Examination and Training FAQs

When will the webinar be rescheduled to?
The webinar will now be held on 30 September 2020.

If I cannot attend the rescheduled BPS examination in 2020, can I apply for a full refund?
If you are unable to sit the exam in 2020, then you can withdraw your application and the College will hold your fee until 2021.

If you choose not to sit the examination and would like a refund, the College will organise this, on request.

Revised 2020 Examination Timetables:
- Pathology Examination Timetable
- Faculties Examination Timetable

Will the College revised 2020 examinations go ahead as planned?
Examinations will be facilitated as per the revised 2020 Timetable.

Australian based candidates, scheduled to sit for a Sydney based examination, are expected to travel to sit the examination unless there are government restrictions preventing such. Candidates are therefore advised to make the necessary travel and accommodation plans. Details of examinations scheduled to take place in Sydney are:

• Anatomical Pathology Part II Small Biopsy Special Techniques Examination
• Anatomical Pathology Part II Cytology Examination
• Forensic Pathology Part I Practical Examination
• Forensic Pathology Part II Slides Examination
• Forensic Pathology Part II Practical (Short Cases) Examination
• Genetic Pathology Part I Dry Practical Examinations
• Haematology Part I Dry Practical Examination
• Immunopathology Part I Practical Examination
• Immunopathology Part I Test Interpretation Examination
• All disciplines where a Part I or Part II Oral Examination is required.

For candidates who are based overseas (New Zealand, South East Asian and Saudi Arabia) the College has prepared contingency plans, as approved by the Board of Education and Assessment(BEA), to enable the opportunity to sit for examination. Should Australian borders open nearer the time of the scheduled exam (certainly between Australia and NZ), candidates should travel to Sydney.

The College has also prepared contingency plans, as approved by BEA should borders within Australia remain closed, to enable the opportunity to sit for examination.

The College will be in contact with impacted candidates closer to the time with specific details and exam arrangements.

• Examinations (Written and Slide) scheduled to take place in October, will proceed as planned in local jurisdictions.

I have safety concerns about attending examinations in Sydney. Has the College considered the safety of examination candidates?
The College will manage examinations in relation to the evolving situation as per respective COVID-19 government guidelines. To this end, the College will implement a COVID Safe Plan to help ensure the health and safety of all candidates, examiners and support personnel involved. This will include temperature checks upon arrival to the exam, the availability of hand sanitiser and mask in all venues, appropriate hygiene and social distancing.

What if I am sick just prior to, or on the day of the exam?
If you feel too unwell to travel and / or sit for examination, you can defer until 2021 without penalty.
All Candidates presenting for examination will be required to complete and sign a Self-Declaration Form to confirm that they are fit and well to be examined.

What if I am not available to sit my examination on the revised scheduled date?
The College appreciates and regrets that the rescheduled examination timetable might make it impossible for some trainees to sit the examinations. If you can’t sit the examination on the revised scheduled date, you can defer until 2021 without penalty.

If candidates are unable to sit examinations as per the revised 2020 Timetable, will the College offer full refunds?
If you would like to withdraw from your examination, you will have the opportunity for the College to hold your fee until 2021 or you may choose a full refund, on request.

I will now have the required training time to sit the examination at the end of 2020. Can I apply to sit examinations?
The College will not be accepting any further examination applications in 2020.

What will happen to my examination fee if I decide to defer my examination to 2021?
The College will hold your examination fee to 2021. However, you will need to submit another examination application for 2021 to indicate your intention to sit.

I will no longer be in a laboratory position at the time of examination. What should I do?
If you have guaranteed employment in a laboratory position up to August 2020, then you will be eligible to sit.

I have planned deferment due to maternity leave in the revised examination period and I will be sitting an examination. What fee will I be required to pay?
Trainees will be required to pay a pro-rata training fee. Please contact the College to arrange this payment.

I will no longer be in a training position at the time of the new scheduled examinations. Will I be able to sit the postponed examinations?
The College will consider this, on request, on a case by case basis.

Will it be possible for Haematology and Microbiology Joint Trainees to sit Part I and Part II in their final year of training?
Yes, the College has considered this in the revised timetabling. However, the Part 1 and Part II oral examinations will be on consecutive days. Candidates who have applied to sit both Part I and Part II (relevant to Joint Haematology and Microbiology candidates only):

Haematology:

• Candidates eligible to sit both Part I and Part II examinations in the same year, will be allowed to sit the Part II Oral Examination before 2020 results of Part I (Dry Practical) are known. NB This is for 2020 only.
• However, if a candidate passes the Part II examination but fails a component of the Part I Examination, the Part II pass will be held and not released until 2021 and only where Part I Examinations have been satisfactorily completed and passed. The failed components of Part I will need to be repeated in August 2021. NB This arrangement is for 2020 only. A Pass in the Part II Oral Examination will only be valid for 12 months without an accompanying Pass in all components of the Part I.
• It is anticipated that Part II examinations will be held as usual in August 2021 and a repeat in November 2021.

Microbiology:

• Candidates eligible to sit both Part I and II examinations in the same year, will be allowed to sit the Part II Oral after notification of a pass in the Part I Examination.

*** candidates who are successful in Part I and fail Part II on their first attempt in November/December will get an opportunity to repeat in January 2021

Will Trainees in their final year of training be offered repeats for all disciplines? When will the repeats be held?
Repeat examinations will be offered as specified in the Trainee Handbooks for each discipline. Refer to the Revised 2020 Pathology Examination Timetable (22 July 2020) for the proposed dates of repeat examinations for eligible candidates.

What will the gap be between the slide/phase 1 and oral/phase II examinations?
Please refer to the Revised 2020 Examination Timetable.

Will examinations be rescheduled again?
The College will continue to closely monitor the situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic and it may be necessary to make further changes to our examination schedule later in the year. Should this eventuate, the College will provide as much notice as is feasible.

When will the 2021 Examination Timetable be available?
We anticipate the timetable will be available early November 2020.

When will the pre-exam supervisor reports now be due?
Pre-exam supervisor reports will be due on 15 July 2020, as per the normal schedule.

I have been pulled out of a laboratory position and seconded into a clinical role. Will this count as laboratory training time?
The College will not disadvantage Trainees during this difficult time. Training time will likely need to be assessed on an individual basis, however there will not be any restriction in relation to sitting exams or submission of assessments based on training time requirements. This will need to be monitored closely over the anticipated 6 month period of disruption i.e. if the situation continues for longer than this.

I am no longer able to attend meetings, as my hospital has cancelled all meetings. Will the College consider this when assessing portfolio requirements?
See point two above. We recommend that you attend relevant virtual meetings where possible.

Will I be offered a training position for 2021 before my examination results are known?
The College is independent to employment matters and each state and territory are aware of the circumstances. Please contact your local network coordinator/health district.

How will it affect my employment in 2021 if I fail an examination?
Your current employers and training networks will allow for a certain rate of failure, all training time will be considered and accredited subject to satisfactory supervisor report submission.

If I exceed the 8 week leave allowance, will my training still be accredited?
Please continue to use your leave allowance of 8 weeks and contact the College if you exceed this. The College will consider these matters on a case by case basis. Time in training will be accredited
NB Joint Trainees are advised to contact the RACP for additional information.

I am working a 60-hour week. Will this be counted towards my training time?
No, the College counts weeks, not hours in its calculation of training time.

I am an Overseas Trained Specialist Trainee. How will the delay in examinations affect my AHPRA registration? What happens if my AHPRA registration expires and I have not completed any exams to demonstrate progress? Will the College send a letter of support to AHPRA on my behalf?
Yes, the College understands that the change in examination dates will affect all Trainees. The College will support Trainees and liaise with AHPRA during this difficult time.

Does the College have any protection guidelines for AP and FP Trainees ?
Please read: RCPA Advice to Anatomical Pathology (AP) and Forensic Pathology (FP) Fellows and Trainees - April2020

When will I need to submit my Project?
Project submission dates will largely remain the same as per the discipline specific Trainee Handbooks.

Forensic Pathology Trainees will be provided with the opportunity to present their Trainee Cases to a panel of Examiners on 8 April 2020 from 2pm – 4.30pm The College understands that Trainees may be impacted by COVID-19 and that some Trainees may not be able to submit projects by the due date. To request an extension, please contact the College via bea@rcpa.edu.au

Many Trainees’ access to normal laboratory activities is being severely disrupted by the COVID-19 crisis, affecting their ability to carry out laboratory-based project/dissertation requirements. Can the due dates be deferred?

• The College understands that Trainees may be impacted by COVID-19 and that some Trainees may not be able to submit projects by the due date. To request an extension, please contact the College via bea@rcpa.edu.au Please note that examiners will require 6 weeks for project marking and Trainees will need to recognise that this may impact Fellowship.
• Final year Microbiology Trainees may be advised to change projects if the planned project requires extensive PCR.

I was scheduled to attend Pathology Update in 2020. Can I still count my poster/ oral presentation as part of curriculum requirements?
Yes, subject to the requirements as outlined in the Discipline specific Trainee Handbooks https://www.rcpa.edu.au/Trainees/Curriculum

I am an Anatomical Pathology trainee and have submitted a poster for Pathology Update, will it still count as part of my PPD?
All Anatomical Pathology trainee posters accepted by, and prepared for, Pathology Update 2020 will be accepted for PPD purposes if the following are provided:

• Email of acceptance of poster by conference organisers.
• A4 copy of the poster.
• Declaration from Trainee Handbook signed by supervisor and trainee. Posters prepared by Trainees in non-AP disciplines may be counted for portfolio purposes.

My oral presentation was accepted for Pathology Update in 2020. Can I still use it to satisfy the curriculum requirements in my discipline?
The College will accept trainees’ planned oral presentations. Please provide the full PowerPoint presentation with audio (audio optional). Trainees who are not in their final year may have an opportunity to present in 2021.

My oral presentation was selected for the DS Nelson/QAP prize. Can I still use it to satisfy the curriculum requirements in my discipline?
Trainee oral presentations, including those for the RCPA BEA DS Nelson prize and RCPA Quality Assurance Program prize will be recognised as oral presentations at an International conference. Trainees are requested to provide a PowerPoint presentation with audio (audio optional) for uploading to the Education section of the RCPA College website. This is in addition to including a PowerPoint in your PPD / scholarship submission.

‘Meet the Chief Examiner’ talks 
These are now available on the RCPA College website for the following Disciplines:
- Anatomical Pathology
- Chemical Pathology
- Forensic Pathology
- Genetic Pathology
- Haematology
- Microbiology

The College will notify Trainees as soon as the ‘Meet the Chief Examiner’ talk is available for:
- Immunopathology


I was selected to do an oral presentation at the IAP conference? Will this be accepted as part of my PPD?
Oral presentations prepared for the International Academy of Pathology Conference in Brisbane in 2020 will be accepted for PPD purposes if the following are provided;

• Email of acceptance of oral presentation by either the session convenor of the conference organisers.
• PowerPoint presentation with audio (audio optional) for uploading to the Education section of the RCPA College website. This is in addition to including a PowerPoint in your PPD / scholarship submission.
• Email from session convenor confirming approval of the PowerPoint presentation.
• Declaration from Trainee Handbook signed by supervisor and trainee.

Re: Poster / Abstract submissions

• Given that the 2020 IAP Conference has been cancelled, no posters proposed for the IAP will be accepted. This includes published poster abstracts. Final year AP Trainees may contact the College to discuss alternative options.

Can I apply for 2021 jobs before I have completed my examinations?
Yes. However, please note that the College is independent from employment matters. Please contact your local Network Coordinator/ Health District for more information.

Can I apply for Fellowship of the College directly after I have completed my examinations?
Yes, if you have satisfied all other training and assessment requirements.

How long will it take to process my Fellowship application?
It will take up to 4 weeks for the College to process Fellowship applications. However, there may be further delays for AHPRA processing.

All working from home arrangements are your Employer’s responsibility and we recommend you liaise with your supervisor to devise an appropriate workplan. The plan should focus on study and research related to RCPA training requirements and/or JSAC training requirements for dual-specialty trainees. Proposed workplans should be agreed to and overseen by your current supervisor and be assessed by your Supervisor upon your return to work.

Suggested Working from Home activities for Trainees in self-isolation

Australian Government Department of Health: Specialist Training Program COVID19 update

The College recognises and understands the impact, and importance of the decisions made. The College would like to acknowledge that there is significant planning around examinations and that they are a source of stress and anxiety to you and your families. The decision to defer exams, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic was not made lightly. You will be notified of the examination dates as soon as possible.

In the meantime, College staff are here to support you:
Please contact the College Education Advisors Dr Kathy Robinson (Kathyr@rcpa.edu.au) or Ms Teresa Stuart (teresas@rcpa.edu.au) to discuss the impacts of rescheduling you and your family.
External support services are also available to our Trainees here.

Please note: Should you have any questions that are not addressed, or you need to contact the College about any Education and Training matters, please email bea@rcpa.edu.au

AMA Advocacy to support doctors in training during the Covid 19 response

Strategies for responding to stress experienced by hospital staff