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Reasonable adjustments for SCA

This section is dedicated specifically to reasonable adjustments for the SCA examination. It has a list of the reasonable adjustments that are available for this examination, as well as a link to the list of items that you can take into the examination without pre-approval. You can also find information and links on how to request reasonable adjustments.

There is helpful information for candidates who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

This section also has information specific to the SCA examination that may be helpful for disability assessors when assessing GP Registrars for disabilities.

Items that do not require pre-approval - SCA

Before completing our online form with your adjustment requests for the SCA, please check the SCA comfort aid list. The SCA Comfort Aid List has a list of items you may bring into your examination without pre-approval from the RCGP. Please make sure that you check with the Surgery/Practice in advance of your examination, if relevant.

Reasonable Adjustments available for the SCA

  • Extra reading time before each case
  • Extra consultation time
  • Extra rest breaks*

* Please note that the break times are fixed in the schedule (first break is after round 3 and lasts10 minutes; second break is after round 6 and lasts 10 minutes; third break is after round 9 and lasts 20 minutes) and you will have more information of the exact timings for each of the breaks on an email that will be sent to you around three weeks before the examination sitting.

We would like to remind you that you must return promptly at the end of each break. If you miss any part of a station, whether it is reading or consultation time, due to a timekeeping error, we will not be able to rerun the station for you. You may wear a basic analogue watch to help manage your break times. Please note that smart watches are not permitted, and you will not be able to use a mobile phone to check the time.

The SCA will examine your ability to integrate and apply clinical, professional and communication skills appropriate for General Practice.

The SCA will involve twelve consultations with simulated patients, each lasting twelve minutes.

The cases are performed by professional role-players who are trained, calibrated, and standardised so that although the case appears the same for every candidate, it responds to the approach of each individual doctor, as in real life.

The cases may be patients (most commonly), or their carer/parent or other health or social care workers. In the majority of the cases, you will be able to see the simulated patient, others will be audio only. There is 3-minutes reading time at the start of each case.

Physical examination will not be assessed within the SCA, and instead will be covered within WPBA.

You will take the SCA in a local GP surgery via an online IT platform called Osler. In most cases this will be your own surgery or an alternative similar venue.

The entire examination will be recorded remotely and will be viewed and marked at a later date by examiners. Each of the twelve cases will be independently marked by a different examiner.

In addition to personal workplace-based adjustments, all candidates will benefit from the accessibility features of the Osler examination platform. Which include:

  • keyboard navigation
  • enlargement/zooming of instructions

How to request adjustments - SCA

To request reasonable adjustments for the SCA you must:

  1. Submit an SCA request for reasonable adjustments online form
  2. Submit supporting evidence of requested reasonable adjustments to exams.accoms@rcgp.org.uk

Please note that we need both the online form and the supporting evidence in order to be able to make a decision regarding your requests. If your supporting evidence is being submitted at a later date, please make sure it can be submitted before the deadline date, which is 15 working days before the booking window.

Candidates who are unable to meet the deadlines for submission of requests (see deadline dates on the reasonable adjustments page) can choose to sit at a later date or book and take the examination without adjustments.

Requests can be submitted at any point after starting training, or after a new diagnosis. We encourage candidates to submit their request as soon as possible.

Information for pregnant and breastfeeding candidates

For pregnant and breastfeeding candidates, we suggest that you read through the comfort aid list for the SCA before the examination. The SCA Comfort Aid List has a list of items you may bring into your examination without pre-approval from the RCGP. Please make sure that you check with the Surgery/Practice in advance of your examination, if relevant.

Information for pregnant candidates

Pregnant candidates who need drinks/snacks during the examination and/or more frequent access to toilet facilities can request extra rest breaks. The application process is identical to all other reasonable adjustment applications and supporting evidence will be required.

Please be advised that extra breaks are not granted as standard and are instead considered on a case-by-case basis. Decisions will vary according to the exact nature of the request.

If a pregnancy-related condition means that a pregnant candidate must cancel her SCA sitting at short notice then please refer to the cancellations and refunds policy.

Information for breastfeeding candidates

Breastfeeding candidates can request extra breaks to express milk. The application process is identical to all other reasonable adjustment applications and supporting evidence will be required.

Please be advised that extra breaks are not granted as standard and are instead considered on a case-by-case basis. Decisions will vary according to the exact nature of the request.

Please note that the break times are fixed in the schedule and you will have more information of the exact timings for each of the breaks on an email that will be sent to you around three weeks before the examination sitting. Further to this, and ahead of the examination, we suggest that you identify a suitable close by space where you can express breast milk.

Information for disability assessors - SCA

The MRCGP consists of two examination-based and one workplace-based assessment components. All three components need to be passed for a candidate to be considered to have satisfactorily completed specialty training for general practice and be competent to enter independent practice in the United Kingdom without further supervision. Satisfactory completion of the MRCGP is a pre-requisite for the issue of a certificate of completion of training (CCT) by the General Medical Council and full membership of the RCGP.

The two examination-based assessment components are the Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) and the Simulated Consultation Assessment (SCA). It is for these two components that candidates often seek reasonable adjustments for an underlying disability. In order for you to be able to tailor your recommendations to the demands of the assessments we would appreciate it if you could take the time to read this short guide for the SCA examination (you can find the AKT short guide in the AKT section of this website), which will hopefully increase your understanding of what the examinations involve.

Candidates will take the SCA in a local GP surgery via an online IT platform. In most cases this will be a candidate's own surgery and hence it would be expected that any reasonable adjustments required to enable their day-to-day work (such as special seating, aids, IT equipment etc.) would already be in place. Physical examination will not be assessed within the SCA and instead will be covered within WPBA.

Applications for reasonable adjustments will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. In addition to the Disability Assessor’s report, candidates may need to submit supporting evidence from their Educational Supervisor and/or hospital specialist reports.

Examples of commonly requested reasonable adjustments for the SCA can be found in the following section of the website: