General Assessment Guidelines: Information for Students

Updated: 3 March 2026

The purpose of these guidelines is to provide you with information about the system of assessments within the MD program. These guidelines outline aspects of assessment that are common across all courses and years of the Doctor of Medicine/Doctor of Medicine-Ochsner (MD) programs but are not described in detail in general UQ assessment information.

MD Program System of Assessment

Assessment in the MD Program may be different from what you have experienced before. Instead of isolated examinations or assessment tasks, your assessments form part of a system designed to support your learning and determine each year whether you are ‘Ready to Progress’ to the next year.

As a future doctor, you need to demonstrate that you have the knowledge, clinical skills and professionalism and leadership required to provide safe and effective clinical care as part of a healthcare team. For these reasons, the system of assessment must be rigorous and reliable to ensure that all students who progress are truly prepared for clinical practice.

However, assessment is not just about deciding who progresses, it is also designed to facilitate your learning, development and performance. The MD Program’s system of assessment uses a programmatic approach, meaning that:

You will complete a specified variety of assessment activities and tasks (some of which may be individual events).
These assessments will be conducted by different assessors, at different times.
Some assessments focus more on guiding your learning, while others contribute more directly to decisions about your progression.

This approach ensures that you:

engage in productive feedback processes to guide your development and improve your performance,
demonstrate that you are ready for the next stage of the program or graduation.

In addition, having multiple assessment activities allows for fairer and more reliable decisions about your progression.

UQ information

For detailed UQ policies and guidelines regarding assessment and examinations, refer to the following resources:

Please reach out to our Medical School Student Administration Team if you require further assistance.

As per UQ Assessment Policy and Procedure, course profiles contain information on assessment matters related to a particular course and these are expanded on in the course guides. The course profile includes information on assessment formats, scoring methods, and how assessment data is used to inform progression decisions including ‘Marginal Fail’, and supplementary assessment. There is also information on extension and deferrals, and the consequences of non-completion. The specific details for each assessment activity in each course are detailed further in the course guide and/or on the course Learn.UQ (Blackboard) site.

As a student at UQ, you are expected to familiarise yourself with assessment information and processes outlined in the Course Profile, the Course Guide, the my.UQ website, and Key guidelines for MD students.

Progression requirements in the MD program

The UQ Assessment Procedures describe a hurdle requirement as a task that requires completion as a condition of achieving a specific grade for a course. This means that you must complete these assessments with a specified level of performance to achieve a passing grade for the course. For the majority of assessments (exceptions being the MEDI7300 OSCE and MEDI7400 Pre-Internship (PRINT) immersion), data from assessments is collated, meaning that an individual assessment event result does not solely determine a course outcome.

Performance and Progression

There are three Assessment Components, the same for each year of the MD program.

Knowledge
Clinical Skills
Professionalism and Leadership

The progression decision for each year is informed by aggregating data from multiple assessments for each of the Assessment Components.

In years 3 and 4, the MEDI7300 OSCE and MEDI7400 Pre-Internship (PRINT) immersion, are fourth assessment components. The OSCE in MEDI7100 and MEDI7200 contribute to the Clinical Skills component.

To be ready to progress, the requirements for each Assessment Component must be met. These Assessment Component decisions are considered independently, and there is no compensation between them, i.e. above standard performance in one does not mitigate below standard performance in another.

Throughout the MD program, there are many assessment activities, including examinations, series of tests or individual events, each of which may contribute to more than one Assessment Components. To help demonstrate the link between individual assessment events, especially those with rubrics with several sections, and Assessment Components, there are 15 Assessment Domains (see Table 1). The Assessment Domains serve to demonstrate how the various non-examination assessments, notably those rubrics with multiple sections, contribute to the Assessment Components and subsequent progression decisions.

For examinations, the Cumulative Achievement Test sequence contributes to the Knowledge Assessment Component and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (apart from MEDI7300) contributes to the Clinical Skills Assessment Component.

The table shows how the data from assessments is used to contribute to Assessment Components. The alignment to Graduate and Staged Learning Outcomes provides an indication of scope of each Assessment Domain. The Assessment Domains should not be used to infer assessment content. An outline of assessable content is included in the description of the relevant assessment activity.

As you progress through the MD Program the focus of assessment across and within the Assessment Domains will vary, with some assessed more in subsequent years. This will be achieved by new assessment formats or an increase in domains assessed by any given format.

Table 1 MD Assessment Domains

Assessment Component	Assessment Domain	Alignment to Graduate and Staged Learning Outcomes
Knowledge	Knowledge	Applies biological, clinical, social, and behavioural sciences in healthcare. Identifies the socio-economic, political, cultural and physical environmental factors that contribute to health outcomes for individuals and communities Describes global health issues and their relevance to healthcare delivery.
	Clinical reasoning	Integrates information from multiple sources, including a patient history, clinical examination, and the results of appropriately selected investigations Demonstrates clinical reasoning by integrating findings from history, clinical examination, investigations and other sources to construct and refine a problem list, provisional and differential diagnoses, including for people with increasingly complex problems or multiple co-morbidities across their life course Demonstrates safe and effective clinical judgement based on the available evidence and recognises one’s own limitations of practice and seek support.
	Academic Scholarship	Accesses, critically appraises and applies health data and evidence from medical and scientific literature Applies scientific methods to generate and translate knowledge that improves the quality and safety of healthcare.
Clinical Skills	Patient assessment History	Takes a structured, comprehensive medical history in a systematic fashion Takes a focused history, concentrating on a specific problem as presented by the patient and/or family/carers Takes a history, addressing all problems as presented by and/or elicited from the patient and/or family/carers.
	Patient assessment Examination	Performs a clinical examination focusing on a system-based approach, body regions and/or organs and can interpret the commonly encountered clinical signs and/or clinical signs of common/important conditions/illnesses across the life course Performs a sufficiently thorough but focused and efficient clinical examination most relevant to the differential diagnoses under consideration Undertakes intimate examinations, respecting patient dignity and privacy in a manner consistent with patient needs
	Communication patients/families	Communicates with clarity and sensitivity in all interactions Relates respectfully to patients, colleagues, healthcare team members and others, is mindful of sociocultural diversity and open to different views and perspectives Communicates effectively and with cultural safety
	Management planning	Explains, identifies, and applies public health methods including health screening and prevention approaches and incorporates prevention and early detection equitably into clinical practice. Devises a management plan in collaboration with the patient and their family/carers that prioritises the patient’s goals of care. Partners effectively with a diverse range of people to achieve a healthcare system which accomplishes whole person care Recognises and assesses deteriorating and critically unwell patients who require immediate care. Implements immediate emergency and life supporting care. Effectively manages patients with multiple comorbidities.
	Management: Investigations	Requests (in line with legal, quality and safety frameworks) and interprets results and/or reports from commonly encountered laboratory and imaging investigations and/or those undertaken as being most useful for common/important conditions/illness in a clinical setting
	Management: Therapeutics	Demonstrates ability to prescribe medications and administer other therapeutic agents safely effectively and economically using up to date evidence.
	Procedural skills	Performs a range of procedural skills appropriate to the level of a graduating doctor
	Patient-centred care	Takes a whole of person, compassionate approach to clinical care across the life course and in a range of settings Recognises and safeguards vulnerable patients Empowers patients to manage their own health and wellbeing according to individual preferences and capabilities Demonstrates understanding of the principles of care for patients preparing for their future care or at the end of their lives with consideration of physical comfort, psychosocial support for the patient and their family/carers including when not to intervene. Contributes to clinical care across patients’ life course.
	Cultural capability and safety	Cares for individuals from diverse populations and is committed to achieving equity in healthcare outcomes. Describes the factors that contribute to the health and wellbeing of specific populations including Indigenous Australians and other culturally and linguistically diverse groups and approaches to helping to address these factors. Describes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges of wellbeing and models of health care, including community and sociocultural strengths, as well as best practice approaches that lead to positive health and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
Professionalism and leadership	Collaborative practice	Supports and contributes to the learning of others. Communicates with clarity and sensitivity in all interactions Demonstrates kindness and compassion to others Demonstrates professionalism and leadership in healthcare Collaborates effectively as a member of the health care team in the provision of whole person care, health-related education and research Collaborates effectively as a member of the health care team in the provision of whole person care, health-related education and research Relates respectfully to patients, colleagues, healthcare team members and others, is mindful of sociocultural diversity and open to different views and perspectives Contributes to a positive, supportive and collegiate workplace and team culture Is clear, accurate and appropriate with respect to written and / or electronic documentation.
	Continuing Professional development	Is a self-regulated learner that reflects on their own professional practice seeks input from others and implements actions as part of continuous learning.
	Professional responsibilities and personal accountability	Demonstrates professional and ethical scholarship, considering alternative perspectives and respectfully challenging beliefs and assumptions Manages time and prioritises workload Acts in accordance with the fundamental ethical and legal requirements of health professionals Maintains appropriate student, academic, professional and therapeutic relationships Actively monitors and addresses personal wellbeing, fatigue, health and safety to support self-care and patient care

Clinical and practical assessments including examinations

The MD program includes a range of clinical or practical assessments. Some occur at set times, such as Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) and some workplace-based assessments (e.g. Patient Focused Assessments). You will receive a timetable and/or notification with the location of your assessment, your designated arrival time and/or start time, and any other requirements. You are encouraged to arrive 15-30 minutes early unless other instructions are provided.

If you arrive late and your late arrival cannot be accommodated, you will not be able to commence the assessment. In these circumstances, you may be eligible to defer your assessment/exam. Please refer to the Deferring and exam information on my.UQ.

Arriving late and the reason for late arrival, even when it is possible to proceed with the assessment, will be considered as data towards the professional responsibilities and personal accountability domain of the professionalism and leadership assessment component.

You must comply with all assessment/examination requirements including completion of inductions for access to assessment/examination location, personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements, ID card requirements and use (or not) of permitted electronic devices. Non-compliance with assessment and examination requirements will be considered as a potential breach of academic integrity and professional conduct.

Feedback in the context of programmatic assessment

Within a programmatic assessment approach, individual assessment events are not intended to stand alone. Instead, each assessment activity contributes information that, when considered over time and across contexts, supports a richer understanding of your development. This creates multiple opportunities to receive, interpret, and use feedback information across the MD, rather than relying on a single source or moment.

Feedback is a process in which you make sense of information about your performance and use it to enhance the quality of your work and your learning strategies. From this perspective, feedback is not limited to written comments or scores. It includes conversations, reflections, patterns across multiple assessments, and your ongoing interpretation of what this information means for your ongoing development.

Depending on the assessment activity or task, feedback may take different forms. In many workplace-based assessments (e.g. mini-CEXs, DOPS), feedback is primarily offered through a brief, focused conversation at the point of observation and may include a short-written summary. These conversations are intended to help you interpret your performance in relation to expected standards and to identify next practical steps.

For assessments undertaken by large cohorts, where marking, moderation, and data aggregation are required, results and associated feedback information are released after these quality assurance processes are completed. This is after the Course Coordination Teams and/or if relevant the Progression Decision Committee has undertaken a review of the assessment results (including deferred sittings). In these cases, you may receive reports outlining patterns of strength and opportunities for improvement, referenced to required standards, but not to other students’ performance. Reports on strengths and opportunities for improvement will be available once all main and deferred assessment results have been finalised. Feedback information reports are provided for supplementary assessments following finalisation of results.

Remarking

Many assessments in the MD program comprise expert judgement of live performance within a clinical environment (real or simulated) or educational environment, or judgement based on observations conducted over an extended period (e.g. participation within an immersion clinical team or group education sessions). Assessments of this type cannot be duplicated, and therefore cannot be remarked, or cross-marked by another assessor.

For these and other assessment activities when re-marking is not possible, progression decisions are based on multiple assessments and/or multiple assessors and moderation inherent in the collation of this data replaces the presumed benefit from remarking of individual assessment events or part of events.

Correction of procedural (e.g. mathematical) errors are not considered remarks.

Standard setting

A standard describes the level of performance expected of a competent medical student at a particular stage of the program. Standard setting is used to determine the performance boundary between meeting that standard or not.

Across different assessment tasks, sequences and/or individual events, there are two main ways your performance is judged against the required standard:

A standard setting method (or methods) is used to calculate a standard score that corresponds to the minimum score required to meet the standard.
Alternatively, the required standard may be expressed through qualitative descriptors, such as performance levels within a rubric.

Both will be used within the MD Program, depending on the assessment format.

Standard setting methodologies

To develop criterion-referenced assessment (as per UQ Assessment Procedure), criterion-referenced standard setting methods are used to define a numerical value that reflects a standard score. These standards are based on expert judgement of what constitutes minimal competency. Different methods of standard setting are appropriate for different types of assessment, consistent with best practice in medical education and higher education. Examples of methods used include Angoff and Borderline Regression.

Indeterminate range

Depending on assessment data and the standard setting methods used, there may be an indeterminate range between those who are clearly satisfactory (meeting the standard) and clearly not satisfactory (not meeting the standard). It is difficult to be certain the standard has been met when a student’s performance score is very close to a standard.

For some assessments, this indeterminate range can be defined using assessment related metrics such as the Standard Error of Measurement (SEM). SEM is used to define a degree of certainty in making decisions based on a score. The SEM calculation is such that it increases as variance in students’ scores increases and decreases as statistical reliability of students’ scores increases.

When a result is judged to be ‘indeterminate’, further relevant information is required to be able to determine the level of competence. This is achieved through collating this result with other relevant assessment information and/or additional scrutiny of the assessment data.

Comparing student scores to standard scores

Assessments that are scored numerically (examinations, some assignments) will be recorded to two (2) decimal places (third decimal place of 5 and above rounded up). In addition, standard scores and indeterminate ranges calculated by standard setting methods will also be recorded to two (2) decimal places (third decimal place of 5 and above rounded up).

Whichever methods are used to define the standard score and/or an indeterminate range, it will be possible for all students to be clearly satisfactory (meeting the standard). There is no peer referencing that a proportion of the cohort will receive a certain result.

Extensions

For assessments that have due dates and/or are completed as a specified activity, you may be able to have an extension. Information on applying for extensions is available at my.UQ. This includes when and how to apply for an extension.

For some assessments, the due date for some assessments will not be able to be extended. If this is the case this will be described in the relevant Course Profile and/or Guide.

Although applications for extensions may be possible, it is expected that you plan your workload in a way that enables you to meet assessment deadlines.

Email requests for extensions will NOT be considered or approved.

Late extension requests will only be considered in exceptional circumstances and will be assessed as per Student Grievance Resolution Procedure.

If you apply for THREE (3) or more extensions within any year of the MD program (regardless of whether the extensions are approved), this will flag the possibility that additional discussion and support is required.

Consequences of Late Submission

All assessment submission due dates are in Brisbane time (AEST).

If you submit an assessment late, including being late after an approved extension date/time, the consequences will be as defined in the Course Profile and/or Course Guide.

Deferred assessments and examinations

Deferred assessment will be approved in accordance with the provisions on my.UQ. This include includes when and how to apply for a deferral. This also applies to assessments that are outlined in the MD program rules for MD-Ochsner students enrolled in Program Code 5741).

Deferred assessments are available for assessments held during the academic year and end-of-semester exams, and in most cases for oral and practical exams. Please review the relevant Course Profile and/or Course Guide for further information.

When applying, examinations that are not held during the standard end-of-semester examination weeks (refer to Important exam dates) are referred to as “in-semester exams” in mySI-net. As such, please select mid-semester exam when completing step 8 of the application process (or step 7 for discretionary deferred applications).

If you defer a clinical assessment/examination, the timing of your deferred clinical assessment/examination will be scheduled in consultation with the relevant Learning Community and will depend on the availability of examiners and patients. Therefore, your deferred clinical assessment may occur during a later immersion or learning week.

If you apply for THREE (3) or more deferred assessments within any year of the MD program (regardless of whether the deferrals are approved), this will flag the possibility that additional discussion and support is required.

For any individual assessment event, you will be provided with only one opportunity to complete a deferred assessment.

If exceptional circumstances prevent you from completing the sitting of an examination/assessment (main and deferred opportunities), these circumstances must be approved, and options will be discussed with you on a case-by-case basis. For MEDI7100 and MEDI7200 CAT sequence results may be reweighted to account for a missed main and deferred CAT (and this only applies to a missing a single CAT 1, 2, or 3, or CAT 5, 6, or 7).

Failure to complete the sitting of an examination/assessment (main and deferred opportunities) without approval will usually result in the lowest grade or lowest score being awarded for that assessment, and this non-completion being noted in your Professionalism and Leadership component record. Missing assessment data may result in insufficient evidence of readiness to progress and prevent progression to the next stage of the MD program or graduation.

Alternative examination arrangements (AEAs) for clinical examinations

A range of reasonable adjustments are available to enable students with disability or impairment to study medicine including completion of assessments. The purpose of adjustments to enable students with a disability or impairment to demonstrate that they have met the learning outcomes.

All Alternative Exam Arrangement (AEA) requests are considered individually to determine what adjustments are reasonable (appropriate and feasible) while ensuring you can still demonstrate the required learning outcomes. In an OSCE, for example, adjustments inside and outside the station may be possible, but decisions will also consider how well the adjustment aligns with clinical practice and adjustments available to clinicians. If requests are considered not appropriate or not feasible, alternatives arrangements will be discussed.

Adjustments are reasonable for one student with a disability or impairment in one type of assessment may not always be suitable for another student or another assessment.

To apply for an AEA, it’s strongly recommended that you contact the Medical Student Support Team to discuss your needs. Since clinical exams and other assessments require extensive planning, ideally you should do this at least six weeks before the exam, although application for up to two weeks will be considered. For issues that arise closer to the examination date, that will not be resolved by the date of the main or deferred sitting, applications will be considered, but alternative arrangements may not be possible.

Each application is considered on a case-by-case basis and will only be considered if a reasonable adjustment can be accommodated as per the Reasonable Adjustments Policy. If you need alternative examination arrangements, please refer to Alternative exam arrangements for further information.

Grade Release

Following grade release the most likely course grades that you will receive are ‘P’, ‘N’ or ‘INC’. Other grades are rarely used, with information on these available here.

The meaning and consequences of these grades are described below Table 2.

Table 2 Grade descriptors

Grade	Description	Criteria	Component results	Further action
INC	Incomplete	Additional work required before grade can be awarded.	Any Assessment Component result ‘Incomplete’	Some of the assessment tasks require completion or completion to a required standard with multiple attempts. A timeframe for this extension will be provided. When the original tasks is/are not feasible, alternative task(s) will be arranged. Following completion of the task(s), all assessment data can be considered and the grade amended, usually to N or P. A student cannot progress to the next year of the program whilst the grade result is ‘Incomplete’.
N	Non-graded fail	Insufficient evidence of competency in meeting course learning outcomes.	Complete and any Assessment Component result ‘Marginal Fail’ or ‘Not Ready to Progress’	Students may apply for a supplementary assessment. If any component outcome is ‘Not Ready to Progress’, constituting a non-marginal fail, or the student is ineligible, a supplementary assessment will not be granted. If any component outcome is ‘Marginal Fail’ (and none are ‘Not Ready to Progress’), and the student is eligible, a supplementary assessment may be granted and the grade changed to NS, pending the supplementary assessment.
P	Non-graded pass	Demonstrated evidence of competency in meeting course learning outcomes.	Complete and all Assessment Component results ‘Ready to Progress’

Supplementary assessment

Information about supplementary assessment is available on my.UQ. You are encouraged to review this information as it explains the process of applying for supplementary assessment through mySI-net.

Supplementary assessment is not available for all situations. Whether or not to provide a supplementary assessment is typically related to the value of the data from a supplementary assessment when aggregated with data gathered during the course.

As supplementary assessment tasks vary to maximise the data available to inform progression decisions, details of the supplementary assessment task and aggregation with existing data will not be provided until after eligibility is confirmed. Appropriate standard setting method(s) for supplementary assessment will be undertaken as for other assessments.

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment depends on your history of supplementary assessment within the MD program. You may be granted supplementary assessment for a maximum of 32 units across the whole program. Therefore, this is based on the number of units (years) in which you have previously undertaken supplementary assessment, not the total number of Assessment Components or assessment tasks assessed.

Timing of supplementary assessments

You will be provided with only one opportunity to complete a supplementary assessment. Where supplementary assessment is an examination, you must attend the examination(s) at the scheduled time(s). There are no provisions to defer a supplementary assessment, except where an adjustment has been approved under the Reasonable Adjustments Procedure due to exceptional and unavoidable circumstances, with the approval of the Academic Registrar.

Requests to sit examinations off-campus, including overseas, need to meet the requirements detailed on the Key guidelines webpage.

Where the supplementary assessment is not an examination as per the definition outlined in the UQ Examinations Procedure, the assessment task must be completed by the due date. There is no option for an extension or late submission for any supplementary assessment.

Failure to complete a supplementary assessment will result in insufficient evidence for readiness to progress and prevent progression to the next stage of the MD program or graduation.

Specific details regarding the date, time and venue of supplementary assessments are provided close to the time of the assessment. Supplementary assessments are usually held in the official Deferred and Supplementary examination period for each semester, as per the University’s Academic Calendar.

Finalisation of grades following supplementary assessment

Progression decisions are usually based on data from supplementary assessments aggregated with data from in-course assessments. Please refer to the information in the Course Profile and/or Course Guide for details.

Academic Conduct related to Assessment

The Medical Student Code of Professional Conduct includes that you will act with integrity in all learning and assessment situations including the unauthorised use of artificial intelligence, cheating, plagiarism and collusion.

The Student Code of Conduct Policy states that misconduct includes: undermining or breaching of the principles of academic integrity; cheating; failing to abide by reasonable directions of a staff member in relation to academic matters, including directions regarding individual responsibility for the submission of assessable work, directions by staff relating to the undertaking of courses or assessment at the University and directions to cease engaging in specific academic misconduct; acquiring, possessing or distributing assessment materials or information without approval; and altering group assessment work of participating students without the collaborating students’ consent.

The consequences of alleged misconduct are outlined in Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Student Integrity and Misconduct Procedure.

Policy and Procedures exemptions

The MD Program has exemptions to UQ Assessment PPL in 2026, and these are included in Appendix.

APPENDIX Policy and Procedures exemptions

Course	Exemption	Assessment activities and individual events included:
MEDI7100	No audio-video recording for oral/practical assessments	Integrated Group Projects (presentation) Workplace (Real or Simulated)-based Assessments (e.g. Mini-CEX, DOPS) Objective Structured Clinical Examination
	Alternate penalty for late submission	Dated submission project reports, Professional Development Review, coaching meeting documentation
	Exemption from perusal of assessment items and model answers	CAT sequence questions, OSCE scenarios
MEDI7200	No audio-video recording for oral/practical assessments	Workplace (Real or Simulated)-based Assessments (e.g. Mini-CEX, DOPS) Objective Structured Clinical Examination Case Based Discussion Summary
	Alternate penalty for late submission	Dated submission project reports Professional Development Review Coaching meeting documentation
	Exemption from perusal of assessment items and model answers	CAT sequence questions, OSCE scenarios
MEDI7300	No audio-video recording for oral/practical assessments	Clinical immersion workplace-based assessments (e.g. Mini-CEX, DOPS, Patient focused assessment) Scholarly Project Presentation Objective Structured Clinical Examination
	Alternate penalty for late submission	Dated submission Scholarly project report Professional Development Portfolio
	Exemption from perusal of assessment items and model answers	CAT sequence questions, OSCE scenarios, PFA scenarios
MEDI7400	No audio-video recording for oral/practical assessments	Clinical immersion workplace-based assessments (e.g. Mini-CEX, DOPS, Patient focused assessment)
	Alternate penalty for late submission	Dated submission related to PLD elective Professional Development Portfolio
	Exemption from perusal of assessment items and model answers	CAT sequence questions, PFA scenarios