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ACCS
A core training programme that leads into higher specialty training in emergency medicine, general internal medicine, acute internal medicine and anaesthetics.
Administrative office
Place where examination applications are processed.
For all international examinations and the SCEs this is MRCP(UK) central office.
Angoff’s method
The standard of MRCP(UK) examinations is predetermined by a group of examiners (between 5 and 8), using Angoff’s method to criterion reference each question. The examiners are all physicians specialising in a relevant discipline. Each examiner allocates a score for each question, based on what proportion of just passing candidates they think should answer the item correctly. The judgements are all submitted in advance.
The examiners then meet and those with the highest and the lowest scores justify their reasons for selecting this score. Other examiners contribute views as appropriate. All examiners then rescore the item and a mean score is obtained. The highest and the lowest average marks are excluded, and the remaining scores averaged to give the trimmed mean score. This is the pure criterion-referenced pass mark. The final examination mark is determined using Hofstee’s method: this provides a compromise between the criterion-referenced mark discussed above, and norm referencing.
Application period
Time period for submitting your application to take an examination. Applications are not accepted before or after the specified dates for each examination, as published on the website.
Appraisal
A positive process to provide constructive feedback on the performance of a student, doctor in training or a member of staff to chart their continuing progress, and to identify their development needs.
ARCP
Annual Review of Competence Progression - a process which scrutinises the suitability of each doctor in training to progress to the next stage of, or to complete, a training programme.
ASR
The Annual Specialty Report submitted to the GMC. The ASR provides an essential specialty perspective, a national overview by specialty and sub-specialty, and is particularly useful for small specialties. The analysis of such data by the colleges and faculties ensures that specialty-specific issues and context are fully taken on board by the GMC.
Assessment period
For the MRCP(UK) examinations the academic year is divided up into three assessment periods, called diets. These are set out as follows for the year 2016: 2016/1 (first diet), 2016/2 (second diet), 2016/3 (third diet).
Associate Specialist
A non-training grade, now closed to new entrants.