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Approval periods

A maximum of 18 months pAT can be claimed. The pAT approval periods (time that can be counted towards pAT are based on what would have been the 2020 exam dates.

Fees in 2020

You only pay the standard membership fee for the full year of AT if you passed the first sitting of the DCE in late 2020 or early 2021.

If you failed the DCE while on pAT then you didn’t pay the AT fee for that year. You only pay for the Continuation or Interruption of Training fee to remain in training.

Fees must be paid within 30 days of your exam result notification (not your training approval notification).

See our current fees and payment deadlines.

Note: All other trainees must pay the standard membership fees within the normal payment deadlines.

Sitting the Divisional Clinical Examination

As a trainee, you need to meet AT program requirements, including work-based assessments, while preparing for the exam.

By applying for pAT, trainees made a commitment to sit the exam on the postponed date for the 2020 cohort in late 2020/early 2021. They were able to re-sit the exam later in 2021 if they failed.

Trainees who didn’t apply for pAT, but were eligible to sit the 2020 DCE, were encouraged to sit the first DCE in late 2020/early 2021. They also had the option to sit later in the year with the 2021 cohort.

Trainees who passed the Divisional Written Examination, in 2021, were not eligible to sit the postponed 2020 DCE.

All trainees who started training in 2020 or earlier have a 12-month extension only to complete their current training program (as registered for in 2020).

Special considerations

Trainees who applied for pAT, made a commitment to sit the first available DCE in late 2020/early 2021.

The Special Consideration for Assessment policy (PDF) is available if you were unable to keep to your commitment due to unforeseen or exceptional circumstances at the time of, or before, the DCE.

When granted special consideration, any pAT completed before the first available DCE date (late 2020/early 2021) is considered by the relevant supervising AT Committee. AT time after this date is not considered under any circumstances until the DCE is passed.

Where a special consideration is not granted, no pAT time is considered.

Deferring as a pAT

If you applied for pAT you made a commitment to sit the first available DCE in late 2020/early 2021.

If you’re in a provisional Advanced Training (pAT) role, and you deferred your 2020 Short Cases only you were allowed to:

• continue to train provisionally until you receive your 2021 exam result
• potentially claim a maximum 18 months of pAT if you received provisional approval between June and August 2020

If you’re successful in the 2021 exam, your Advanced Training Committee considers certification of pAT from both 2020 and 2021.

If you’re unsuccessful or withdraw from the 2021 exam, your pAT will not be certified, and you revert to Continuation Basic Training.

If you were unsuccessful or withdrew from the 2020 exam, you're not eligible to apply for or keep your pAT time.

If you deferred your 2020 Short Cases and are unsuccessful or withdraw or choose to further defer your 2021 Short Cases, your pAT will not be certified, and you will revert to Continuation Basic Training.

Exam outcome

Successful

Trainees were granted certification of prospectively approved pAT and continued in AT positions if they:

• passed the 2020 DCE at the first sitting in late 2020/early 2021
• met the performance criteria of their  Advanced Training program     
• complied with the Progression Through Training Policy     

The maximum amount of pAT that could be claimed is 18 months.

Unsuccessful

Modular exam format candidates

Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Adult Medicine trainees who scored below a Band 0 in Long Cases were not eligible to sit the Short Cases. They did not pass the DCE and were unable to proceed into provisional Advanced Training for the 2021 clinical year.

Traditional exam format candidates

Aotearoa New Zealand Paediatrics & Child Health trainees who failed the DCE were unable to proceed into pAT for the 2021 clinical year.

Training positions

Trainees accepted in a pAT position for the 2021 clinical year and failed the Long Cases, were asked to discuss employment implications with their current/future employer. Health departments were made aware of this scenario.

Trainees were classified as Continuing Basic Trainees (not AT Trainees) if they failed the DCE as their training was provisionally approved as 'conditional upon passing the DCE'. This is in line with the  Progression Through Training Policy.

The implications on employment were determined by the employer and may have differed by jurisdiction, network or training setting.

Further attempts

The DCE could be taken again later in the same year with the 2021 exam cohort if the exam attempt limit allowed.

Trainees re-sitting the exam later in 2021 can’t claim any of the pAT undertaken earlier in the year. Recognition of Prior Learning for previous pAT time won’t be accepted at any time in the future.

Attempt limits

An unsuccessful result in the postponed 2020 exam, isn’t counted as an official exam attempt. Check the Clinical Exams page for 2021 rules. 

Trainees who started training in 2020 or earlier have a 12-month extension on their time to complete their current training program only (as registered in 2020).

Check the AIM handbook and PCH handbook for information about DCE attempt limits.