Theory & Standards team

We provide two examinations at RCPCH: the Membership examination (MRCPCH) and the Diploma in Child Health (DCH).

As the Theory & Standards team, we support the delivery of the theory components of these exams: Foundation of Practice (FOP), Theory & Science (TAS) and Applied Knowledge in Paediatrics (AKP).

We support exam candidates as they register for exams, and apply for and sit their theory exams. We work with clinical leads to develop theory exam questions, review and standard set those questions and produce results for all theory and clinical examinations.

We work closely with the Clinical Assessment team  which supports the delivery of the clinical components of our exams: the MRCPCH Clinical and the DCH Clinical.

Contact the Theory & Standards team on theoryexams@rcpch.ac.uk for:

  • Registration for an RCPCH exam account
  • Any enquiry or request about applying to, preparing for, sitting or querying results for one of the three theory exams: Foundation of Practice (FOP), Theory and Standards (TAS) and Applied Knowledge in Practice (AKP)
  • Resending documents about theory exams, for example, theory exam placement or results letters
  • Complaints about theory exams
  • Requests for letters to use for tax purposes in relation to theory exams that have been sat (if you need a letter for multiple exams, including a clinical exam, then you should also contact clinicalexams@rcpch.ac.uk). 

Recent content

Document

MRCPCH/DCH theory exams during COVID-19 - information hub

Candidates have two options for taking the theory exam, a computer-based exam: at a test centre with appropriate social distancing, or at one’s own home or workplace with online invigilation. We have a webinar recording about the options first provided for our 2020.3 diet, which is currently rele...
Document

Theory exams: online invigilation

This page contains full details of MRCPCH/DCH theory exams delivery via online invigilation. Candidates must read the information here, in full, before booking their examination.
Resource

Education and training standard setting

Our MRCPCH (membership exam) questions go through various quality controls from the very moment they are ‘pulled’ for use in upcoming exams right up to the end when they are graded following an exam. Here is information on how we ensure our exams are scored fairly and consistently.
Document

Your exam results (MRCPCH and DCH)

You can access your results on your online account five to six weeks after the exam. We will email your detailed results breakdown approximately one week after that. For clinical exams, candidates wishing to submit a complaint or feedback after receiving their results should do so as soon as possibl...