The OSCE examination

Registering for the OSCE

You will be able to book your OSCE place once you have completed all of the steps on the colposcopy training programme module which will be visible on the trainee dashboard of the learning zone and these have been reviewed by the BSCCP and marked as complete.

Once you have satisfied the colposcopy OCSE regulations, you will then be assigned to the OSCE examination and you will have access to a link to enable you to reserve a place in the OSCE using your credit card for payment of the £270 fee.

Since 2020, the OSCE has taken place online using a special platform (OSLER). It is anticipated that this will continue until 2023 at least.

Eight questions will be based on the content of the BSCCP trainees manual and are topics included in the theoretical understanding requirements. These may include colposcopy photographs or video clips with examiners at these stations to discuss images.

There will be two interactive stations involving interaction with a patient portraying clinical scenarios. Each will be a double station. The candidate will be presented a short written scenario to explain the next station and they will have time to prepare themselves.

At the next station the candidate will interact with an actor playing the role of a patient. An examiner will be present to mark this station. These stations are designed to test knowledge and communication skills.

Marks will be allocated for both factual content and communication skills, and the role player will contribute a mark for each station. The examiner will follow a standardised marking sheet. Candidates should note that they would be penalised for giving dangerous information.

The timing of the OSCE

The examination will be held twice per year and candidates are expected to pass the OSCE within two years from the date of the completion of practical training.

On the day of the OSCE

The examination fee is £270 (or alternatively 280 Euro). Examination fees are not refundable or transferable to candidates requesting to withdraw less than seven weeks prior to the examination date.

The examination will start on time. No concession will be granted to any candidate who, for whatever reason, does not attend the briefing session prior to the examination at the correct starting time.

All candidates are required to produce a form of identification when attending for the examination - i.e. Passport, Driving licence (if photocard type), Hospital ID pass.

Question papers, answer sheets and all examination materials shall remain the property of the BSCCP/RCOG at all times. No past papers will be made available to candidates.

Pass/Fail criteria

The standard setting for the examination uses the borderline group method. The pass mark for each station is set by using examiners’ global score for the candidates’ performance at each manned station and a modified Angoff method for each written station. The sum of the individual station pass-marks is used to calculate the overall pass mark for each OSCE examination. To pass the OSCE, the candidate must achieve a total mark greater than the overall pass mark and must pass at least two thirds of all the stations.

OSCE Appeals

Candidates who fail to achieve the standard set to achieve a pass in the OSCE will be sent a report on their performance against the overall performance of all the candidates in the OSCE with specific feedback from the OSCE Facilitator.
The decision of the OSCE Facilitator on the pass list is final. The judgment of the individual examiners marking each station cannot be appealed. The marking and standard-setting of the OSCE are subject to rigorous development and standardisation procedures. Post-OSCE, each station and the exam as a whole is tested for reliability and an exam report is submitted to the Certification and Training Committee for review. The final marks are only issued after due care and process to ensure the validity and reliability of the OSCE. Subsequent review by different examiners or by independent assessors cannot guarantee greater accuracy or reliability.