Regulations and Information Pack

FRCEM Primary Examination

Applicable from 1 August 2016

Contents

1. Introduction to the FRCEM Examination Structure

2. Examination Regulations

3. Introduction to the FRCEM Primary

4. FRCEM Primary Eligibility Criteria

5. Oversubscription Criteria

6. Exemption and Equivalent Examinations

7. Number of attempts and currency

8. Structure and Content of the FRCEM Primary

9. Standard Setting and Examination Results

10. Guidance for Candidates with Additional Requirements

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Introduction to the FRCEM Examination Structure applicable from August 2016

From August 2016 the College is introducing a new suite of examinations, mapped to the
Emergency Medicine 2015 Curriculum. Success in all components leads to the award of
Fellowship by Examination (FRCEM).

The changes to the examination structure will be phased in during a two year period to
permit trainees and other candidates the opportunity to complete the existing suite of
examinations.

From August 2016, the Fellowship examination will consist of the following components:
FRCEM Primary Examination
FRCEM Intermediate Certificate:
o Short Answer Question Paper
o Situational Judgement Paper (introduced from Autumn 2017)
FRCEM Final Examination:
o Critical Appraisal (Short Answer Question Paper)
o Clinical Topic Review (with viva)
o Management Viva
o Clinical Short Answer Question Paper
o Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)

From August 2018, the Fellowship examination will consist of the following components:
FRCEM Primary Examination
FRCEM Intermediate Certificate:
o Short Answer Question Paper
o Situational Judgement Paper
FRCEM Final Examination:
o Critical Appraisal (Short Answer Question Paper)
o Quality Improvement Project (QIP)
o Clinical Short Answer Question Paper
o Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)

The College continues to offer Membership by Examination (MRCEM) for candidates who
have passed all of the following examinations:
FRCEM Primary (or MRCEM Part A between 1 August 2012 and 1 August 2016 or
granted exemption)
FRCEM Intermediate SAQ (or MRCEM Part B between 1 August 2012 and 1 August
2016)
MRCEM OSCE (previously called Part C. Passed after 1 August 2012)

For further information regarding the FRCEM Intermediate Certificate, the FRCEM Final
examinations or the MRCEM OSCE, please refer to the relevant Information and Application
Pack, available on the Exams Section of our website.

If you have any queries regarding the implementation of the new examination structure,
please email [email protected].

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Examination Regulations
1. Applications for each component of the FRCEM examination should be submitted
via the online application system, available via the Examinations Section of the
College Website.
2. Applications may only be submitted during a specified time period (the
application window). The date on which the application window opens
(opening date) and closes for receipt of applications (the closing date) is
published on the Examinations Section of the College Website.
3. Completed applications must be submitted by 17:00 (GMT) on the published
closing date after which time the system automatically closes. Partially
completed or late applications will not be accepted.
4. Candidates in a GMC approved, UK training programme, must be registered or
enrolled with the College and have paid the appropriate trainee administration
fee/s.
5. It is a candidates responsibility to ensure they have all the information required to
complete the entire application form prior to the application window closing on
the advertised date at 17:00 (GMT).
6. Upon submission of a completed application, candidates will receive an
automated email confirming receipt of the application. Detailed written
instructions confirming the exact date, timetable for, and location of the
examination will be emailed individually to all candidates once the final allocation
of examination spaces is confirmed, approximately four weeks prior to the
examination.
7. Candidates wishing to withdraw or transfer their examination entry must notify the
Examinations Department in writing by 17:00 (GMT) on the closing date. Fees
cannot be transferred or refunded after this time.
8. Candidates must apply for any required entry visas in good time prior to the date
of the examination. In exceptional circumstances, subject to receipt of written
documentation confirming the refusal of a visa, the Examinations Manager or
Director of Education will consider requests for candidates to transfer their
examination entry.
9. Candidates who do not attend an examination will forfeit their examination fee.
In exceptional circumstances, for matters beyond the candidates control, the
Director of Education will consider requests to transfer a candidates entry to the
next diet, subject to receipt of written documentation (e.g a detailed medical
certificate, a death certificate for a direct family member). Please note that
insufficient preparation is not considered a sufficient reason to transfer an
examination entry.
10. Candidates will be informed of the date on which examination results will be
published at the time their examination entry is confirmed. In very exceptional
circumstances this may be amended by the College and due notice will be
published on the College website.
11. Results will be published on the College website. Result letters and feedback will
be posted to candidates within four weeks of the publication of results.
Examination results will not be issued or confirmed by telephone or email.

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Introduction to the FRCEM Primary

The FRCEM Primary examination is mapped to the Emergency Medicine 2015

Curriculum with more detailed information provided in the RCEM Basic Sciences
Curriculum (June 2010) which is available on the 2015 Curriculum page of our
website. All applicants for the FRCEM Primary examination are strongly advised to
familiarise themselves with the Basic Sciences Curriculum in preparation for sitting the
FRCEM Primary examination.

Candidates in the UK Foundation Programme may choose to sit the FRCEM Primary
examination during Foundation Year 1. However, candidates sitting the FRCEM
Primary examination before entry to a GMC approved Emergency Medicine training
programme should note that a pass in this examination will not count towards CCT if
it is taken out of training unless the candidate enters or re-enters the training
programme within 7 years of passing the examination.

FRCEM Primary Eligibility Criteria

A candidate will be eligible to enter the FRCEM Primary examination provided he/she
holds a medical qualification approved by the General Medical Council (GMC) for
the purposes of registration.

Candidates who are registered with the GMC should include their registration
number in the appropriate place on the application form. If you are registered or
anticipate being registered with the GMC then your personal data, including your
examination results, will be passed to the GMC for quality assurance and research
purposes and to facilitate the awarding of certificates for completion of training
(CCTs).

Candidates registered with the Irish Medical Council (IMC) or an international

medical council are required to upload a copy of their current medical registration
document at the time of application.

Oversubscription Criteria

There is normally no restriction on the number of places available for the FRCEM
Primary examination but candidates may not always be allocated their first choice of
venue.

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Exemptions and equivalent examinations

MRCEM Part A
MRCEM Part A passes obtained prior to August 2012 are deemed time expired.
Candidates who sat the MRCEM Part A prior to August 2012 are therefore required to
pass the FRCEM Primary examination in order to sit further FRCEM examinations.

Candidates who passed the MRCEM Part A examination after 1 August 2012 are
deemed to have passed an equivalent examination to the FRCEM Primary
examination.

MRCS or MRCSI
Trainees who are enrolled on the Defined Route of Entry into Emergency Medicine
(DRE-EM) programme and obtained MRCS or MRCSI after 1 January 2012 are exempt
from the FRCEM Primary examination. Such trainees are required to submit the
FRCEM Primary Exemption form, available on the website, and a copy of their MRCS
or MRCSI certificate to the Examination Department at least 6 weeks prior to applying
for the FRCEM Intermediate Certificate examinations in order to obtain exemption
from the FRCEM Primary.

Number of attempts and currency

Candidates are permitted a maximum of six attempts in which to pass the FRCEM
Primary Examination. Previous attempts at the MRCEM Part A examination prior to
August 2016 do not count towards the number of available attempts. In exceptional
circumstances candidates may apply for approval for an additional examination
attempt. Such cases will be dealt with on a case by case basis at the discretion of
the Dean, whose decision is final.

A pass in the FRCEM Primary examination will remain current. If at some future date it
becomes necessary to replace it, holders of the FRCEM Primary examination will be
given a minimum of 24 months notice of the date from which it will be deemed time
expired.

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Structure and Content of the FRCEM Primary

The FRCEM Primary examination will consist of a 3 hour, multiple choice question
(MCQ) paper of 180, single best answer questions (SBAQ). The examination is
conducted in English and candidates are advised that IELTS Level 7 is the expected
standard for completion of the FRCEM examinations.

The blueprint for the FRCEM Primary Examination is as follows:

Category Sub-Category Questions
Anatomy Upper limb 60
Lower limb
Thorax
Abdomen
Head and Neck
Central Nervous System
Cranial Nerve Lesions
Physiology Basic celluar physiology 60
Respiratory physiology
Cardiovascular physiology
Gastrointestinal physiology
Renal physiology
Endocrine physiology
Pharmacology Gastrointestinal pharmacology 27
Cardiovascular system
Respiratory system
Central Nervous System
Infections
Endocrine system
Fluids and electrolytes
Muscoskeletal system
Immunological products and vaccines
Anaesthesia
Microbiology Principles of microbiology 18
Pathogen groups
Pathology Inflammatory responses 9
Immune responses
Infection
Wound healing
Haematology
Evidence Based Medicine Statistics 6
Study methodology
Principles of critical appraisal
TOTAL 180

Standard Setting and Examination Results

The FRCEM Primary examination is standard set using the Angoff Method. The FRCEM
Primary examination results will be published on a pre-advised day approximately
three weeks after the date of the examination. Result letters and feedback will be
posted to candidates within four weeks of the publication of results. Examination
results will not be issued or confirmed by telephone or email.

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Guidance for Candidates with Additional Requirements

The College recognises that some candidates may require reasonable adjustments
when undertaking examinations. The responsibility for requesting reasonable
adjustments lies with the candidate. Any candidate who wishes to request
reasonable adjustments must indicate the requirements at the time of application.
Candidates must provide a report from a relevant professional outlining their specific
needs and the adjustments required.

Each request will be assessed by the College on its own merit. Candidates will be
notified in writing of the outcome of their application for reasonable adjustments and
of the arrangements that will be made to meet their needs.