Stage 2 - Assessments and FAQ's

What Will the 2009 Clinical Problem Solving Paper Consist of?

The assessment consists of two papers, Clinical Problem Solving and Professional Dilemmas.

In 2008 the Clinical Problem Solving Paper (CPS) lasted 95 minutes and candidates were expected to answer 96 questions in the allocated time. The questions present clinical scenarios and require you to exercise judgement and problem solving skills to determine appropriate diagnosis and management of patients.

We have over 4000 questions available to members in our online bank, which are regularly updated and are presented in all of the formats that you may face on the assessment day. All of our questions are interactive and have explanations after they have been answered. Our online revision system also provides members with an exam percentage score, which can be saved or reset each time you practise to help you moniter your progress.

Below are some of the frequently asked questions and answers about the Stage 2 Assessments:

What Question Format will the Clinical Problem Solving Paper be in?

Questions may be presented in a variety of formats and you will have to choose your answer from the given responses according to your clinical judgement.

Typically there may be some Multiple-choice questions (MCQ’s), which all doctors should be familiar with. The format will ask you to choose one of five possible options, which best answers the question.

You could also encounter Extended Matching Questions (EMQ’s) The format for these questions is slightly different to Multiple Choice questions. They test knowledge in a far more applied, in depth sense.

Finally and a recent edition to the Clinical Problem Solving Paper are the Single Best answer format (SBA). This format will ask you to select the single most appropriate answer. This may involve a clinical scenario or simply may test your knowledge of symptoms and treatments.

What will the 2009 Professional Dilemmas Paper Involve?

This paper was known as the Situational Judgement Test (SJT) and focuses on your approach to practicing medicine. In the 2008 exams there were 50 questions and the time allocated was 115 minutes. You are presented with scenarios you might meet when practicing as a doctor. Each scenario encapsulates a professional dilemma and you are asked about dealing with it.

The paper is designed to assess your understanding of appropriate behaviour for a doctor in difficult situations and allow you to demonstrate the application of all Core Competencies such as professional integrity, coping with pressure, and empathy and sensitivity. It does not require specific knowledge of general practice but does assume general familiarity with typical primary and secondary care procedures.

Gp Topmarks have a Professional Dilemmas Guide with practice questions and detailed answers. We also provide candidates with hints and tips that will make answering these types of questions less daunting when under the pressure of the assessment centres.

What is the Stage 2 Assessment Pass Mark?

This varies from year to year across the deaneries depending on the standard of applicants. The standard is generally high due to the competitive demand for places and is usually between 76% and 88%.

We suggest that practising as many questions in all of their formats, will maximize each candidates chance of scoring highly in the fiercely competitive world of GP Training selection.

Why not try our free demo questions to see if you are up to speed for the Clinical Problem Solving Paper? Gp Topmarks Members have unlimited access to practise all formats of the questions to fully prepare them for the Stage 2 Assessments.

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