Standard setting made easy: validating the Equal Z-score (EZ) method for setting cut-score for clinical examinations.

Overall this study suggests that the EZ method is a feasible, reliable and valid standard setting method. The EZ method requires relatively little resources (takes about an hour to assess a 12 station OSCE); the calculation of the cut-score is simple and requires basic statistical skills; it is highly reliable even when only 10 panellists participate in the process; and its validity is supported by comparison to BRM. This study suggests that the EZ method is a feasible, reliable and valid standard setting method.