The applied knowledge test : theory and practice

Abstract

The Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) forms part of the summative assessment for the Membership of the Malta College of Family Doctors (MMCFD). Candidates who are successful in the summative assessment and who have successfully finished the Specialist Training Programme in Family Medicine are awarded the MMCFD and the MRCGP[Int] on the basis of a tripartite agreement in place between the Government of Malta, the Malta College of Family Doctors and the Royal College of General Practitioners. This article looks at the local setup of the AKT. It explains the whole process from item writing, to piloting, blueprinting and standard setting. The article also attempts to explore the theory behind the AKT that underpins it as a reliable, valid, educational, cost-effective and acceptable mode of assessment within Miller’s pyramid of clinical competence.