Single best answer (SBA) questions in clinical medicine

WHATS THIS ARTICLE about? Who should read this? Doctors, nurses and allied healthcare professionals who contribute to the teaching and assessment of trainees and anyone interested in learning about assessments. Why should you read this article? Most clinicians have done multiple choice exams, of one type or another, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. They are familiar with the format and, at times, enjoy the challenge of doing SBAs (single best answers). The next step is writing your own SBAs, whether for formative or summative assessments or just for fun. What will I learn from reading this article? I will cover the basic rules in constructing SBAs for the clinical sciences, the common pitfalls in item writing and how to quality assure SBAs.