Pharmacy students’ perception of OSCE exam clinical skills and competencies assessment

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate pharmacy students’ perceptions of Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) content, assessment, logistics, and formative and summative components, and to identify factors associated with perceived clinical competency development following OSCE participation. Methods A cross-sectional census study was conducted among pharmacy students at Zarqa University, Jordan (n = 123). Data were collected online using Microsoft Teams and analyzed using descriptive statistics, nonparametric tests, correlation analyses, and multiple linear regression. Key findings Most students reported that OSCE cases were aligned with taught content (77.3%) and effectively assessed communication (75.6%), clinical skills (76.4%), and applied knowledge (70.1%). The OSCE was perceived as superior to written examinations for evaluating clinical skills (79.7%) and as a fair measure of clinical competence (77.3%); however, it was also viewed as more stressful (58.5%) and challenging to prepare for (61.0%). Formative assessment activities were perceived positively and were associated with enhanced confidence, motivation, and preparedness. Students reported improvements across multiple professional competencies, particularly in communication, problem-solving, medication review, and collaborative practice. Perceived competency gains were strongly associated with formative assessment perceptions (r = 0.739, P < .001) and moderately associated with summative assessment attitudes (r = 0.626, P < .001), and both significantly predicted perceived competency development (R2 = 0.662, P < .001). Conclusions OSCEs were perceived positively and were associated with substantial perceived competency development among pharmacy students. Structured formative assessment emerged as a key contributor to perceived competence gains, supporting the integration of OSCEs within undergraduate pharmacy curricula, even in resource-limited settings.