Post-test or Post-assessment

Definition

Term(s) used to define the measures (data from question(s) or data collection) AFTER educational content is presented. Post-tests can measure resultant knowledge, competence, present or anticipated behavior, experienced or observed health outcome, or other topics. This is typically intended as a measure of immediately change or impact.

Methods

Post-tests can be paper-based or electronic (via online software or applications). Post-test question structure is often multiple choice, "select all" style, or agreement scales (e.g., Likert-like), but a variety of question formats may be used.  A Post-test is typically administered immediately after an activity is completed, but Post-test questions may be interleaved or interwoven throughout a learning experience (as long as they are presented after the content that pertains to the test question).

Evidence

Salkind - Pretest–Posttest Design. 2010

National Board of Medical Examiners Constructing Written Test Questions for the Basic and Clinical Sciences, 2018.

Example

Immediately after completing an online enduring activity, HCPs had to answer six questions.

At the end of a large satellite symposium eight questions were asked using ARS.

Additional Contextual Information:

• Post-tests are designed to make a measurement of immediate change, but should (through feedback) also serve to drive a learner to reflect on the content they have consumed and to revisit areas of the content where they still have deficiencies. Results from a Post-test are typically compared to results from the same questions administered immediately before an educational intervention. This allows for a more meaningful paired analysis.
• Note: there are well-established best practices for the construction and deliver of assessment questions, for this reason it is the suggestion of the OSP Steering Team that questions should be developed in accordance with National Board of Medical Examiner guidelines.