Visitors to Examinations
Eligibility to visit Examinations as an Observer
You may apply to attend the FRCA examination as a visitor if you are one or more of the following:
| A member of Council of the College. |
| A College Tutor or Examiner-elect. |
| SAS Grade or Consultants in anaesthesia who are fellows of the college and hold substantive posts in the UK. Applicants should normally be Fellows by Examination. However, Fellow ad eundem or Fellow by election will be considered by the Chairman of the relevant Board of Examiners if sufficient space is available). |
| Senior visitors such as representatives of other Faculties or Colleges*. |
| Others engaged in teaching of consultant or equivalent university status comparable to that of a Fellow*. |
*Observation by applicants in the final two categories above may be subject to consultation with the chairman of the relevant board of examiners, and their application may have to be supported by a letter of introduction by a Fellow of this or another College or appropriate faculty.
Visitors may attend on one day only of a particular examination and not more than once in five years for any one part.
Current availability
A maximum of ten visitors are allowed per examination day. Spaces are allocated on a first come first served basis.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary OSCE SOE, week commencing 6 November 2017 | |||
| No availability | No availability | No availability | No availability |
| Final SOE, week commencing 4 December 2017 | |||
| Availability | Availability | Availability | Availability |
| Primary OSCE SOE, week commencing 22 January 2018 | |||
| Availability | Availability | Availability | Availability |
You will be contacted by the College staff to confirm your booking. Please book leave as soon as you receive confirmation of your allocation from the College. If your situation changes and you are unable to attend the date allocated to you, please let the College know as soon as possible, so that your allocation can be released and reissued.
All visitors are expected to attend a comprehensive brief from the Chairman or his deputy prior to being allowed to observe the examination process. Visitors should expect to spend the whole day at the College, normally from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm. Requests to visit an exam for half days will affect the CPD points you receive and those requesting to attend for full days will be given preference.
On the day
- On arrival at the College, visitors will be invited to sign the visitors’ book at reception and directed to the briefing room.
- Activated bleeps or mobile telephones must not be brought to the examination. Visitors may be asked to leave if mobile phones or electronic devices ring during the course of the examination.
- Visitors are briefed at the beginning and end of the examining day, and are invited to join the Examiners for lunch. Visitors will have the opportunity to discuss their visit with the relevant Chairman of Examiners before departure and will be asked to provide feedback.
- Once you have visited one part of the exam, you may request to visit the other part. However priority will be given to people who have not visited any part of the exam before.
- Expenses are only payable to College Examiners and examiners – elect who visit examinations in accordance with the College procedures.
- For visitors who are interested in becoming an Examiner, it has now been agreed that new recruits will normally be appointed to the Primary examination in the first instance. A visit to the FRCA Examinations (either part) within the last 5 years is an essential person specification for a potential examiner applicant.
To apply to visit a Primary or Final FRCA Examination, please complete and submit the form below.