The educational value of situational judgement tests (SJTs) when used during undergraduate medical training: A systematic review and narrative synthesis

Abstract

Introduction

Situational judgement tests (SJTs) are a recognised assessment method for admission into medical school, selection into postgraduate training programs, and postgraduate competency assessment. More recently, however, SJTs have been used during undergraduate medical training (UMT). This systematic review identifies, describes, and appraises the evidence for SJTs in UMT to determine educational associations and outcomes.

Methods

MEDLINE, EMBASE, ERIC, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and grey literature were searched for original research studies evaluating SJTs implemented within UMT to 1 November 2022. Studies reporting evaluation outcomes were included. Narrative data syntheses were undertaken. Risk of Bias was appraised using the Quality in Prognosis Studies tool.

Results

24 studies were included. National database-derived SJTs (n = 14) assessed against professionalism, postgraduate attainment, construct of medical degree, medical school admissions scores, personality attributes, and declaration of disability. In-house derived SJTs (n = 10) assessed against professionalism, clinical skills, and personality attributes. Most evidence evaluated and reported inverse SJT associations with professionalism and were moderate risk of bias.

Conclusion

SJTs may have utility for developing professional behaviours in medical students. However, further research testing SJT robustness, standard setting methodologies, and prospectively evaluating SJTs against objective outcome measures within the context of UMT is warranted.

Keywords:

• Assessment
• undergraduate
• professionalism
• medicine

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Gurvinder S. Sahota

Gurvinder Sahota, MMedSci, MBChB, is a Clinical Associate Professor in Primary Care, University of Nottingham.

Victoria Fisher

Victoria Fisher, BMedSci, MBBS, is a Research Associate in Primary Care, University of Nottingham.

Bakula Patel

Bakula Patel, MBChB, is a Clinical Associate Professor in Primary Care, University of Nottingham.

Kiranjit JuJ

Kiranjit Juj, BDS (Hons), is a Research Associate in Primary Care, University of Nottingham.

Jaspal S. Taggar

Jaspal Taggar, MSc, PhD, MBBS, is a Clinical Associate Professor and Head of Undergraduate Primary Care Education, University of Nottingham.