II Examination, as well as thinking ahead to your lifelong learning after certification.

Questions on score report or what it means? Please contact us; we're happy to help.


Originally Published: September 21, 2020