The Adaptive Interuniversity Progress Test in Medicine (iVTG)

The Progress Test is an objective instrument used to measure the development of a medical student’s knowledge. Rather than testing only the material recently covered in the curriculum, it assesses what a student has accumulated throughout their training.
Instead of focusing on recently taught content, the iVTG evaluates your overall level of knowledge at a given moment. You take the test four times per academic year, giving you a clear picture of your knowledge level and highlighting areas that may require additional attention. Additionally, the iVTG provides valuable insights into the different medical faculties in the Netherlands, helping to improve their curricula.

Why an adaptive iVTG?
The adaptive format allows for a more precise and efficient measurement of your knowledge level. This aligns better with the purpose of the progress test: tracking your development as a future physician throughout your entire education.

How does the test work?
The Progress Test is administered digitally and consists of 135 multiple-choice questions. The test is adaptive, meaning a computer algorithm adjusts the questions to your level during the test. Questions are drawn from a large question bank, with each subsequent question selected based on your performance on previous ones. If you answer a question correctly, you will generally receive a slightly more difficult question. If you answer incorrectly, the next question will typically be easier.
As a result, you cannot return to previously answered questions; instead, you proceed forward continuously. This creates a personalized test tailored to each student’s knowledge level. Because each student receives a unique test, the Progress Test can be scheduled at different times within the four fixed testing periods each academic year, depending on local institutional arrangements.

Content
Although the questions differ per student, the content remains consistent. The test is based on a fixed blueprint that includes all relevant medical disciplines and topics. This ensures that your knowledge is assessed broadly across the entire field.

Administration
The iVTG is administered digitally using the TestVision testing system via your university’s examination environment. You will be assigned to a specific testing moment depending on your stage in the program. You will receive information about your scheduled time slot through your medical faculty.

Test results
Instead of receiving a grade, you are given a score that reflects your knowledge level at that moment. For each test moment and study year, specific knowledge benchmarks are defined to indicate the expected level. These are referred to as absolute standards (insufficient – sufficient – good) for each measurement point.

Progress
As your studies progress, you are expected to gain more knowledge and therefore achieve higher scores. To successfully complete each academic year, you must reach the final level for that year at least once. The specific moment when you achieve this level does not matter. For example, if you reach the required level during an earlier test, you have already met the requirement—even if your score remains stable or slightly decreases in later tests.

Feedback
Your personal Progress Test results can be accessed through Progress Test Feedback (PROF). By logging in, you can view your scores across all tests, including performance across different clusters, disciplines, and categories. You can also compare your results with those of your peers for that particular test moment.

If you like to learn more about adaptive testing, you can watch the following short video on the technology behind computer adaptive testing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvFNwR8ABo4&t=65s, or search YouTube for “computer adaptive testing” to find a video that suits you best.