KICK-OFF WORKSHOP: DEVELOPING THE TEST BLUEPRINT FOR THE NATIONAL MEDICAL LICENSING EXAMINATION
- An Đỗ
- Dec 20, 2025
- 5 min read
On December 17, 2025, at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City (UMP), the Committee for Developing the Medical Practicing Competency Assessment Toolkit (under the National Medical Council) presided over the Workshop titled “Developing the Test Blueprint for the National Medical Licensing Examination.” This event marked the commencement of the national roadmap for developing the Test Blueprint, featuring broad participation from medical training institutions nationwide.
Participants: Joint engagement from policymakers to medical schools
The Workshop was attended by leaders from the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the National Medical Council (NMC), including:
Prof. Tran Van Thuan, MD, PhD – Deputy Minister of Health, Chairman of the NMC.
Prof. Nguyen Viet Tien, MD, PhD – Former Deputy Minister of Health, Standing Vice Chairman of the NMC.
Nguyen Ngo Quang, MD, PhD – Director of the Administration of Science, Technology and Training (ASTT), Vice Chairman of the NMC.
Ha Anh Duc, MD, PhD – Director of the Medical Services Administration (MSA), Vice Chairman of the NMC.
Assoc. Prof. Luong Mai Anh, MD, PhD – Deputy Director of ASTT.
Representing the Organizing Committee:
Prof. Tran Diep Tuan, MD, PhD – Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of UMP, Head of the Toolkit Development Committee.
Assoc. Prof. Vuong Thi Ngoc Lan, MD, PhD – Vice President of UMP, Deputy Head of the Toolkit Development Committee.
Assoc. Prof. Kim Bao Giang, MD, PhD – Vice President of Hanoi Medical University, Deputy Head of the Toolkit Development Committee.
Assoc. Prof. Le Khac Bao, MD, PhD – Director of the Center for Medical Education (CME), Deputy Director of University Medical Center, Secretary of the Toolkit Development Committee.
Leaders and faculty members in charge of assessment and Medical Doctor training programs from 33 medical universities nationwide; leaders of teaching hospitals, professional associations and health authorities.
Developing a National Test Blueprint Towards Unified Competency Standards in Medical Education and Patient Safety
In his opening remarks, Prof. Tran Diep Tuan emphasized the significance of developing a national blueprint as a unified "reference framework" for measuring the minimum competency of physicians before practicing. He also outlined the Committee’s roadmap to develop and standardize the List of Clinical Problems and the Content Outline for the National Medical Licensing Examination.
Prof. Tran Van Thuan – Deputy Minister of Health, Chairman of the NMC – delivered the directive address. He underscored the examination's importance as a mechanism to ensure a minimum competency threshold for physicians, contributing to a unified national standard, strengthening accountability and public trust and creating a foundation for international integration. He affirmed the pivotal role of the Content Outline and Test Blueprint in standardizing competency measurement, noting that the exam serves as a "final confirmation" of national minimum standards rather than replacing institutional assessments. Prof. Tran Van Thuan also commended the Committee and UMP for their preparation, viewing this kick-off as a favorable start for the roadmap ahead.
Working Agenda: Group Discussions – Plenary Consensus
The program featured two expert presentations:
"Defining the Scope and Objectives of the Exam," presented by Nguyen Duc Khanh, MD, PhD, Deputy Director of the Center for Medical Education at UMP.
"Principles for Developing the List of Essential Clinical Problems for the Medical Doctor Training Program," presented by Doan Thi Thu Hoa, MSc, an expert in Assessment in Medical Education.
Subsequently, delegates were divided into 10 regional discussion groups to focus on foundational issues regarding general regulations, such as: the number of MCQ items, duration of the MCQ exam, exam format (computer-based vs. paper-based), timing of the exam (immediately after graduation vs. after 12 months of practice), competency domains for assessment, and principles for publishing the content outline/test blueprint.
Delegates also discussed the List of Essential Clinical Problems, identifying non-essential issues to be removed and essential issues to be added. This discussion was based on a preliminary list of 130 clinical problems surveyed among medical education experts and specialist physicians.
Following the group discussions, delegates reconvened to present their groups' feedback. The Toolkit Development Committee recorded these comments. This input serves as the basis for the Test Blueprint Development Expert Group to review and synthesize during the development process, before submitting the final blueprint to the National Medical Council for appraisal and approval.
Roadmap for Developing the Test Blueprint and Content Outline for Essential Clinical Problems
The final session focused on summarizing and reaching a consensus on the implementation plan for developing the Test Blueprint and Content Outline. Assoc. Prof. Vuong Thi Ngoc Lan, MD, PhD, representing the Toolkit Development Committee, presented the plan and roadmap for the next steps. Assoc. Prof. Vuong Thi Ngoc Lan emphasized the importance of continuous collaboration from medical schools, particularly in nominating subject matter experts and medical education specialists throughout the development of the Practice Competency Assessment Toolkit. Additionally, the Toolkit Development Committee will soon submit proposals to the National Medical Council (NMC) to ensure the early issuance and wide dissemination of the General Regulations, exam scope, list of clinical problems, and Exam Content Outline to universities and students.
Policy–Legal Dialogue
Nguyen Ngo Quang, MD, PhD (Director of ASTT) and Ha Anh Duc, MD, PhD (Director of MSA) engaged in a dialogue with training institutions to clarify policy, administrative and legal issues. This session helped institutions understand the coordination mechanisms required for a transparent and feasible rollout.
Role of UMP
As the host institution, UMP continues to affirm its capacity to coordinate national-scale academic and assessment initiatives. The workshop laid a crucial foundation for a scientific, transparent, and feasible National Test Blueprint, contributing to standardized competency assessment and enhanced patient safety nationwide.
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