Assessment System: Make-Up Assessments

SOP #:
9.8B.2
Version #:
2
Implementation Date:
July 2019
Last Reviewed/Update Date
July 5, 2023
Approval by ECC
July 5, 2023

Rationale

Learners at the Brody School of Medicine (BSOM) are expected to be present for all scheduled assessments. Understanding that instances may arise where a learner does not complete a required assessment on the scheduled date, a list of procedures have been developed for learners to follow when scheduling a make-up assessment date. Learners who are unable to take their regularly scheduled assessment will be subject to the following processes and parameters regarding make-up assessments. This process applies to all assessment types, both internally created and NBME.

Scope

The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) applies to all medical learners at the BSOM. It outlines the procedures for scheduling make up dates for all internally created and NBME Exams. The SOP also establishes expectations to key stakeholders for required timeframes for making up assessments, and the consequences for failing to comply with these expectations. This SOP affects learners, staff, faculty members, and course/clerkship directors of the BSOM who administer or participate in internally created and/or NBME Exams.

Definitions

BSOM: Brody School of Medicine.

CD: Course or Clerkship Director.

Clinical Phase: The third and fourth academic year of the BSOM curriculum.

Foundational Phase: The first and second academic year of the BSOM curriculum.

Internally Created Assessments: An assessment created by BSOM faculty.

NBME: National Board of Medical Examiners.

OME: Office of Medical Education.

OSA: Office of Student Affairs.

Testing Administrator: Office of Medical Education Staff member who is responsible for the proctoring and administration of all internally created and NBME Exams.

Requirements for Scheduling and Completing Make Up Assessments

  • Per the Attendance Policy, students must submit an excused absence request prior to the start time of in-person assessments and prior to the upload deadline for remote extended quizzes.
  • Learners requesting a make-up assessment date must complete the ‘Make-up Request REDCap’. **See Links below**
    • Foundational Phase:
      • Makeup Request – Foundational Science
      • Learners with an unplanned, but excused absence, must complete the ‘Make-up Request REDCap’ within 2 business days of absence approval.
      • Learners who fail to complete the ‘Make-up Request REDCap’ within 2 business days will be referred to the Community Standards Committee.
      • Non-compliance with this SOP will cause learners to lose funding support for travel.
    • Clinical Phase:
      • Makeup Request Form
      • Learners with pre-approved absences must complete the ‘Make-up Request REDCap’ for NBME Clerkship assessments within 2-business days of receiving the approval. All pre-approved absence make-ups must be taken in advance of the originally scheduled NBME assessment. As a reminder: all NBME assessments must be requested a minimum of 2-business days in advance of the assessment administration.
      • Non-compliance with this SOP will cause learners to lose funding support for travel.
  • Learners must make-up any missed assessment within the required timeframe listed below:
    • Foundational Phase: All assessments have a pre-determined make-up date on the Block Calendar. Learners must make up assessments as determined on the Block Calendar.
      • Learners who do not make up the assessment will receive a grade of zero for that assessment. Additionally, they will be referred to the Promotion and Review committee.
      • In the event a learner cannot take the assessment on the scheduled make-up date, an additional excused absence is required to reschedule.
      • All make-up assessments must be taken prior to the next scheduled assessment, unless an additional absence is requested and approved by the Office of Student Affairs.
    • Clinical Phase: Learners must make-up assessments within one week of the originally scheduled assessment date.
      • Learners should work with their current Clerkship Director to ensure they are not scheduling their make-up assessment date during a required clinical experience.
      • Learners who do not make-up an assessment within the required timeframe after the originally scheduled assessment date will be referred to the Promotion and Review committee for professionalism concerns and their final grade will be reduced by a letter grade.
  • Once the Testing Administrator has verified the approval documentation submitted through the ‘Make-up Request REDCap’, the Testing Administrator will confirm the make-up date/time with the learner.
  • For extended absences as defined by the attendance policy, students should contact OSA for guidance.
  • If a learner’s absence was not excused:
    • Learners without an excused absence must still take the assessment and follow the process for scheduling a make-up assessment date.
    • For NBME Clerkship Exams: The learner will receive a failure on the first administration of the assessment and will receive no higher than a letter grade of B in the clerkship after successfully passing the assessment.
    • For Graded NBME Subject Exams (ex. Pharm, Path, Clinical Diagnosis):
      The missed attempt will count as a first take.
    • For Ungraded NBME Subject Exams (ex. Physiology, CBSE): Make-up dates are predetermined on the block calendar. Learners must complete the assessment and will be referred to the Community Standards Committee.
    • For Internally Created Assessments: Learners must still make-up the missed assessment and will be referred to the Promotion and Review Committee. The learner will receive a 20-point deduction (on a scale of 100) on the final grade of the assessment. This deduction is applied to each thread/course within the assessment.
  • The learner’s make-up testing date is not confirmed until the learner receives the calendar confirmation from the Testing Administrator.

    The currently approved make-up days and times can be found on the Block Calendars for the Foundational Phase.

  • For NBME Exams, the Testing Administrator will ensure the assessment is ordered after confirming the date for makeup.
    • A minimum of 2 business days’ notice is needed between the approval of an excused absence and a scheduled make-up assessment date to accommodate the ordering of the NBME Exam.
    • The learner will be subject to the published procedures for Administration of NBME Exams during the make-up assessment, as outlined in this SOP.

Responsibilities

There are several key stakeholders involved in the testing process. Listed below are each key stakeholder, along with their expected responsibilities and time frame for completion.

Associate Dean of Medical Education

  • Communicates with OSA, the Promotion and Review Committee and the Community Standards Committee on any non-compliance issues.
  • Communicates any scheduling issues to the Testing Administrator.

Testing Administrator

  • Works with learners to confirm a make-up assessment that follows the established timeframes in this SOP.
  • Ensures a make-up assessment is ordered (for NBME Exams) and notifies all vested parties regarding the scheduled make-up date
  • Ensures proctor availability for any scheduled make-up assessment.
  • Ensures assessment logistics are provided and room reservations are scheduled
  • For internally created assessments, notifies Course Directors and the Deans of OME upon the completion of the make-up assessment for timely grading

Office of Student Affairs

Communicates if the learner absence was excused or unexcused with the assessment team in OME.

Course/Clerkship Director

  • Communicates any missed course/clerkship requirements including any assessments, clinical experiences and/or assignments to the learner.
  • Ensures that any make-up assessment grades are recorded appropriately and according to policy.

Medical Students (Learners)

  • Learners requesting a make-up assessment date must complete the ‘Make-up Request REDCap’.
    • Learners with an unplanned, but excused absence must complete the ‘Make-up Request REDCap’ within 2 business days of absence approval.
    • Learners who fail to complete the ‘Make-up Request REDCap’ within 2 business days will be referred to the Community Standards Committee.
    • Learners with pre-approved absences must complete the ‘Make-up Request REDCap’ for internally created assessments as soon as the absence is approved.
    • Learners with pre-approved absences must complete the ‘Make-up Request REDCap’ for NBME Clerkship assessments within 2 business days of receiving the approval. All pre-approved absence make-ups for the clinical phase must be taken in advance of the originally scheduled assessment. As a reminder: all NBME assessments must be requested a minimum of 2 business days in advance of the assessment administration.
  • Learners must make-up any missed assessment within the required timeframe listed below:
    • Foundational Phase: For an excused absence for the originally scheduled assessment date, Learners must make up assessments on the make-up date predetermined on the Block calendar. In the event a learner cannot take the assessment on the scheduled make-up date, an additional excused absence is required to reschedule. For extended absences, students should contact OSA for guidance.
    • Clinical Phase: Learners must make-up assessments within one week of the originally scheduled assessment date.
      • Learners must communicate with the Course/Clerkship Director to ensure the scheduled make-up date does not conflict with educational sessions or clinical experiences.
      • Documentation of this communication and date approval must be submitted with the learner’s make-up request REDCap.
      • For Clerkships, it is the responsibility of the learner to work with the Clerkship Director to make up any missed experiences required by the Clerkship Director.

Schedule for Review

This procedure is reviewed and approved by the Curriculum Committees, including the Executive Curriculum Committee, Foundational Curriculum Committee and Clinical Curriculum Committee every three years.

The Make-up Assessment Policy is posted on the OME website to allow learners and teaching faculty/administration to reference at any time.

Related Policies

Attendance Policy

Applicable Laws, Regulations & Standards

LCME Standards for Accreditation of Medical Education Programs Leading to the MD Degree: Published March 2022; Standard 8, Element 2; Standard 8, Element 3; Standard 9, Element 4, and Standard 9, Element 8