Ministry: Medical Students Are Memorizing Tests; LEK Exam to Undergo Major Overhaul
The Polish Ministry of Health plans to eliminate the public question database for the Medical Final Exam (LEK) to address declining assessment standards and curb the practice of rote memorization....
The Polish Ministry of Health plans to eliminate the public question database for the Medical Final Exam (LEK) to address declining assessment standards and curb the practice of rote memorization.
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The End of Public Question Banks
The Ministry of Health reports that pass rates for the LEK have surpassed 90 percent, a figure attributed to students memorizing leaked or public questions rather than demonstrating genuine clinical knowledge. A new draft law proposes the total abolition of the public database in favor of entirely confidential exams.
Currently, only 60 of the 200 exam questions are secret, meaning 70 percent of the test relies on publicly available material. Authorities argue this prevents a fair evaluation of a candidate’s actual preparation and diagnostic skills.
Sweeping Reforms to the Examination Model
The reform replaces the existing model with a system featuring 200 secret questions. This transition aims to return to a pre-database era where all examination content remains unknown until the day of the test, forcing students to analyze clinical problems independently.
The Ministry highlights that the most frequent exam score has jumped from 137 to 175 points, with the number of students achieving top results increasing from 1,100 to over 3,000. These inflated statistics make it difficult to effectively differentiate candidates for specialized residency positions.
New Scoring and Fees for Candidates
To ensure fair recruitment, the Ministry plans to apply a 0.7 coefficient to results obtained during the era of the public database. This adjustment is intended only for residency ranking purposes to level the playing field between different graduating classes.
Furthermore, the policy on fees will change. While the first attempt at the LEK remains free, subsequent attempts will carry a charge to curb high absenteeism, which currently reaches approximately 5,000 people per year. This fee will be capped at 10 percent of the average monthly salary in the enterprise sector.