What the assessment involves

What is the revalidation assessment?

The revalidation assessment:

  • is a written multiple choice test consisting of 120 questions
  • is paper-based (except the histopathology and radiology assessment which are computer-based)
  • lasts two hours.

What does the assessment cover?

You should choose the assessment closest to your most recent specialty area. If you don't currently practise in a specialty area you can choose the foundation paper assessment.

There are 12 assessments:

  • Anaesthetics
  • Emergency medicine
  • General practice
  • Histopathology
  • General (internal) medicine
  • Obstetrics and gynaecology
  • Ophthalmology
  • Paediatrics
  • General psychiatry
  • Clinical radiology
  • Surgery
  • Foundation paper 

The specialty assessments test competence in all aspects of the specialty. We set questions at the level of a doctor with one year of experience on a training pathway working within the relevant scope of practice.

The foundation paper is based on the curriculum for the Foundation Programme. This is a two-year training programme that bridges the gap between medical school and specialty / general practice training.