Following application, applicants will be required to complete a situational judgement test (SJT) and clinical knowledge test (CKT). This is an online invigilated test. The test window will open from Saturday 26th November to Sunday 27th November. Applicants can log in at any time to complete this test. The test must be completed in one sitting and applicants are advised to allow approx. 3 hours for the test. This includes the validation process, the two tests, a break between tests and a brief survey at the end of the tests Further information will be provided to candidates at the application and information webinar on Thursday, 27 October.
More information on these tests, as applied to medical selection, can be found on the UK Foundation website and the MSRA website
The SJT will consist of approximately 35 questions describing situations which applicants would be likely to encounter in their work as a hospital doctor. Applicants will be asked to either rank a number of possible responses to each situation, or to choose the three most appropriate responses from eight. It will be followed by a clinical knowledge test (see below). Applicants will have the option of taking a break (up to 15 minutes) between tests.
The questions will assess attributes such as professionalism, empathy, coping with pressure and integrity, and will not measure clinical knowledge. There are no correct answers, although some responses will be more appropriate than others. Applicants who do not attain the required standard will not be shortlisted; for those who are successful, SJT scores will be carried forward to final ranking and assignment of training places.
The CKT test will take approx. 20 minutes and must be completed on-line in a single session, following the SJT. An optional break will be possible between the SJT and CKT. The CKT will consist of approximately 20 single best answer (SBA) questions describing common situations in medicine and paediatrics, in some of the following areas:
The questions may include investigation, diagnosis, emergencies, prescribing and other areas of patient management. Applicants will be required to select the most appropriate of a number of possible responses to each situation, for instance:
A 17-year-old student suddenly develops chest pain and dyspnoea after a morning swim. His trachea is deviated to the left. There is hyper-resonance and decreased breath sounds on that side.
Select the single most likely diagnosis from the list below. Select 1 option only.
The standard of achievement expected will be that of a current intern.
Applicants who do not attain the required standard will not be shortlisted, but, unlike the SJT, CKT scores will not be carried forward to final ranking or assignment of training places.