Experience in Conducting CBT Trials for the National Medical Licensing Examination: Insights Gained from System Preparation and Operation

Abstract

　In recent years, the Committee for the Improvement of the National Medical Licensing Examination has been discussing the possibility of replacing the National Medical Licensing Examination with CBT. The reasons for this include the diversification of the question format using multimedia and other methods and the need to respond to disasters and pandemics. Against this background, the authors are conducting research on CBT implementation for the National Medical Practitioners Examination. In FY2021, we conducted a CBT trial for the National Medical Licensing Examination using an open-source system. The trial was conducted at ten universities across the country, and most examinees were able to take the exam without any major problems. The future implementation of the CBT format for the national medical examinations will simplify the examination preparation system, develop a multiple examination system in preparation for contingencies, and evaluate examinees' abilities through more diverse question formats.