Comparison of results from two progress test modalities applied to medical students

Romani-Romani F.; Azurin-Salazar J.; Gutiérrez C. · Anales de la Facultad de Medicina (2026) · DOI: 10.15381/anales.v87i2.33190

Resumen

Introduction. Progress testing (PT) in medical schools has expanded worldwide. Some institutional PTs use methodological designs that differ from the traditional PT, which evaluates the level of knowledge expected at the completion of the medical curriculum. Objective. We aimed to compare student performance between an institutional PT and the traditional format. Methods. A cross-sectional study using data froma PT administered in 2025 at a medical school in Lima, Peru. The test included two modalities: traditional-PT (assessing knowledge expected at the completion of the curriculum) and PT-UDEP (assessing only the courses completed at the time of the test through questions constructed frominformation contained in a published case report). We analyzed the trend in the percentage of correct answers by year of study using median-based quantile regression adjusted for sex. Results. A total of 465 students were included. In the traditional PT, the median percentage of correct answers increased from 34.0% in Y1 (first year) to 48.0% in Y5, while in the PT-UDEP it increased from 43.75% to 62.50%. Quantile regression showed progressive increases in the traditional PT vs. Y1: +4 pp (percentage points) (Y2), +9 pp (Y3), +13 pp (Y4), and +14 pp (Y5). In the PT-UDEP, significant increases were observed in Y3 (+11.25 pp), Y4 (+23.75 pp), and Y5 (+18.75 pp). Conclusion. Both modalities showed different patterns of knowledge gain. The traditional PT demonstrated a steady progression, whereas the PT-UDEP showed increases in the upper years but without a sustained linear growth. © (2026), (Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Facultad de Medicina). All rights reserved.

Instituciones: Universidad de Piura