10 year external review of the MRCGP examination for the Royal College of GPs

The membership examination of the RCGP (MRCGP) is an integrated assessment system, success in which confirms that a doctor has satisfactorily completed specialty training for general practice, and is 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 in the UK(CCT). MRCGP comprises three separate components: an Applied Knowledge Test (AKT), a Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) and Workplace Based Assessment (WPBA), each of which tests different competences using validated assessment methods and which together cover the spectrum of knowledge, skills, behaviours and attitudes defined by the GP Specialty Training curriculum which is developed and maintained by the RCGP. The RCGP would like to undertake a comprehensive review of the examination in order to evaluate whether the methods currently used are still the most appropriate, whether there have been any changes or advances in assessment thinking and methods which should be incorporated into the examination and, if the methods of assessment used are still recommended, whether any changes could be made to improve their performance, fairness and reliability.