This is one school’s experience with NBME assessments. Results or outcomes may vary and depend on factors beyond NBME’s control, such as student participation, individual study habits, faculty support and engagement, and/or variations in curriculum, among other things.
As Kazakhstan's national organization for the independent assessment of health professionals, NCIE sought to enhance examination quality by incorporating evidence-based best practices and aligning its programs with global standards. To support these goals, NCIE established a long-standing collaboration with NBME.
Over the years, this collaboration has included customized NBME workshops, study visits, and the administration of the International Foundations of Medicine® (IFOM®) examinations. These experiences expanded NCIE’s capabilities in item development, test blueprinting, psychometric analysis, and performance reporting, supporting a systemic approach to quality improvement across the examination lifecycle.
Through IFOM, medical students and graduates in Kazakhstan gained access to an internationally benchmarked measure of medical knowledge and meaningful feedback on areas of strength and opportunities for growth. At the same time, NCIE developed greater familiarity with global standards for examination design, scoring, analysis, and quality assurance.
By incorporating these approaches, NCIE enhanced the rigor, consistency, and quality of its assessment system, supporting a data-driven approach to evaluating health professionals.
The integration of international expertise from NBME marked a significant milestone in our institutional development. It helped transform independent assessment in Kazakhstan into a sustainable, technology-enabled system that promotes objectivity and strengthens trust among the public and the professional community.
Gulmira Zhangereyeva, Chair, NCIE
Collaboration with NBME has expanded NCIE's ability to apply international approaches to assessing medical knowledge, developing high-quality test items, and improving examination procedures.
Kulsara Dosmambetova, Head of the Knowledge and Skills Assessment Department, NCIE
Taking the IFOM examination gave me a clearer understanding of my strengths and the areas where I needed further improvement. The results helped me look at my performance more objectively and provided a valuable international perspective on my medical knowledge.
Adel Stoyanova, Medical Student, Nazarbayev University
NBME Portfolio Parts Used
- International Foundations of Medicine® (IFOM®)- Through the administration of IFOM examinations, NCIE provided medical students and graduates in Kazakhstan with an internationally benchmarked assessment of medical knowledge and meaningful performance feedback. The program also gave NCIE opportunities to compare results against international standards and incorporate global perspectives into its examination activities.
- NBME Workshops - Customized NBME workshops and study visits supported NCIE's continued development of examination expertise. Through training in areas such as item development, test blueprinting, psychometric analysis, and performance reporting, NCIE strengthened its ability to apply evidence-based practices and promote quality improvement across its examination programs.
Supporting Data
- Peer Reviewed Article: Chandramouli et al., “Impact of NBME International Foundations of Medicine “IFOM” Examination on Students’ Academic Achievement,” Health Professions Education (2019). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452301118300725
- Peer Reviewed Article: Dash et al., “Use of International Foundations of Medicine Clinical Sciences Examination to Evaluate Students’ Performance in the Local Examination at the University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates,” Education for Health (2017). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29786020/
- NBME Workshops: NBME offers interactive workshops to improve assessment skills and better measure student knowledge. Led by experts in the field, they can be delivered remotely or in-person for medical schools and other health profession organizations.
More to Discover
Join our educator community, explore assessment research fellowship opportunities, and see how your peers are innovating assessment best practices.
