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MRCGP regulations: Unsuccessful examination attempts

Publication date: 31 August 2023

14.1. The roles of trainers, royal colleges, and deaneries in the management of trainees who do not meet the required standard are described in detail in the Gold Guide.

14.2. Trainees who do not pass the AKT, SCA or RCA are entitled to make further attempts during training, subject to eligibility requirements as set out in Section 5 of these Regulations. Read Section 5: Making an application to take the MRCGP.

14.3. Where a lack of success in any component of the MRCGP identifies poor performance, the educational supervisor and deanery may:

  • arrange for the training programme to be extended and/or
  • revise the training and examination programme to address areas of underperformance and provide additional support or
  • recommend that the trainee should not pursue a career in general practice.

14.4. A deanery may seek the advice of the RCGP on whether additional training and examination is appropriate.

14.5. Failure to meet the required standard of a very serious nature, raising concerns about a trainee's fitness to practise, may be referred to the GMC.

14.6. Trainees who do not pass one or more components may have a right of appeal. This is to the deanery for WPBA and to the RCGP for the AKT, SCA or RCA. Trainees are referred to the Appeals Policy published on the website. Read the Appeals Policy on the RCGP website and Section 16: Feedback, Complaints and Appeals of these Regulations.

Quality control

15.1. The RCGP oversees the delivery and quality control of the MRCGP. Best practice standard-setting techniques are used to ensure that pass/fail levels are applied equitably and rigorously.

Examiners and role-players

15.2. RCGP examiners are formally recruited and trained and regularly re-trained in examination techniques and equality, diversity, and inclusion. Their performance is continually monitored and reviewed.

15.3. Any role-players used are trained both generically and in preparation for each SCA case so that they deliver a standardised examination. They also receive training in equality, diversity, and inclusion. Their performance is monitored and reviewed by experienced examiners and role-player quality assurers.

15.4. Examination outcome statistics are used to quality assure cases, examiners, and role-players.

Data review

15.5. The RCGP reviews trainee performance data, misconduct cases, complaints, appeals, and equal opportunities monitoring data and publishes an annual report.

AKT

15.6. A standard setting process takes place after each examination sitting and regular modified Angoff meetings ensure the standard is maintained over time. Trainees may be asked to complete questionnaires assessing the impact of the AKT examination on training.

SCA

15.7. A standard setting process takes place after each examination sitting. Trainees may be asked to complete questionnaires assessing the impact of the SCA on training.

15.8. All examiners attend mandatory training events and receive case specific training and standardisation prior to examining in each diet.

15.9. All examinations are recorded, and examiners are subject to a stringent quality assurance process including training, standardisation, and continual quantitative and qualitative feedback on performance. This is led by a panel of Lead Examiners and a Senior Lead Examiner.

RCA

15.10. A standard setting process takes place after each examination sitting. Trainees may be asked to complete questionnaires assessing the impact of the RCA on training.

15.11. Examiners are subject to a stringent quality assurance process, which includes training, standardisation, and continual quantitative and qualitative feedback on performance.

WPBA

15.12. The RCGP reviews deanery panels annually to ensure the requirements as set out in the Gold Guide are followed. In addition, the RCGP quality assurance external assessors review a sample of Portfolios and feedback to the relevant deaneries.