EKU Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I
access the Essential Knowledge Updates and Challenges?
- How much
does it cost to access the Essential Knowledge Updates and
Challenges?
- I have
recently subscribed to the Essential Knowledge Updates programme
but I am unable to log in?
- Who should
I contact if I experience difficulties when logging in?
- How do I
update my contact details and password?
- Is it
possible to print evidence concerning my participation within the
Essential Knowledge Updates?
- How do I
print my certificate for the Essential Knowledge
Challenge?
- Is it
possible to transfer information from the Updates and Challenges to
the RCGP ePortfolio?
- I am unable
to access the latest Essential Knowledge Challenge, why is
this?

1. How do I access the Essential Knowledge
Updates and Challenges?
To access the Essential Knowledge Updates please visit the
Online Learning
Environment
website and enter your RCGP registered email address
and password.
2. How much does it cost to access the
Essential Knowledge Updates and Challenges?
The Essential Knowledge Updates are FREE to all RCGP members,
Associates, and AiTs as part of the College membership benefit
package. Non RCGP members can purchase an annual Essential
Knowledge Update Programme subscription (2 Updates and 2 Knowledge
Challenges) for £79. To do so, please follow the
steps below:
- Please register with the College here
- Please subscribe to the EKU Programme through the
RCGP Subscriptions website
Following a successful registration/subscription you will
receive a confirmation email. Upon receiving this email please
visit the Online Learning
Environment website and enter your registered email
address and password.
Free Taster of EKU
A free taster of EKU is available to all GPs. To access the
taster of EKU please register
with the College to obtain your log in details for the Online Learning
Environment.
3. I have recently
registered with the RCGP and subscribed to the Essential Knowledge
Update Programme but I am unable to log in.
Following an online registration/subscription with the RCGP
there is often a delay of up to 24 hours before access is granted
to the Online Learning Environment. This is due to the transfer of
information from one system to another.
4. Who should I contact if I
experience difficulties when logging in?
Should you experience any difficulties when accessing the Online
Learning Environment please contact the EKU Help Desk. Please note RCGP
members are NOT required to register in order to access the
Essential Knowledge Updates and Challenges. Please contact the
EKU Help
Desk to confirm your log in details.
5. How do I update my
contact details and password?
RCGP members can update their contact details and password by
logging into the Member's
Area of the RCGP website. Please note, any amendments made to
your contact details or password will take up to 24 hoursto become
active; we therefore advise that you use your details and old
password until the following day. Alternatively please contact the
EKU Help
Desk for assistance.
6. Is it possible to print
evidence concerning my participation within the Essential Knowledge
Updates?
To obtain information concerning your participation within the
Updates please follow the steps below:
- click on the Update in question
- from the ‘Administration’ box on the top left hand side of the
web page, select ‘Grades’
- from the ‘choose and action’ drop down menu please select ‘User
Report’
The webpage will then list your grades for the Self Assessments
that you have completed.
7. How do I print my
certificate for the Essential Knowledge Challenge?
Certificates are awarded for the Essential Knowledge Challenges
only. If you complete a Challenge with a pass mark of 70% or more
you will be provided with the option to print a certificate. If you
have already completed one of the Challenges but have not yet
printed the certificate please:
- log on to the Online Learning
Environment
- navigate to the required Essential Knowledge Challenge
- under the ‘Summary of your attempts’ section, click on ‘print
certificate’
8. Is it possible to
transfer information from the Updates and Challenges to the RCGP
ePortfolio?
There is currently no direct transfer of information from the
eLearning website to ePortfolio. This is a development that the
College are currently working on and hope to have available to GPs
in the near future. Each Essential Knowledge Challenge certificate
however is available as a downloadable PDF; by selecting ‘File’ and
‘Save as’ you will be able to save a copy of your certificate which
you can then manually upload onto your ePortfolio.
9. I am unable to access the latest Essential
Knowledge Challenge, why is this?
Each Essential Knowledge Challenge is released 6 months after
its associated Essential Knowledge Update. EKC 6 will be launched
in April 2011. Essential Knowledge Challenge 4 and 5 however are
currently available and can be accessed at through the Online
Learning Environment.