The Accuracy of Health Professions Students’ Self-Assessments Compared to Objective Measures of Competence

Objective. To review the literature related to potential associations between self-assessed perceptions of knowledge and/or confidence with actual competence. Findings. Twenty-two articles involving a variety of disciplines, including undergraduate studies, dentistry, medicine, and pharmacy were included following the screening process. Most studies focused on student self-reported confidence rather than competency assessed by a formative examination. Only a handful of studies were centered on pharmacy education. Summary. Educational research that evaluates student learning should employ measures of competency as the primary outcome rather than student perceptions. Using student perceptions as the primary measure of student learning should be avoided, but student perceptions may have some utility as an adjunct to competency data.