Key dates

Trainees in Adult Medicine and Paediatrics & Child Health undertake the Divisional Clinical Examination towards the end of their Basic Training, following successful completion of the Divisional Written Examination.

The Divisional Clinical Examination consists of:

• 2 Long Cases – Focused on history, clinical examination, synthesis and prioritisation of clinical problems, impact on patient/family, appropriate management plan.
• 4 Short Cases – Focused on physical examination technique and accuracy, interpretation and synthesis of findings, interaction with patient/family and investigation and management.

These all involve real patient situations.

Candidates are examined by two examiners per case – a candidate’s performance on each case is marked by both examiners individually. The candidate’s performance is marked using a 1−6 rating scale. The two examiners then arrive at a consensus score after discussion.

Purpose and marking criteria

The purpose of the Clinical Examination is to assess the trainee’s clinical skills, clinical acumen and interpersonal skills to determine whether they have reached the standard for completion of Basic Physician Training.

The following video outlines the purpose and format of the Examination as well as the intended purposes of both the Long and Short Cases.

The video also outlines the criteria for assessment of performance as outlined using a six-point scale based on the assessment marking criteria below.

Divisional Adult Medicine Criteria for assessment of performance

Divisional Paediatrics & Child Health Criteria for assessment of performance

The Divisional Clinical Examination is criteria referenced. This means that candidates are assessed based on the criteria outlined in the rubrics rather than compared to other candidate scores.

Determination of pass standard

Scores for the Long and Short Cases are combined to determine a candidate’s overall pass/fail outcome. The video below outlines the process used to combine case scores using the Divisional Clinical Examination Banded Model approach.

Examples are provided to help explain how this approach works.

View Divisional Clinical Examination grid and examples

This score combination approach has been developed to ensure the outcomes are consistent with the overall purpose of the assessment, based on analysis of the performance of previous candidates, and draws on the expertise of experienced examiners. It has been carefully analysed and has been shown to result in more valid outcomes while preserving standards consistent with the previous scoring system.

More information

• Divisional Clinical Examination - Preparation tips
• Past examination results
• Frequently asked questions (Australia)