Workplace Based Assessment (WPBA)
Introduction to WPBA in GP Training
Workplace Based Assessment (WPBA) is one of the three assessments that make up the MRCGP assessment system. WPBA evaluates your progress in areas of professional practice and behaviour best tested in the workplace and that are difficult to assess in the Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) and Simulated Consultation Assessment (SCA).
WPBA looks at your performance in your day-to-day practice to provide evidence for learning and reflection based on real experiences. It supports and drives learning in important areas of capability with an underlying theme of patient safety and provides constructive feedback on areas of strength and developmental needs.
Evidence of WPBA, as approved by the GMC, includes:
- the completion of specific assessments and reports
- the documentation of naturally occurring evidence
- certain mandatory requirements such as Safeguarding and CPR/AED.
Throughout your GP specialty training, you collect evidence related to 13 areas of professional capability and record it in the Trainee Portfolio. This evidence is used to inform six-monthly reviews and - at the end of training - to make a judgement about your readiness for independent practice.
We've put together a summary sheet of the requirements for WPBA throughout your training. You can download it, fill it in, and use it to track your progress against the requirements and upload it as preparation for your Annual Review of Competency Progression (ARCP) Panel:
Learning logs
The Learning Log is your personal learning record. It’s used to collect evidence about your progress and share it with your supervisors and ARCP panel. The most common learning log type is the Clinical Case Review, where you'll reflect on cases you have seen and demonstrate your learning against the Capabilities across a range of patient types referred to as Clinical Experience Groups.
Case-Based Discussion (CbD) and Care Assessment Tool (CAT)
CATs are structured assessments designed to evaluate your professional judgement across the scope of General Practice. A CbD is a type of CAT, that enables reflection and discussion on care already provided to a patient.
Mini Consultation Evaluation Exercise (MiniCEX)
A MiniCEX is an observed, real-life, interaction between you and a patient. The MiniCEX assesses your clinical skills, attitudes, and behaviours. The MiniCEX is completed in the non-primary care setting.
Consultation Observation Tool (COT) and Audio-COT
The COT is an expanded version of the MiniCEX and considers your consultations with real patients in real time during your primary care placements. The Audio-COT provides an additional tool to enable the assessment of your telephone consultation skills.
Clinical Examination and Procedural Skills (CEPS)
The CEPS assessment records evidence against the Clinical Examination and Procedural Skills capability, and assess whether you are competent in clinical examinations and procedures. By the end of your training you'll demonstrate competence in five GMC-mandated "intimate" CEPS and a range of other CEPS (such as Respiratory system or Musculoskeletal system) relevant to GP.
Multi-Source Feedback (MSF)
The Multi-Source Feedback (MSF) tool is used to collect your colleagues’ opinions on your clinical performance and professional behaviour. It provides data for reflection on your performance and self-evaluation.
Leadership activity and MSF
In your ST3 training year you'll undertake a Leadership activity, as well as a leadership-focussed MSF that is designed to obtain feedback on your leadership skills.
Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ)
The Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ) provides patient feedback on your empathy and relationship-building skills during consultations. Patients are asked to complete the questionnaire (which includes 9 multiple choice questions) after their consultation.
Quality Improvement Project (QIP) and Quality Improvement Activity (QIA)
The GMC recommends that all doctors demonstrate an involvement in Quality Improvement at least once a year. During your GP training you'll complete a Quality Improvement Project (QIP) when you are in a primary care placement and a Quality Improvement Activity (QIA) in the other two training years. A QIP is a more specific project, while a QIA is broader, encouraging you to evaluate the quality of your work and promote and consider change where appropriate.
Prescribing assessments
In your ST3 year you will undertake a prescribing assessment, a formative exercise that encourages you to reflect on prescribing practice, highlighting trends and learning needs within your prescribing.
Learning Event Analysis (LEA)/Significant Event Analysis
You'll undertake an LEA for events which may not have a serious outcome but highlight issues which could have been handled with greater clinical effectiveness, and from which lessons can be learnt. For events that pass a GMC-set threshold, you'll instead undertake a Significant Event Analysis.
CPR and AED
You'll need to provide evidence of competence in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillation (AED) for both children and adults every 12 months throughout your training. This will usually be by attending a training session (such as a Basic Life Support (BLS) session) run by an approved Resuscitation Council trainer/assessor or equivalent.
Safeguarding
You'll need to demonstrated competence - and provide evidence of application of learning - in safeguarding for both children and adults throughout your training.
Placement planning meeting
You will have a placement planning meeting with your Clinical Supervisor at the start of each new post, to discuss the opportunities and objectives that are appropriate for that post.
Clinical Supervisor's Report (CSR)
The Clinical Supervisors Report (CSR) is a short, structured report completed by your Clinical Supervisor in each post where they will record observations on your performance.
Educational Supervisor's Report (ESR)
The evidence you collect in your Trainee Portfolio is reviewed at six-monthly intervals by your educational supervisor. ESRs provide feedback on your overall progress and identify areas where you need more focused training. Reviews are informed by the evidence you collect through the WPBA tools, along with ‘naturally occurring evidence’ from elsewhere in the Trainee Portfolio (for example, the Learning Log).
Personal Development Plan (PDP)
The PDP enables you to demonstrate that you can assess your learning needs, plan actions to meet these needs and review your achievement of these needs.
- AKT - Applied Knowledge Test
- ARCP - Annual Review of Competence Progression
- Audio-COT - Consultation Observation Tool for telephone consultation assessment
- CAT - Care Assessment Tool
- CBD - Case Based Discussion
- CCR - Clinical Case Review
- CCT - Certificate of Completion of Training
- CEPS - Clinical Examination and Procedural Skills
- COT - Consultation Observation Tool
- CPD - Continuous Professional Development
- CS - Clinical Supervisor
- ES - Educational Supervisor
- ESR - Educational Supervisors Review
- Form R - Form Revalidation requirement
- iESR - Interim Educational Supervisor Review
- SOAR - Scottish Online Appraisal Resource
- LEA - Learning Event Analysis
- LA - Leadership activity
- LL - Learning Log
- LTFT - Less than full time
- Mini-cex - Mini-clinical examination
- MSF - Multisource feedback
- OOH - Out of Hours
- OOP - Being Out of Programme
- PPM - Placement Planning Meeting
- PSQ - Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire
- QIA - Quality Improvement Activity
- QIP - Quality Improvement project
- SCA - Simulated Consultation Assessment
- SEA - Significant Event Analysis
- ST1/2/3 - Specialty Training Year 1, 2, 3
- TOOT - Time Out of Training
- UUC - Urgent and Unscheduled Care
- WPBA - Workplace Based Assessment
Updated GP curriculum - impact on WPBA
When the updated GP Curriculum goes live on 1 August 2025, there will be no changes to the required numbers for WPBA, or to the structure and format of the assessments. There will be some other changes visible on the Trainee Portfolio and in WPBA though we expect the impact on GP Registrars and GP Educators to be minimal. The below is a summary of these changes and for more information please do visit the dedicated curriculum update page:
- There have been some minor wording changes to the capabilities. All evidence and information already linked to the capabilities remains valid, but some capabilities now have additional descriptors to cover the revisions. As before, not all capability descriptors need to be demonstrated to be graded as 'competent for licensing' in that capability.
- Previously, the progression point descriptors separated out ST1 and ST2 end-of-year expectations as well as ST3. We asked GP registrars and Educators last year if they thought it would be better to merge these descriptors to have one set for ST1/2 as the construction of programmes and varied registrar experience supports a combined descriptor. There was overwhelming support for this update, so there will now be one set of progression point descriptors that covers ST1 and ST2, with a separate set for ST3.
Recent publications and research
- Exploring the perceptions of doctors with specific learning differences undertaking assessments for UK general practice licencing: a qualitative study
- Perceptions and experiences of trainers and trainees of UK workplace-based assessment for general practice licensing: a mixed methods survey
More useful WPBA information
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