Purpose of this presentation

To give you an overview of the Divisional Clinical

Examination and to describe the rationale for the scoring
system.

We will talk about the:

• purpose of the exam
• format of the exam
• Marking Guides developed for the exam.

(How pass and fail results as well as the scoring grid and
bands are available in an accompanying presentation)
 Statement of Purpose of the clinical exam

The purpose of the RACP Divisional Clinical Examination is

to assess the clinical skills, clinical acumen and
interpersonal skills to inform whether trainees have reached
the standard for completion of Basic Training.
 Examination format
The Divisional Clinical Examination consists of:
 Two (2) Long Cases
• Focus on history, clinical examination, synthesis and prioritisation of clinical
problems, impact on patient/family, appropriate management plan.

 Four (4) Short Cases

• Focus on physical examination technique and accuracy, interpretation and
synthesis of findings, interaction with patient/family and investigation and
management.

 Real patient situations

 Two examiners per case
 Each Case is rated on a six-point scale (see Score Combination outcomes video
on the RACP website). The two examiners mark individually and then come to a
consensus score after a discussion.
 Long Case

The purpose of the Long Case is to test clinical assessment skills through
discussion with an emphasis on:

• accuracy of the history

• accuracy of the clinical examination
• synthesis and prioritisation of clinical problems
• understanding the impact of the illness on the patient and family
• development and discussion of an appropriate management plan.
 Short Case

The purpose of the Short Case is to test clinical assessment skills through
direct observation and discussion with an emphasis on:

• interaction with patient/family

• examination technique
• examination accuracy
• interpretation and synthesis of physical findings
• investigations/management.
 
 For more information
Contact:

• For more information about the Divisional Clinical

Examination and the 2019 rubric see the accompanying video
https://www.racp.edu.au/trainees/assessments/exams/division
al-clinical-examination

• The 2019 rubric for the Divisional Clinical Examinations in

Adult Medicine and Paediatrics & Child Health can be
downloaded at
https://www.racp.edu.au/trainees/assessments/exams/division
al-clinical-examination