A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted at Rajiv Gandhi Medical College, Kalwa, Thane, in Maharashtra state, India on 61 first-year MBBS students to compare the scores obtained by students in Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE) with that obtained in Traditional Practical Examination (TPE). In the TPE, each student performed red blood cell count, which was followed by viva-voce on the same procedure and marks out of 30 were assigned by the examiners. Students were oriented regarding OSPE and the marking system. At the “procedure station” of the OSPE (maximum marks = 20), the examiners were provided with a pre-validated checklist containing 10 steps for performing red blood cell count within an allotted time of 10 minutes. Two marks were given for correct performance of each step mentioned in the checklist. At the “question station” (maximum marks = 10), students had to write answers to 10 short-answer type questions carrying one mark each. The total marks obtainable during OSPE were out of 30. The mean OSPE score was 23 +/- 2.41 (95% CI: 22.40 – 23.60) while that for TPE was 17 +/- 3.58 (95% CI: 16.10 – 17.90). The difference in the mean OSPE and TPE scores was highly significant (Z=10.859; p<0.00001). The gender difference in TPE scores was statistically significant (p=0.017) but that in mean OSPE scores was not significant. Although the stations where most students committed identical mistakes were noted and feedback regarding their performance was given, extra training may be required for few students with lower scores. Periodically conducted faculty development programmes would assist in creating a pre-validated OSPE question bank.