Assessment of dental students' competence.

There is increasing interest, world-wide, in the improvement of assessment in health education. The principal aim of undergraduate dental education is the development of competent oral health practitioners and every dental school strives to improve the qualities of its students, in part through ensuring appropriate assessment. Those involved in dental education should be aware that accurate assessment of a student's competence is not a simple process. Several issues underpin the process of assessment (for example, the purposes for which the assessment is held; who is to be responsible for the assessment; the accuracy of the measurements and judgements which are made; the determination of `passing' criteria or grades; the issue of appropriate comparitors; and the analysis of results obtained).