title: Criteria for good assessment: consensus statement and recommendations from the Ottawa 2010 Conference.
abstract: In this article, we outline criteria for good assessment that include: (1) validity or coherence, (2) reproducibility or consistency, (3) equivalence, (4) feasibility, (5) educational effect, (6) catalytic effect, and (7) acceptability. Many of the criteria have been described before and we continue to support their importance here. However, we place particular emphasis on the catalytic effect of the assessment, which is whether the assessment provides results and feedback in a fashion that creates, enhances, and supports education. These criteria do not apply equally well to all situations. Consequently, we discuss how the purpose of the test (summative versus formative) and the perspectives of stakeholders (examinees, patients, teachers-educational institutions, healthcare system, and regulators) influence the importance of the criteria. Finally, we offer a series of practice points as well as next steps that should be taken with the criteria. Specifically, we recommend that the criteria be expanded or modified to take account of: (1) the perspectives of patients and the public, (2) the intimate relationship between assessment, feedback, and continued learning, (3) systems of assessment, and (4) accreditation systems.
authors.affiliation: FAIMER, 3624 Market Street, 4th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. jnorcini@faimer.org
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Norcini
authors.forename: Brownell
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Valdes
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bollela
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Burch
authors.forename: Manuel João
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Robbert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Duvivier
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Galbraith
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hays
authors.forename: Athol
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kent
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Perrott
authors.forename: Trudie
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003245:Consensus Statements as Topic; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D010361:Patients; D013663:Teaching