Progress OSCEs for Longitudinal Competence Assessment: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

Progressive objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) are increasingly used to extend simulation-based performance assessment across time, yet repeated OSCE administration alone does not create a longitudinal assessment system. This scoping review shows that the literature often blurs the boundary between serial OSCEs and true progress OSCEs. The central contribution of this review is to clarify that progress OSCEs require intentional design features, including stable construct representation, terminal blueprint anchoring, rater calibration, and linking/equating strategies, to support defensible developmental interpretation. For simulation educators and researchers, the practical implication is clear: repetition creates assessment opportunities, but only longitudinal comparability by design supports claims about learner growth.