Notes for the primary care teachers: Portfolio assessment

The portfolio consists of a variety of documentation of a learner’s proof of learning. It has been promoted as one way to verify a learner’s personal and professional development, especially for the more mature trainees and doctors at work. It has not been widely accepted as a summative tool because the amount of time imposed on the learners may be considerable. Ways to improve the reliability of assessments on unstandardised portfolios are needed for its wider application.