Skip to main contentCambridge University Reporter

No 6449

Wednesday 14 December 2016

Vol cxlvii No 15

pp. 266–287

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 2017, by comparison with those examinations in 2016, are published below. Complete details of the form and conduct of all examinations are available from the Faculties or Departments concerned.

Historical Tripos, 2017

The Faculty Board of History gives notice that, with effect from the examinations to be held in 2017, the form of the examinations for certain papers of the Historical Tripos will be as follows:

Preliminary Examination for Part I

Section E, World history

Paper 19. World history, from 1400

The maximum number of questions on this paper has been reduced from forty to thirty.

Part I

Section B, British political history

Paper 3. British political history, 1050–1509

The paper will now be divided into two sections: Section A: Chronological, and Section B: Medieval Themes, instead of only one section. Candidates will still be required to answer three questions, but at least one must be taken from each section.

Preliminary Examination for Part II

Part II

Paper 16. Overseas expansion and British identities, 1585–1714

This paper is being examined for the first time. There will be one three-hour examination paper, consisting of a maximum of eighteen essay questions. Candidates will be required to answer three questions.

Paper 21. Borderlands: life on the Habsburg-Ottoman frontier, 1521–1881

This paper is being examined for the first time. There will be one three-hour examination paper, consisting of a maximum of eighteen essay questions. Candidates will be required to answer three questions.

All other papers remain unchanged. Full details of the examination can be found at https://www.hist.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate/examinations.

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (New Curriculum Regulations)

The Final M.B. B.Chir. examinations are concerned with the principles and practice of Medicine and Surgery in their broadest sense, commensurate with the stage of student progression through the course. 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);

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.

Part I

The examination comprises two components:

Written examination:

Single best answer examination paper

Marks:

50% of Part I total

Length:

3 hours

Structure:

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

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

Clinical examination:

Marks:

50% of Part I total

Length:

Up to 2.5 hours

Structure:

10 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: candidates 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 parts, a pass in both parts is required to achieve an overall pass on that station

Note: to achieve an overall pass in the Final M.B. Part I examination, candidates must pass both the written and clinical examinations at the same sitting.

Part II

The examination comprises both written and clinical elements, with the written assessment made up of two components:

Written examination:

Single best answer examination paper

Marks:

25% of Part II total

Length:

3 hours

Structure:

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

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

Extended clinical cases examination paper

Marks:

25% of Part II total

Length:

3 hours

Structure:

Up to 10 questions of short answer format

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

Note: To achieve a pass in the written examination, students must pass both components at the same sitting

Clinical examination:

Marks:

50% of Part II total

Length:

Two circuits, each lasting up to 1.25 hours (total exam 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: candidates 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

Note: to achieve an overall pass in the Final M.B. Part II examination, candidates must pass both the written and clinical examinations; candidates who are unsuccessful in one element (i.e. the written or the clinical examination) may, at the discretion of the Exam Board, be asked to re-sit that element alone.