Can students predict their OSCE performance within a graduate-entry school?

Aims: To determine student self-evaluation of OSCE performance vs. actual OSCE scores.
Materials and Methods: Ethical approval was granted from the College Ethics Research Board. During the study period 2010–2012, dental students were asked to complete a questionnaire in the immediate OSCE assessment period to indicate the score which they believed they would achieve prior to entering the station (pre-OSCE score) and the score which they thought they had attained following completion of each station (post-OSCE score) (0–20). Results were compared with actual scores attained and data were analysed by Pearson correlation (IBM SPSS Statistics 19). Comparisons were made according to all year groups and also, based on station type as follows: (i) Disinfection and Infection Control; (ii) Communication Skills; (iii) General Health and Disease; (iv) Dental Health and Disease and (v) Patient Care.
Results: Data were available for 105 stations for 75 students (F: 50; M: 25). For all years, a statistically-significant correlation was noted between both pre-OSCE and actual scores and post-OSCE and actual scores (r=0.471 and r=0.505,both p=0.001, df=1326, respectively). In addition, correlations were noted for pre-OSCE- and actual OSCE scores as follows: Disinfection and Infection Control(r=0.377, p=0.001, df=338), General Health and Disease (r=0.162,p=0.020, df=206) and Patient Care (r=0.340, p=0.001, df=458). Likewise,for post-OSCE- and actual scores as follows: Disinfection and Infection Control(r=0.438, p=0.001, df=338), General Health and Disease (r=0.366,p=0.001, df=206) and Patient Care (r=0.395, p=0.001, df=458).Conclusions:Student perception of OSCE performance appeared to improve following station completion for all year groups and for specific station types.