RCoA Delivered Examinations Examiner Regulations (FRCA and FFPMRCA)

7.1        Sabbaticals

The relevant chair and Head of Examinations may approve requests to take one sabbatical year from examining on grounds of individual professional or personal circumstances such as pregnancy or ill health. 

If the request is made during an academic year, the relevant chair will at his/her discretion allow the examiner to be absent from the rest of that academic year’s examinations. 

Any examiner requesting a sabbatical for one year will automatically have their examinership term extended by one year.  Further extensions beyond one year, will be managed on a case-by-case basis according to the individual circumstances. 

7.2        Standing down

Examiners may be asked to stand down by the relevant Chair to manage the number of examiners. Any examiner requested to stand down will have their examinership term automatically extended by one year. For subsequent requests to stand down, the term extension will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Committee.

7.2.1    Approving Requests to Stand Down

Each academic year, all examiners are asked if they wish to stand down. The Examination Leadership team may approve or request an examiner to stand down based on the following grounds:

• Managing the number of new examiners to maintain the pool of examiners at its approved strength.

• Individual professional or personal circumstances.

   

7.2.2    Extensions to Examinership Terms

Examiners who are approved or asked to stand down will automatically have their examinership term extended by one year. If a second or subsequent stand down is requested, the extension will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Examination Executive team.

If an examiner requests to stand down during the academic year due to pregnancy or ill health, their term will automatically be extended by one year. Any further extensions will be handled individually by the Executive team.

7.2.3    In-Year Requests to Stand Down

If an examiner requests to stand down during the academic year, the Chair may grant the request, allowing the examiner to be absent for the remainder of that year. If the examiner also requests an extension to their term, the Examination Executive will consider the request on a case-by-case basis.

7.3        Retirement

Examiners may retire at the end of their appointed term, minimum 6 years / maximum 10 years. 

On reaching 10 years, examiners who do not wish to retire may return on a Retire and Return basis (see 2.3.3).

Examiners who retire from clinical practice may continue to examine to the end of the academic year. 

7.4        Resigning

If an examiner wishes to resign, it should normally take effect from the end of the academic year. 

The ETE Board reserves the right, acting on the advice of the Committee, to ask an examiner to resign at any time. 

An examiner who resigns may subsequently apply to be re-appointed for the balance of his/her term of office.

Examiners shall not be deemed to be appointed, re-appointed, extended, stood down, resigned or dismissed until motions to that effect have been formally approved by the Examinations Committee / FPMTAC.