Exploring the utility of online assessments in the cognitive domain in the digital era of medical education: Narrative review.

Assessment is an integral component in the delivery of medical education. The scope of online assessment in the field of medical education is extensive and varied, encompassing a wide range of types of assessments and purposes. The purpose of the review article is to explore the need and merits of online assessment in the cognitive domain in the field of medical education. As we all know, each one of these methods has its pros and cons, nevertheless, the choice of which type should be involved will eventually depend on the goal of the assessment, intended learning objectives, type of questions, domain to be assessed, number of students appearing for examination, and free or paid online application. There is an immense need for online assessment and we must look for ways to integrate them in the process of medical education delivery. In conclusion, online assessment has a wide range of applications and benefits in medical education, owing to the flexibility, ability to incorporate multimedia, and provision of immediate feedback. The need of the hour is to systematically explore the possibility of introduction of online assessments, and based on the results of the need assessment and availability of resources, introduce the same for the benefit of medical students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]