Skip to main contentCambridge University Reporter

No 6524

Wednesday 31 October 2018

Vol cxlix No 6

pp. 86–104

Form and conduct of examinations

Notices by Faculty Boards, or other bodies concerned, of changes to the form and conduct of certain examinations to be held in 2018–19, by comparison with those examinations in 2017–18, are published below. Complete details of the form and conduct of all examinations are available from the Faculties or Departments concerned.

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery: Final M.B. Examination, 2018–19

The Faculty Board of Clinical Medicine gives notice that, with effect from the assessments to be held in 2018–19, the form of the examination for Final M.B. Examination for Parts I, II, and III (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 475) will be as follows:

Final M.B. Examination, Part I

The Final M.B. B.Chir. examinations are concerned with the principles and practice of Medicine and Surgery in their broadest sense, in line with the learning objectives for Year 4. The Part I examination may include material relating to General Medicine, General Surgery, Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, General Practice, Pathology, Public Health Medicine, Paediatrics, Psychiatry, and other medical and surgical specialities as appropriate.

The Part I examination is designed to assess the candidate’s

knowledge and experience of Medicine and Surgery in their broadest sense (as defined above) in line with the Year 4 learning objectives;

understanding of the pathological basis of disease;

ability to apply that knowledge and experience to the management of patients;

ability to communicate effectively with patients and to respect their autonomy;

experience of ethical problems in clinical medicine.

Candidates may be asked to interpret radiographs and scans, electrocardiograms, clinical photographs, and other data. Knowledge, skills and behaviour will be assessed. Written papers are assessed without knowledge of the candidate’s name.

The examination comprises two components:

Component 1

Written Examination:

Single Best Answer (SBA) Paper

Marks:

40% of the Part I total

Length:

3 hours

Structure:

Up to 150 five-option, single response computer-marked questions

To pass: students must achieve the pass mark as set by the examiners, or higher

Component 2

Clinical Examination:

Marks:

60% of the Part I total

Length:

Up to 2.5 hours

Structure:

Eleven stations of up to 12 minutes’ duration, testing history-taking, clinical reasoning and other interpersonal communication skills, and core clinical/physical examination skills, using real and simulated patients.

To pass: students must achieve the pass mark, as set by the examiners, or higher. In addition, candidates must achieve a pass in at least three of the communication skills stations and in at least three of the clinical/physical examination skills stations. Where a station is made up of two sub-stations, a pass in both sub-stations is required to achieve an overall pass on that station.

Note: to achieve an overall pass in the Final M.B. Part I Examination, students must pass both components; one resit opportunity will be permitted.

Final M.B. Examination, Part II

The Final M.B. B.Chir. examinations are concerned with the principles and practice of Medicine and Surgery in their broadest sense, in line with Year 5 learning objectives. The Part II examination may include material relating to General Medicine, General Surgery, Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, General Practice, Pathology, Public Health Medicine, Paediatrics, Psychiatry, and other medical and surgical specialities as appropriate.

The Part II examination is designed to assess the candidate’s

knowledge and experience of Medicine and Surgery in their broadest sense (as defined above) in line with the Year 5 learning objectives;

understanding of the pathological basis of disease;

ability to apply that knowledge and experience to the management of patients;

ability to communicate effectively with patients and to respect their autonomy;

experience of ethical problems in clinical medicine.

Candidates may be asked to interpret radiographs and scans, electrocardiograms, clinical photographs, and other clinical data. Knowledge, skills, and behaviour will be assessed. Written papers are assessed without knowledge of the candidate’s name.

The examination comprises three components:

Component 1

Single Best Answer (SBA) Paper

Marks:

25% of the Part II total

Length:

3 hours

Structure:

Up to 150 five-option, single response computer-marked questions

To pass: students must achieve the pass mark as set by the examiners, or higher

Component 2

Extended Clinical Cases Paper

Marks:

25% of the Part II total

Length:

3 hours

Structure:

Up to ten questions of short answer format

To pass: students must achieve the pass mark as set by the examiners, or higher

Component 3

Clinical Examination

Marks:

50% of the Part II total

Length:

Two circuits, each lasting up to 1.25 hours (total examination time up to 2.5 hours)

Structure:

Two circuits, each comprising six stations of up to 12 minutes’ duration, testing history-taking, clinical reasoning and other interpersonal communication skills and core clinical/physical examination skills, using real and simulated patients. One circuit will focus on Paediatrics, and the other on Women’s health (the latter may require the assessment of major adult systems, e.g. cardiovascular, respiratory, abdominal, neurological).

To pass: students must achieve the pass mark, as set by the examiners, or higher. In addition, candidates must achieve a pass in at least three of the Paediatric examination stations and in at least three of the Women’s health examination stations. Where a station is made up of two sub-stations, a pass in both sub-stations is required to achieve an overall pass on that station.

Note: to achieve an overall pass in the Final M.B. Part II Examination, students must pass all three components; one resit opportunity will be permitted.

Final M.B. Examination, Part III

The Final M.B. B.Chir. examinations are concerned with the principles and practice of Medicine and Surgery in their broadest sense in line with the Year 6 learning objectives. Accordingly, they may include material relating to General Medicine, General Surgery, Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, General Practice, Pathology, Public Health Medicine, Paediatrics, Psychiatry, and other medical and surgical specialities as appropriate.

The Part III examination is designed to assess the candidate’s

knowledge and experience of Medicine and Surgery in their broadest sense (as defined above) in line with the Year 6 learning objectives;

understanding of the pathological basis of disease;

ability to apply that knowledge and experience to the management of patients;

ability to communicate effectively with patients and to respect their autonomy;

experience of ethical and legal issues in clinical medicine.

Candidates may be asked to interpret radiographs and scans, electrocardiograms, clinical photographs, and other data.Knowledge, skills, and behaviour will be assessed. Written papers are assessed without knowledge of the candidate’s name.

The examination has four components, two written and two clinical.

Component 1

1A: Single Best Answer (SBA) Paper One

Length:

2.5 hours

Structure:

Up to 125 five-option, single response computer-marked questions

1B: Single Best Answer (SBA) Paper Two

Length:

2.5 hours

Structure:

Up to 125 five-option, single response computer-marked questions

To pass: marks for 1A and 1B will be combined and students must achieve the pass mark, as set by the examiners, or higher

Component 2

Short Answer Question (SAQ) Paper

Length:

2 hours

Structure:

6–8 structured short essay questions testing improving health, ethics, law, and professionalism skills and knowledge

To pass: students must achieve the pass mark, as set by the examiners, or higher

Component 3

Simulated Clinical Encounter Examination (SCEE)

Length:

Up to 3 hours

Structure:

Up to twelve 15-minute stations assessing history-taking, clinical reasoning, and other interpersonal communication skills using simulated patients/professionals

To pass: students must achieve the pass mark, as set by the examiners, or higher, as well as passing a minimum of 50% of the examination stations. Where a station is made up of two sub‑stations, a pass in both sub-stations is required to achieve an overall pass on that station.

Component 4

Clinical Examination (CE)

Length:

Up to 3 hours

Structure:

A combination of not less than ten stations, of either 7.5-minutes or 15-minutes, testing core clinical skills and physical examination skills using real patients

To pass: students must achieve the pass mark, as set by the examiners, or higher, as well as passing a minimum of 50% of the examination stations. Where a station is made up of two sub‑stations, a pass in both sub-stations is required to achieve an overall pass on that station.

Note: to achieve an overall pass in the Final M.B. Part III Examination, students must pass all four components; one resit opportunity will be permitted for the written components.