I spoke to a doctor who had failed the MRCP PACES on two occasions. I questioned him at length on how he had prepared for the examination. I next showed him the booklet produced by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, London and Glasgow. He had never seen it before and did not know that such a publication existed.
We went through some of the sections and I pointed out what the colleges were expecting from the candidates. He was completely unaware of what was expected and had approached preparation in the wrong way.
The booklet clearly states what knowledge and skills are expected of the candidates at each station and then gives the mark sheets so that one may get an idea of how marks are awarded.
It is surprising that many candidates are unaware of the existence of such a publication and hence their preparation is misdirected and incorrect.
I would recommend that those who are taking the exam should go through this booklet and use this to guide their preparation.
