FAQs for the Assessment

How can I improve my FSEP assessment score?

Please refer to the FSEP Results Management Algorithm.

Is there a RANZCOG recommended score or practitioner level for the FSEP assessment/test?

RANZCOG FSEP has never applied a pass mark for the FSEP assessment. The FSEP assessment was primarily designed as a teaching tool. Although the assessment score may be considered a reliable reflection of the knowledge and cognitive skills demonstrated in the assessment, it is not necessarily reflective of the clinical skills of the individual. This is because clinical skills and experience cannot readily be assessed by a multiple choice test.

While the FSEP assessment is not an assessment of competency in isolation, increasingly hospitals are using the assessment as a component of competency assessment/credentialing. Any required score or practitioner level is decided therefore by the hospital, not by the FSEP and should take into account the clinical responsibilities of the individual.

Can we please have the answers to the questions in the test?

We are unable to send you a copy of the question booklet or the answers.
The purpose of FSEP and its suite of educational resources, including the assessment, is to provide a safer birthing environment through standardised, appropriate and targeted education. While not an assessment of competency in isolation, the FSEP assessment is considered a statistically reliable assessment of an individual fetal surveillance knowledge and associated cognitive skills. This is because most of the questions are highly discriminatory. If we hand out the questions and answers, the results of the assessment would become meaningless.

From an educational perspective, providing the answers to the assessment will not necessarily make you a safer clinician. It will simply mean that you may score higher on the assessment. Educationally it is more appropriate to appreciate the questions you performed well on (your strengths) and questions you had trouble with (potential weaknesses). The RANZCOG FSEP Graphical Item Map (GIM) was designed and developed specifically for this purpose (publication pending). The individually generated GIM you receive may help you to focus on those specific areas where you can improve and potentially improve your assessment score.

What is the difference between the written MCQ test score and OFSEP score?

The 60 MCQ face-to-face FSEP assessment is considered a statistically reliable assessment of an individual fetal surveillance knowledge and associated cognitive skills, This is because the assessment is supervised and the MCQs are discriminatory. Participants who had completed the 60 MCQ assessment will receive a score, their achieved practitioner level and an individual Graphical Item Map (GIM) to help them appreciate areas of strength and potential areas for improvement.

There is no score provided for the completion of OFSEP. This is because the online quizzes are unsupervised and the individual MCQs are not necessarily discriminatory. The OFSEP provides a sequential compliance pathway with a short multiple choice quiz (MCQ) at the end of each module. You are required to get four out of five or more of the MCQs correct in order to move to the next module. After completion of all the tasks, only a certification of completion is provided.