Design and Validation of a High-stakes Examination in the Undergraduate Physiotherapy Program

Abstract

Introduction: In Mexico licensing examinations are indispensable for graduation and for entry into the workforce. The bachelor in physiotherapy program (BPP) has adopted the general knowledge examination (GKE) as the primary requirement for graduation. Therefore, it is essential to ensure the validity and reliability of this assessment to guarantee that graduates possess the professional competencies.
Objective: To describe the methodological process for the design and validation of the GKE administered in the BPP.
Method: This process began with the definition of the construct, derived from the graduate profile of the physiotherapy program and aligned with international competencies in this field. Subsequently, a table of specifications was developed by collegiate committees. The design committee was composed of 23 professionals from various disciplines, all of whom had received training in item construction. The examination consisted of 240 items, including clinical cases in multiple-choice format, distributed across nine areas of the graduate profile and four areas of specialization. An expert committee in educational assessment validated the items using various international technical and pedagogical criteria.
Results: We found that 87.5% of the items (n = 210) received observations, mainly related to writing, spelling, and grammatical issues (n = 152), clarity of the statement (n = 44), and the quality of distractors (n = 28). Additional issues included formatting inconsistencies (n = 23) and aspects of terminology. The committee approved the administration of a pilot test, taking all these observations into account.
Conclusions: The use of a specifications table and the participation of multidisciplinary committees strengthened the content validity and ensured the objectivity of the examination, in accordance with the curriculum. This model underscores the importance of applying robust methodologies in high-stakes examinations, which can serve as a reference for other educational experiences in this field.