Topic outline

  • Assessment page for students

    Assessment

    The Medical School has developed and designed an assessment system weighted towards educational impact that drives learning of all students. The assessment system does not just identify academic progress but drives deep, contextual and constructive learning that will last a lifetime.

    The University of Buckingham Medical School is committed to ensuring that methods of assessment are effective in measuring student attainment of the intended learning outcomes and that assessment policy and practices are effective in monitoring the validity, equality and reliability of assessment.

    The primary purpose of summative assessment at the University of Buckingham Medical School is to assure the Medical School, the individual student, future employers, the General Medical Council and the public that each student has achieved all of the 'outcomes for graduates' defined in 'Tomorrow's Doctors' (2009) by the end of the course and that students earlier in the course are making satisfactory progress towards those outcomes.

    As most students will reach the outcomes through consistently satisfactory performance in assessments, however, the other main purpose of the assessment system is to drive the learning of all students, and the medical school has therefore chosen to place a high weight on educational impact in the design of the assessment system.  The aim is to assess students in ways that will drive deep, contextual & constructive learning that will last into life-long practice, not just to identify those few students who are not reaching the outcomes.  


  • Assessment timetable

    In Phase 1, there will be an End of Term Assessment (ETA) at the end of each term. In Phase 2, there will be an assessment at the end of each rotation. The Key Assessment dates are below.  Results will be posted shortly after the exam board has met.

    2023 / 2024 Academic Year    

    (All dates and venues are provisional and may be subject to change)

    Year 1 MED24 Buckingham Crewe Date Day Exam Board
    META1 CRB GYM 05/03/2024 T n/a
    ETA1 CRB GYM 08/04/2024 M 07/05/2024
    ETA2A CRB GYM 15/07/2024 M 07/08/2024
    ETA2B CRB GYM 16/07/2024 T 07/08/2024
    MOSCE CRB WC 22/08/2024 TH n/a
    ETA3A CRB GYM 21/10/2024 M 13/11/2024
    ETA3B CRB GYM 22/10/2024 T 13/11/2024
    OSCE1A CRB WC 28/10/2024 M 13/11/2024
    OSCE1B CRB WC 29/10/2024 T 13/11/2024
    Y1 QE A CRB GYM 09/12/2024 M 09/01/2025
    Y1 QE B CRB GYM 10/12/2024 T 09/01/2025
    Y1 QE OSCE CRB WC 16/12/2024 M 09/01/2025
    Year 2 MED23 Buckingham Crewe Date Day Exam Board
    ETA4 CRB GYM 09/04/2024 T 07/05/2024
    ETA5 CRB GYM 17/07/2024 W 07/08/2024
    ETA6A CRB GYM 23/10/2024 W 21/11/2024
    ETA6B CRB GYM 24/10/2024 TH 21/11/2024
    OSCE2A CRB WC 30/10/2024 W 21/11/2024
    OSCE2B CRB WC 31/10/2024 TH 21/11/2024
    Y2 QE A CRB GYM 11/12/2024 W 16/01/2025
    Y2 QE B CRB GYM 12/12/2024 TH 16/01/2025
    Y2 QE OSCE CRB WC 17/12/2024 T 16/01/2025
    Year 3 MED22 Buckingham Crewe Date Day Exam Board
    Mock OSCE CRB WC 21/11/2024 TH n/a
    ARPP3 Sub D/L n/a n/a 16/02/2025 SU 17/03/2025
    IPE A WH GYM 24/02/2025 M 17/03/2025
    IPE B WH GYM 25/02/2025 T 17/03/2025
    IPE C WH GYM 26/02/2025 W 17/03/2025
    IPE OSCE 3A WH WC 27/02/2025 TH 17/03/2025
    IPE OSCE 3B WH WC 28/02/2025 F 17/03/2025
    ARPP3 Resub D/L n/a n/a 13/04/2025 SU 29/04/2025
    Y3 QE A MKUH A/C MKUH A/C 07/04/2025 M 29/04/2025
    Y3 QE B MKUH A/C MKUH A/C 08/04/2025 T 29/04/2025
    Y3 QE C MKUH A/C MKUH A/C 09/04/2025 W 29/04/2025
    Y3 QE OSCE A MKUH A/C MKUH A/C 10/04/2025 TH 29/04/2025
    Y3 QE OSCE B MKUH A/C MKUH A/C 11/04/2025 F 29/04/2025
    Year 4 MED21 Buckingham Crewe Date Day Exam Board
    Mock AKT UoB tbc 14/11/2024 TH n/a
    PSA1 UoB tbc 30/01/2025 TH n/a
    ARPP4 Sub D/L n/a n/a 02/03/2025 SU 03/04/2025
    OSCE 4A WH WC 03/03/2025 M 03/04/2025
    OSCE 4B WH WC 04/03/2025 T 03/04/2025
    FPE A WH GYM 05/03/2025 W 03/04/2025
    FPE B WH GYM 06/03/2025 TH 03/04/2025
    PSA2 MKUH A/C tbc 20/03/2025 TH n/a
    PSA3 MKUH A/C tbc 01/05/2025 TH n/a
    Y4 QE OSCE A MKUH A/C MKUH A/C 21/05/2025 W 19/06/2025
    Y4 QE OSCE B MKUH A/C MKUH A/C 22/05/2025 TH 19/06/2025
    Y4 QE A MKUH A/C MKUH A/C 28/05/2025 W 19/06/2025
    Y4 QE B MKUH A/C MKUH A/C 29/05/2025 TH 19/06/2025
    PSA4 MKUH A/C tbc 05/06/2025 F n/a
    ARPP4 Resub D/L n/a n/a 08/06/2025 SU 19/06/2025
    FPSO n/a n/a n/a TH 19/06/2025

    CRB = Chandos Road Building

    WH = Whittlebury Hall

    WC = Wellness Centre (Crewe)

    UoB = University of Buckingham

    GYM = Hub Gym (Crewe)

    MKUH A/C = Milton Keynes University Hospital Academic Centre

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    • Dates are indicative only and may be subject to change.

    • Written exams may be in the morning or afternoon.

    • Times and location will be confirmed two weeks before the exam by email.

    • Results are usually released within two working days of the Exam Board meeting.

    • Results of assessment maybe withheld if a student has outstanding tuition fees.

    • Students need to be available for the whole day for OSCEs.

    • Students who do not meet the requirements to progress automatically, can take the qualifying exam (QE).

    • Further detail regarding assessment arrangements are described in the Assessment Code Of Practice.

    • For information on Mitigating Circumstances, please click here


  • Allied Health Exam Dates


    Assessment  Location Date Exam day Exam Board
    Sept 2022 BSc Biomed Science / Cert HE L4 Paper A GYM 30/05/2023 TU pm tbc
    Sept 2022 BSc Biomed Science /  Cert HE L4 Paper B GYM 31/05/2023 W pm tbc
    Sept 2022 BSc Biomed Science /  Cert HE L4 Paper C GYM 01/06/2023 TH am tbc
    Sept 2022 BSc Biomed Science L5 Paper A GYM 19/12/2023 TU am tbc
    Sept 2022 BSc Biomed Science L5 Paper B GYM 21/12/2023 TH am tbc
               
               

    Assessment  Location Date Exam day Exam Board
    Sept 2021 BSc Biomed Science L6 Paper A GYM 11/07/2023 TU am tbc
    Sept 2021 BSc Biomed Science L6 Paper B GYM 13/07/2023 TH pm tbc

  • Topic 3

  • Assessment Document and Information Register

    • File icon

      This version of the Code of Practice will apply to students entering the course in 2023 from the beginning of their course (subject to any changes made subsequently), and to students who entered the course in 2022, from January 2023. It will also apply to students who entered the course in 2019, starting from the beginning of their Phase 2 in February 2021, and will apply to students who entered the course in 2020, from April 2023.

    • File icon

      This version of the Code of Practice will apply to students entering the course in 2024 from the beginning of their course (subject to any changes made subsequently), and to students who entered the course in 2023, from the beginning of their Phase 2 in February 2025. It will also apply to students who entered the course in 2022, starting from the beginning of their Phase 2 in February 2024, and will apply to students who entered the course in 2021, from April 2024.

    • File icon

      A summary of information about medical school examinations

    • File icon

      UBMS uses a list of presentations to ensure that students are exposed to all the presentations that a doctor will experience multiple times in their course both in teaching and assessment. Summative assessments are planned, so that students will revisit these presentations multiple times.

    • URL icon

      The medical school bases its procedures on those of the University of Buckingham.  All students sitting examinations need to be familiar with them.

    • File icon

      Message to students from the University regarding the use of AI in assessments

      AI is a potentially powerful tool, however care must be taken in its use in an educational context. Your educators will be looking for opportunities to incorporate the use of AI into your programme of study for appropriate tasks.

      As students you should adopt the default position that AI is allowed only when specifically stated. It is very unlikely that AI generated content is permitted in a summative assessment.  If in any doubt, it is your responsibility to clarify the situation before you use AI.

      When tasks are set it should become routinely stated whether and how the use of AI is allowed.

      When you use AI, you must state that you have done so and how, referencing the source.  Failure to do so will be regarded as Academic Misconduct.

      During the course, students will be taught the benefits and potential issues with AI generated material and how to reference AI material properly.


    • URL icon

      This is a webinar from the MSCAA about the AKT which will form part of the finals for all medical students from now on.

  • Submitting NM, SSC and Library Projects through Examsoft

    This is the presentation from the briefing about the process for submitting your files to your NM, eportfolio or SSC Lead / Library Project Supervisor.

  • Using Examsoft

    Examsoft is a system that enables you to take exams on various devices. The simple set up process is outlined below.

    When you are registered as an examtaker in Examsoft, you will get an automated email asking you to download the Examsoft app (called Examplify) from the app store. Ignore any references to paying a fee and system requirements.

    Update: 24/10/22 Apple released its newest operating system for iPad, iPadOS 16. Examsoft are pleased to announce that the current version of Examplify for iPad (4.7) is certified as compatible with this latest operating system update.Please note that they have updated their Minimum System Requirements to reflect this support, as well as removed support for iPadOS 13.

  • Preparation for the Intermediate Professional Exam (IPE)

    In Year 3 of the course students rotate around 6 Blocks (Junior Rotation). This guidance describes how to prepare for the examinations at the end of the year.

  • Illness on Exam Day

    You need to bear in mind infection control and patient safety.  Even if your exam is not in a clinical area, the people you are in contact with will be going into clinical areas.  For these reasons the MKUH Staff Health and Wellbeing Department provides the following guidance, based on the information in the MKUH document "Precautions for Specific Infections":

    Diarrhoea (with an unknown cause): do not attend until asymptomatic for 48 hours if stools are watery (see the Bristol Stool Chart)

    Vomitting (with an unknown cause): do not attend until asymptomatic for 48 hours.

    Diarrhoea and/or vomitting (with known cause that is not infectious, e.g. IBS or motion sickness): you may attend if you feel well enough.

  • OSCEs: what to wear and carry

  • How to install Safe Exam Browser

  • The MLA

    The UK Medical Licensing Assessment (UK MLA) will be a demonstration that those UK graduates who obtain registration with a licence to practise medicine in the UK meet a common threshold for safe practice. It will go live for students graduating in the academic year 2024-25 or beyond.

    The UK MLA will consist of two parts:

    • The Medical Schools Applied Knowledge Test (MS AKT): a written assessment of applied clinical knowledge which will be taken by all students at UK medical schools as part of the final set of exams leading to graduation.
    • The Clinical and Professional Skills Assessment (CPSA): the clinical examination run by medical schools for students in the final stage of their medical degree.