FRCA examinership application form
The application window for examiner recruitment 2023–2024 is now closed.
Recruitment for 2024-2025 will open mid year 2023.
Notes to applicants
The Fellowship examination is reviewed every 3 - 5 years with the latest review taking place between 2020 and 2022. The report was published on 11 January 2023.
Selection and appointment process
All details regarding selection and appointment can be found in the Examinations (Selection and Appointment of Examiners) Regulations 2018 (the Regs). The Regulations are available here.
Applicants shall be assessed against the FRCA Examiner Person Specification (Appendix A of the Regs) and if selected, are expected to adhere to the duties and responsibilities set out in the FRCA Examiner Job Description (Appendix B of the Regulations).
Commitment
The Education, Training and Examinations Board expects all examiners to make a full commitment to the examination.
There are three sittings of the Primary FRCA OSCE and SOE: November, January and May each academic year, and two sittings of the Final FRCA SOE: December and June.
After successful completion of the probationary year, examiners should be prepared to commit to at least 10 days of examining plus 3 days for core group meetings/working parties per academic year. There will be some additional work in your own time, such as question writing and marking of exam papers.
It is expected that this duty will take precedence over all other commitments unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Training
Before taking up their appointment duties, all successful applicants are required to attend an examiner training day , which includes principles of assessment and taking part in mock exams. Training typcally takes place on a Friday in October.
New examiners who are unable to attend this training day will have their appointment deferred until the following year.
All examiners are expected to undertake annual exam specific equality and diversity training.
Examiner contracts
Most examiners are engaged on the standard contract but there is the option for Less Than Full Time or Flexi.
Retirement from clinical practice
Please note that any examiner retiring from clinical practice during an academic year is normally required to retire from examining. Although the board may approve continuation of examining or exam duties, to the end of the academic year in which an examiner retires, conditions apply.
FRCA examination structure and marking systems
The structure and marking systems of all FRCA examination components can be found at Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 of the Primary and Final FRCA Examination Regulations.
The regulations of the examination are published and are available here.