PACES Changes
Over the past 5 years MRCP(UK) has been working towards the introduction of a new pass standard, for the Part 2 Clinical Examination (PACES), in which a candidate must attain the required standard in each of the seven skills assessed to pass the examination overall (a “non-compensatory” system). Two stages of change were proposed to achieve this.
Stage 1 (all diets from 2009/3 to 2010/2)
A new marking system, designed to facilitate introduction of a non-compensatory pass standard at a point in the future, was introduced in the PACES examination in 2009/3. The changes at this time included the redefinition of the skills assessed, and changes to Station 5 of the examination. Although marking became skills-based at that time, the pass standard continued to be based on a candidate’s total score. Full details of these changes have been available on the MRCP(UK) website at since 2009.
For more details of the Stage 1 changes made from the 2009/3 diet see:
Stage 2 (2010/3 diet onwards)
For details of the Stage 2 changes made from the 2010/3 diet see: