RCPCH is making these changes in consultation with senior faculty and trainee representatives, and the General Medical Council has approved them. We have modelled the changes and found similar outcomes to the current exams.
Foundation in Practice (FOP)
- There will be 100 best-of-five single best answer (BO5 SBA) questions in each exam.
- Each question will be worth one mark.
- The time allowed for the exam will be reduced to 120 minutes.
Theory and Science (TAS)
- There will be 100 best-of-five single best answer (BO5 SBA) questions in each exam.
- Each question will be worth one mark.
- The time allowed for the exam will be reduced to 120 minutes.
Applied Knowledge in Practice (AKP)
- There will be 120 best-of-five single best answer (BO5 SBA) questions in each exam, with 60 BO5 SBAs in each of the two parts of the exam.
- Each question will be worth one mark.
- The time allowed for the exam will remain at a total of 300 minutes (150 minutes for each of the two parts of the exam).
Frequently asked questions
These FAQs aim to answer any questions you may have about these changes.
- Will this change the difficulty of the exam?
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No, the standard of the exam will remain the same and aligns with our syllabus. Our standard setting processes will not be altered as part of this change.
- Why is RCPCH changing the style of questions in the theory exams?
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We are removing extended matching and N of many question formats from the theory exams to simplify the exam experience for candidates and to simplify exam production processes for examiners.
SBA questions are well established in the theory exams, are used extensively in high-stakes postgraduate exams and are efficient and reliable in assessment of knowledge.
- Why is RCPCH reducing the amount of time allowed for the FOP and TAS exams but not the AKP exam?
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We conducted a time analysis of the theory exams, looking at the amount of time candidates spent on each question type in each of the exams. The results of this analysis in combination with the common timing rule used in SBA assessments, which is typically one minute per question with 10 minutes grace for every 50 questions, has informed our decision regarding the amended time allowance for the FOP and TAS exams.
The time allowed for the AKP exam is not being amended as analysis showed that the greater complexity of the AKP questions led to candidates spending more time on average answering them. As such, the current time allowance was felt to be appropriate.
- Is RCPCH removing the types of questions that candidates find easier to answer and replacing them with question types that candidates find more challenging?
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The College appreciates that this is a worry for candidates. However, as mentioned above, we are not changing the standard or the complexity of the exam. Regardless of the format, each exam will contain harder and easier questions. This is accounted for at standard setting to ensure the same standard is applied.
- Will reasonable adjustments still be available for candidates who need them?
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RCPCH is committed to accommodating all reasonable adjustment requests following the existing processes. The changes being made to our exams embrace this by simplifying the exam format.
- Will these changes affect Diploma of Child Health candidates?
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Yes, the changes to the theory exams detailed above will also apply to the FOP exam taken by DCH candidates.