Dialogic oral exam in nursing education: A qualitative study of nursing students’ perceptions

Abstract The purpose of this articl is to explore nursing students' experiences of dialogic group oral exams used in the assessment of a medical nursing course. We discuss a small-group, educator-facilitated exam (dialogue exam). The data were gathered in April 2015 via an online survey including open questions. The participants were nursing students ( n  = 58) at a University of Applied Sciences. The data were subjected to inductive content analysis. The results suggest that students' experiences of the dialogue exam can be represented by four themes: context bound dynamics, new shared understanding, verified competences and holistic nursing care. The students liked the dialogue exam format, preferring it to the traditional individual written exam. The prerequisite for successful use of the dialogue exam format is that candidates perceived the exam situation as safe. Students need to be given information about the schedule and assessment criteria beforehand and should have some experience of the format.