Objective To explore the effectiveness and significance of implementing a novel assessment method in the abdominal battlefield trauma course for graduate students at military academies.Methods Fol-lowing the principle of encouraging active and autonomous learning among graduate students,an innovative assess-ment method was designed for the elective course on abdominal battlefield trauma at the PLA Medical School.This method involved dividing students into groups for literature research,selecting course-related topics independently,presenting group findings via presentations,and responding to questions from a panel of judges during the final assessment.After completing the assessment,each student participated in a questionnaire survey to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this assessment method and suggest possible improvements.Results In the 2023-2024 academic year,228 first-year master's students completed the elective course on abdominal battlefield trauma,underwent the final assessment,and submitted valid questionnaires.The survey results indicated that the majority of students(200,87.71%)were satisfied or very satisfied with the assessment method,while 28 students(12.29%)were generally satisfied.A total of 210 students(92.11%)found the assessment method to be very innovative or relatively innovative;216 students(94.74%)were sat-isfied with the assessment content;and 222 students(97.37%)believed that the assessment method effec-tively motivated them to actively acquire course-relat-ed knowledge.Regarding overall academic pressure,213 students(93.42%)felt it was at a normal or lower level;219 students(96.05%)rated the overall course as 4 or above out of 5.Conclusion Graduate students at military academies generally have limited knowledge of abdominal battlefield trauma.By innovating the assessment method for this elective course,students'ability to ac-tively acquire knowledge,deliver presentations,and respond to questions in public can be enhanced without signifi-cantly increasing academic pressure,thus improving the overall effectiveness of the course.