Apply

Eligibility

Paediatric Rehabilitation Medicine Advanced Trainees can apply for both the Fellowship Written Examination and the Fellowship Clinical Examination in the third or fourth year of training. You don’t have to complete the written exam before attempting the clinical.

To be eligible to sit the exam, you must have:

• completed 12 months FTE of certified core training in paediatric rehabilitation medicine
• paid the exam fee by the due date, in order to guarantee your place
• your College training fees paid up in full

If you have outstanding training fees, you’re ineligible to sit the exam. See College Fees Terms and Conditions.

Exam attempt limit

You cannot continue Advanced Training if you exceed the exam attempt limit (time limit for trainees who commenced before 2018), which is based on when you commenced training.

^* Trainees who commenced before 2018 must successfully pass the Fellowship Written and Clinical Examinations within a period of 35 months from their first attempt at either assessment.

See Progression Through Training Policy for more information about exam attempts.

Overseas Trained Physicians | Check eligibility requirements with your overseas trained physicians case officer before applying.

Application process

Submit your application

Applications have now closed.

Application confirmation

After submitting your application form, we email you to confirm it’s been received. If you don’t get a confirmation email, check your junk/spam folders and contact us if it’s not there.

Payment

Once applications have closed, we email you a link to pay the exam fee and any other outstanding fees.

Final confirmation

You receive a candidate allocation letter via email when your eligibility has been finalised. This confirms your exam registration, exam time and venue.

^* Submit a separate application for Fellowship Written Examination (Paediatric).

Withdrawal

Withdrawals are not counted as exam attempts. Contact us to withdraw up until the start of the exam. Refund rules apply. See College Fees Terms and Conditions for more information.

To request a refund for withdrawal on medical or compassionate grounds, submit an application form under the Special Consideration for Assessment Policy.

If you withdraw, you can re-apply to sit the exam the following year if you meet the eligibility criteria. Application fees will not be rolled over from one year to another.

Special consideration

Applications for special consideration must be submitted using the Special Consideration for Assessment application form and guide.

We consider these circumstances before the exam:

• permanent and longstanding impairment
• temporary impairment with medical grounds
• non-medical compassionate grounds or serious disruption
• essential commitments (religious, cultural, societal or legal obligations)

Once you start the exam, only technical or procedural problems will be considered.

For more information on application requirements and the possible outcomes, see the Special Consideration for Assessment Policy.

Prepare

Exam format

10 clinical stations | 3 min reading time | 8 min station time | About 2 hours

The exam uses the objective structured clinical exam (OSCE) format. The content is carefully selected to test your clinical skills as per the Paediatric Rehabilitation Medicine Advanced Training Curriculum (PDF), and is standardised to ensure your performance is referenced to predetermined objective criteria.

You rotate through the stations each presenting a different clinical scenario.

You could be asked to evaluate results of any type of test or investigation used in Paediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, such as laboratory tests, urodynamic studies, electro-diagnostics, radiological studies, psychology reports and functional evaluations.

• history-taking
• use and interpretation of diagnostic tests
• diagnostic decision-making
• use of pharmacological and physical therapies
• clinical reasoning and problem solving
• communication and counselling procedural skills
• multi-disciplinary management preventive strategies
• patient education and counselling

Live stations

In live stations, you interact with examiners, patients and/or actors. Actors could play the role of a clinical peer, a patient or a patient advocate.

You must demonstrate your knowledge of the topic and your capacity to interact with the actor or patient at the right level of engagement and using an appropriate level of language.

Two examiners are involved in your evaluation. They could ask questions as part of a scenario or simply observe your clinical performance and interactions with patients or actors.

Static stations

In static stations, you review an investigation, report or recording. You provide short, written answers in language you would use in a patient’s file.

The answer sheet prompts you to give a specific number of responses. If you provide extra responses, only the first answers up to the required number will be marked (unless clearly crossed out).

Although an examiner is present, you won’t have direct contact with them and they won’t directly observe your performance.

Rest stations

Rest stations are included in the exam schedule.

Preparation tips

Regular clinical activities in your training setting are the best preparation.

The exam tests your knowledge and competence when dealing with clinical problems and tasks as set out in the Paediatric Rehabilitation Medicine Advanced Training Curriculum (PDF).

Academic integrity

Some actions are seen as attempting to gain an unfair advantage. For example, attempts to:

• find out who examiners are
• contact potential examiners and seek guidance on improving performance
• contact examiners on exam day

These actions are a breach of the Academic Integrity in Training Policy, could lead to your disqualification and affect your progress through training.

Contact us with enquiries before or after the exam.

Exam day

Example timetable | Arrive and sign in at 9:00am

Bring

• Copy of your candidate allocation letter confirming your name, candidate number, exam time and venue
• Current photo ID with your full name and signature, for example a passport or driver licence – digital IDs are not accepted
• Blue or black ballpoint pens (no pencils, gel or felt-tip pens)
• 1 x basic analogue watch
• Water in a clear plastic bottle (optional)

Tip: Dress appropriately. Consider the weather conditions, the venue and your comfort. You don’t need to wear a suit, but you should look professional.

On sign-in, you receive an ID badge and candidate ID stickers.

Not permitted during the exam

• Written material
• Calculators
• Electronic devices (including smart watches and communication devices)
• Food or beverages
• All other belongings (for example, bags)

You cannot bring your own equipment or aids into the assessment area unless you were granted special consideration before the exam.

During the exam, all electronic devices such as mobile phones and smart watches must be switched off and placed in your bag. Your bag will be securely stored on-site. If you’re found with one of these devices on you during the exam, an incident report will be completed, you’ll be automatically disqualified and immediately escorted out of the venue.

Completing the exam

You rotate through the 10 clinical stations in order. Exam invigilators guide you from station to station.

The clinical scenario is printed on a laminated sheet, attached by a lanyard under your seat. After the announcement 'You may now begin reading', you have 3 minutes to read it and familiarise yourself with the scenario. The same information is available inside the station.

When the bell rings, enter the station. You have 8 minutes to complete it.

The bell rings again to mark the end of the station. Leave all papers and materials in the room except those you’re allowed to carry. Leave the room, move to the seat in front of the next station and begin reading immediately.

There are no further announcements, and all subsequent times are indicated by the bells.

Completing a station early

If you complete a station in under 8 minutes, an examiner will ask if you have anything else to add. If not, you can leave and sit outside the same station until the bell rings for you to move on.

Rest station

There is 1 x rest station midway for you to regroup and use the toilet (escorted by an invigilator).

Hand hygiene

To maintain health and safety standards, you must sanitise your hands before and after each station.

Alcohol-based hand sanitiser gel is provided either outside or inside the stations. Advise the examiners if you sanitised your hands before entering the station.

Inappropriate exams

If you perform an inappropriate physical examination and the patient is at risk of being hurt, the examiners will warn you to modify your technique. If you continue to conduct an inappropriate examination, they’ll stop you and move on to the next question.

The examiners can give the physical examination component of the station a zero score. All other questions are marked on their own merit.

Examiner and Observer Roles

Leaving the exam

After the exam’s finished and before you depart, the Chief Examiner facilitates a debrief with all candidates. This is your opportunity to provide feedback and raise any technical or procedural issues to be noted.

Personal belongings are returned and you’re allowed to leave.

Issues on exam day

If you experience issues leading up to the exam or on exam day that prevent you from attending, contact us. This may include illness, natural disasters or personal/family issues.

If you arrive up to 30 minutes late, you can attempt the exam but you won’t get additional time.

If you arrive more than 30 minutes late, you won’t be permitted to enter the exam.

Variation in the exam day procedure is advised in the Chief Examiner’s pre-exam brief. If circumstances require a procedure change during the exam, we’ll give clear instructions.

Conduct

Exam materials and content are confidential. You must sign a confidentiality agreement before the exam.

The following is considered academic misconduct:

• removing exam materials from the venue
• wilfully damaging or interfering with a station or equipment
• reproducing or distributing the contents of exam material
• discussing your performance or details of the exam with the patients, actors, observers, examiners or exam organising members during or after the exam

For more information see the Academic Integrity in Training Policy.

Results

Marking

For each station, a score is awarded by consensus of 2 examiners.

The examiners rate your performance (live stations) or responses (static stations) by referencing a set of pre-determined criteria for each station.

For static stations, the pass marks are determined using the Modified Angoff method.

For live stations, each station is awarded a mark out of 10. The pass mark is set at 6/10. The marks also include a rating based on a professional qualities rubric rated at 30%.

Professional qualities scores are determined using a pre-set rating scale for:

• communication/rapport
• quality of physical examination
• knowledge and use of evidence
• clarity of clinical reasoning

Not all 4 categories are relevant to every station.

Example professional qualities scores (PDF)

You pass if your aggregate score is greater than, or equal to, the overall pass mark and you pass 7+ stations.

See previous exam pass rates.

Results email

You receive an email with your exam result. Ensure we have your current email address and contact number. Contact us if you don’t receive the email.

Next steps

To gain Fellowship of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, you must pass this exam and:

• pass the AFRM Fellowship Written Examination (Paediatric)
• complete all other requirements in Paediatric Rehabilitation Medicine Advanced Training Program handbook

Refer to the eligibility criteria and exam attempts set out in the Progression Through Training Policy.