Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK publishes independent review of MRCP(UK) Part 2 written examination error (September 2023)

The full report and statement are available here.

Responding on behalf of the RCP, Professor Mumtaz Patel said: “No one could fail to be touched by the distressing experiences of the candidates affected, and we sincerely apologise again to the 283 doctors.

 “We have a huge responsibility to ensure the quality and robustness of these high-stakes exams, which dominate early training and are the entry point to higher specialty training in a physician’s career.
 
“We thank Professor McLachlan for his thorough and thoughtful review and recommendations. His independent scrutiny and the testimonies of the doctors affected give us an important opportunity to learn and improve the way we work together as the Federation.

“This includes ensuring the most robust structures and resources are in place to give all candidates confidence in our examination processes. Together we are committed to rebuilding trust.”

Notes to editors

The Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK commissioned and is coordinating the response to the independent review.

For further information contact: communicationsteam@thefederation.uk.

The Federation, based in the UK and with international reach, is a collaboration between the:

Royal College of Physicians

Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow

Collectively, the colleges represent more than 50,000 physicians worldwide. For physicians in the UK and globally, the colleges provide a professional network, opportunities to share best practice and ongoing educational opportunities. The Federation is a collaboration of the three colleges on three key areas of activity.

These include:

• MRCP(UK)
• Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board (JRCPTB)
• CPD.