Oral exam scores correlate only modestly with written exams and OSCEs (r = 0.10–0.74), suggesting oral exams assess distinct skills¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q2 · i1 small
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i1 Correlations between oral scores and written exams or OSCEs were modest (r = 0.10–0.74), which the review interprets as oral exams assessing distinct skills such as clinical reasoning and communication. → Torab-Miandoab A 2026

Evidence¶

Torab-Miandoab A 2026¶

Torab-Miandoab A, Ghafourifard M, Habibi-Chenaran S, Ghaffarifar S. (2026). Structured approaches to improving outcomes of oral exam in medical and paramedical education: A systematic review and evidence-based framework. PLoS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0355461

q2 · i1 · review · r2

Review synthesis of validity evidence across included studies. The review reports correlations that were "modest (r = 0.10–0.74)" with written exams and OSCEs, and criterion validity associations with postgraduate performance (r = 0.37–0.45 with prior certification scores), while some studies reported no significant correlation with board certification pass rates.

"Correlations between oral scores and written exams or OSCEs were modest (r = 0.10–0.74), indicating oral exams assess distinct skills like clinical reasoning and communication."

Discussion¶

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