Test Validity; Test Wiseness IDENTIFIERS *Nati.onal Board of Medical Examiners; *Orthopedic

The predictive validity of scores on the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Part I and Part II exami,iations for the selection of residents in orthopaedic surgery was investigated. Use of NBME scores has been criticized because of the time lag between taking Part I and entering residency and because Part I content is not directly linked to knowledge and skills required in residency. NBME Part I scores were obtained for 481 of the 1,050 examinees who took the written component of the certification examination of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) in July 1988. Scores on Fart II were available for 461 of these e:;aminees. Statistically significant relationships were found between the ABOS examination and both NBME examinations. Part II of the NBME was a better predictor of ABOS performance than was Part I of the NBME. This study supports the belief that those who have Uone well on examinations continue to do well, possibly because of good test-taking skills. While the NBME examination should not be the sole determinant of acceptance in a residency program, the degree of correlation suggestn that intelligent use of these scores provides an efficient and effective way to screen large numbers of applicants. One figure illustrates the relationship between failure on the ABOS and NBME scores. There is a 17-item list of references. (SLD) * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ********************************************1************************** wtv,T,t( as"), eieb&apos