The progress test of medicine: the Dutch experience.

Progress testing in the Netherlands has a long history. It was first introduced at one medical school which had a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum from the start. Later, other schools with and without PBL curricula joined. At present, approximately 10,000 students sit a test every three months. The annual progress exam is not a single test. It consists of a series of 4 tests per annum which are summative in the end. The current situation with emphasis on the formative and summative aspects will be discussed. The reader will get insight into the way progress testing can be used as feedback for students and schools.