Examinations

An administrative fee of £165 must be paid for all appeals relating to the Part 1, Part 2 Written, PACES, SCE and European Examinations. Further information can be found here. This will be refunded if the appeal is upheld.

Appeals against results in MRCP(UK) and Specialty Certificate Examinations

MRCP(UK) aims to deliver examinations of the highest quality and provide the best level of service for all candidates. We recognise that errors can occur and that on very rare occasions our examinations can be subject to disruptions that may affect candidate performance. To ensure that all candidates are assessed fairly, there is a procedure to allow candidates to appeal against their results. In investigating appeals MRCP(UK) will assume that candidates have read the information on this page and are familiar with the MRCP(UK) examination regulations and Appeals regulations.

What you can appeal against

MRCP(UK) will only uphold appeals where there is clear evidence of:

• Procedural irregularity in the conduct of the examination which has adversely affected a candidate’s performance. In making a determination, the appeals panel will consider whether there was a significant departure from normal procedure and the extent it may have affected candidate performance.
• There were exceptional circumstances, such as illness after the start of the examination, for example a seizure. If a candidate feels unwell before the start of the examination they need to decide whether they feel it will affect their performance before choosing to start the examination. Candidates are reminded that by choosing to start the examination they are certifying themselves fit to do so. For further information, please see the cancellation policy. 

What you cannot appeal against

Appeals based on any other grounds will not be accepted. This includes:

• failing the examination by a narrow margin
• questioning the exercise of academic or professional judgement
• candidate performance in the workplace or other examinations
• candidate position in training.
   

Additional information for PACES candidates
Disagreeing with marks awarded by examiners does not constitute grounds for appeal. In PACES, candidates are assessed by two examiners in each encounter, and their overall performance in each skill is assessed by multiple examiners across several encounters. As the two examiners mark independently, perceiveddiscrepancy between the marks they award does not constitute a procedural error and therefore cannot form basis for appeal. The Clinical Examining Board will not review decisions made by examiners in PACES encounters at which they were not present. MRCP(UK) will never award additional marks to a candidate’s score in PACES.

Examples of PACES Appeals

How to appeal

If you believe that your performance was adversely affected by any procedural error or exceptional circumstances during the examination, then you should:

1. Report any issues on the exam day to the centre invigilators, administrators or host so it can be recorded and evidence can be gathered as soon as possible.
2. If you have not been able to report the issue on the day please Contact MRCP(UK) Central Office: policy.officer@thefederation.uk to inform them about the issue as soon as possible after the exam. MRCP(UK) would like to know about any procedural issues regardless of the outcome of the examination so we can learn from these events however a formal investigation will only occur on submission of the appeal form.
3. Once exam results are released, you must submit an online appeal form. This must be done within 30 days of results release otherwise they will not be accepted. You will receive an automated email acknowledgement confirming it has been submitted successfully.

Investigation of appeal

The MRCP(UK) Policy Team carries out an initial review to consider whether a candidate has grounds for appeal. The outcome of this could be:

• There are no grounds for appeal. The candidate will be informed of this.

• There are grounds for appeal. In this instance it will be investigated in accordance with the procedures in the regulations. Invigilators, examiners or other candidates may be contacted for comments, if not already done at the point of the issue being reported. These will be included in a summary report which is submitted to the Regulatory Subgroup and relevant examining board for review.

  - The Regulatory Subgroup and examining board will decide whether the appeal should be upheld based on this evidence. Decisions will be communicated to candidates as soon as possible. 

It can take up to 60 days to respond to appeals owing to the length of time required to collect information and the number of appeals received, although we will try to respond quicker than this if possible. 

Candidates are advised to apply for the next available diet of the examination, even if they have not heard about the outcome of their appeal. However, if their appeal is upheld, they will be refunded from any other exam application.

Examination Appeals Regulations.
 

Outcome of investigated appeals

There are three possible outcomes of appeals after being reviewed by the Regulatory Subgroup:

• Not upheld: this applies to the majority of appeals. Candidates will receive a formal letter explaining the decision not to uphold their appeal.
• Upheld: the attempt is expunged from their record and their fees are refunded.
• Upheld: the candidate is awarded a condoned pass. These are awarded very rarely and at the discretion of examining board chairs as it is not normal practice to change results.

If the candidate's appeal is not upheld and they are not satisfied with the decision, they can request that their case be reconsidered by The Medical Director, who will review the evidence provided to the Regulatory Sub-Group and consider whether the decision reached by the group was reasonable. The Medical Director can either uphold the original decision, suggest an alternative remedy, or refer the matter to an appeal hearing panel, which will be convened using the procedure outlined below. The Medical Director’s decision will be final.

If an appeal panel is convened, candidates are advised that this process can take several months and may not result in their appeal being upheld. Further information about the appeal panel process can be found in the Examination appeals regulations.

Complaints

Submit appeal

To submit an appeal, complete the online form together with any relevant supporting information.

Appeals must be submitted using the online form within 30 days of results release otherwise they will not be accepted.