Appendix 2: Marking of the oral pathology examination
Section A
A ‘closed’ marking system is used. Examiners will require todetermine for each case, what constitutes an adequate answer. In some cases this will be essentially a description of the main features and a diagnosis. In other cases there may be a requirement to note additional features beyond those expected for the main diagnosis.
The marking scheme is as follows:-
1.0 a very poor performance or answer, such as benign to malignant reversal
1.5 definitely incorrect or poorly constructed answer
2.0 unnecessarily indecisive or potentially misleading answer
2.5 an adequate answer
3.0 an adequate answer with some additional relevant information
3.5 a good and comprehensive answer
4.0 an exceptionally good answer.
If any case is omitted or has a minimal answer a nominal mark should be awarded, but other than this marks in the rages 0–1 and 4–5 are not used.
The marks in this section should be a consensus view of the two oral pathology examiners and the external examiner who should assess the candidate’s responses independently. If the marking system is applied rigidly, it is unlikely that any candidate scoring three or more serious fail marks in the total of 20 cases would achieve a pass. However, examiners should use their discretion and experience in awarding marks. It is recommended that any issues arising from potentially serious errors are discussed with the candidate during Section E (oral examination). If the examiners are still concerned about serious deficiencies in a candidate’s performance, this should be reflected in the marks for Section E.
Section B
Each case should be marked using the ‘closed’ marking system described for Section A and the examiners should agree an overall percentage mark for the section.
Sections C, D and E
The examiners should agree a percentage mark for each section.
Interpretation of the marking system
A pass mark in Section A is essential. Isolated failure in one of the other sections is retrievable and the candidate’s overall performance in the examination should be taken into account when awarding marks for the Section E.
The overall mark for each candidate following Section E should be as follows:
50% or more = pass
49% or less = fail.
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