internal consistency of medical students’ scores in general and baisc science exams, kerman university, iran

background and purpose: course-based assessment is a method to gather, analyze, disseminate, and use course data to improve student learning. we assessed the associations between medical students’ scores in basic sciences and general courses in a university in iran and compared these scores with their scores in comprehensive exam. methods: we collected the scores of medical students in their courses and also in their comprehensive exam in kerman university in eight consecutive years (1995-2002). using a hierarchical cluster analysis and discrimination index, the internal consistency of students’ scores was assessed. results: generally, females were more successful. in addition, age had a strong negative correlation with academic achievement. the temporal variations in students’ achievements were more or less constant. students’ scores in anatomy, biochemistry, histology, immunology, medical english, microbiology and physiology had the greatest discrimination indices and also stronger intra-cluster correlations. conclusion: it seems that a cluster analysis and the discrimination index are powerful approaches to be used in a course-based assessment and to check the validity of students’ scores.