The newest version of the Student Minimum Competency Matrix includes the language formative and competency. The definitions and explanations for when to use the different assessments are below as well as a helpful to prevent over documentation of formative skills.
As defined by CoAEMSP*:
Formative (FRM): An activity in which the student's performance is assessed to provide feedback to the student during the educational experience and expose the student to a variety of patients and conditions.
Competency (COMP): The performance expectation by which the educational Program can attest that the student has amassed a portfolio of demonstrated performance of skills and abilities necessary for safe and effective care.
Broken down by Platinum:
Formative (FRM): An exposure is considered Formative if significant assistance or supervision was provided.
Competency (COMP): An exposure is considered Competency if performed without significant assistance or supervision.
Formative would indicate that the students still need instruction or guidance from an instructor or preceptor; they still need a lot of support. Competency would be that the student can function on his or her own with little to no guidance/instruction.
Adding a Max to a Skill's Requirements:
A helpful tool to ensure that your students are not documenting too many formative versions of a skill is to add a Max in the skill's settings in the cohort and class settings.
Note: This adjustment must be made in the class settings. The class's skill requirement settings control what students can document in an opportunity or simulation. If you adjust the cohort settings, do not forget to reset your class skills to reflect that change. You could even set the max for just the class without adjusting the cohort settings.
*Definitions can be found in the Student Minimum Competency (SMC) Matrix Recommendations by CoAEMSP effective January 1, 2023 – FAQs PDF that is part of their resource library on their site.
**We are not affiliated with CoAEMSP. If you have any questions about the specifics of the SMC 23 or how formative vs. competency looks in your program, it would be a good idea to contact CoAEMSP directly or schedule a Meet with an Educator training session.