Literature Review To explore the impact of competency-based education on the cost and quality of postsecondary education, Directions conducted a review of the theoretical and empirical literature investigating the development and implementation of competency-based education programs at the postsecondary level. [...] Depending on the goals and beliefs of the institution/organization, the developers of the training and programs might emphasize the behavioural or task-oriented nature of the competency concepts or focus more on the individual attributes of learners. [...] Tracing the etymology of competence to Plato and even to the Code of Hammurabi, the authors assert that the primary concern of the concept is with the “meaningful objectives and content of learning that will engender the personal development of students and position them within the domain of knowledge that can best prepare them to function effectively in society” (Mulder et al., 2007, p. 68). [...] Failure of the graduates to demonstrate such competencies might lead to concerns regarding the credibility and the worth of the program and the certificate. [...] At the same time, all the publications that mention assessment components of the CBE have indicated that a reliable and valid assessment is crucial to the success of the CBE programs (Iobst et al., 2010) Litzelman and Cottingham (2007) provide an overview of the Indiana University School of Medicine’s initiative aimed to develop and implement a CBE program.