ST0995 – L7 Doctor Degree (GMC 2018) – Assessment Plan

Doctors are subject to statutory regulation by the General Medical Council (GMC). The GMC sets the standards of competence required for entry to the professional register and these are the occupational standards for Doctor. The GMC also has the statutory duty to set requirements of programmes necessary to support the achievement of the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) in the occupational standard. The apprenticeship standard and the delivery of the apprentices training must be aligned to all relevant GMC standards to ensure that apprentices are eligible for provisional registration with the GMC register on completion. It is against the law for anyone to work as a Doctor without being registered with the GMC. The end-point assessment (EPA) assesses whether apprentices have also passed the apprenticeship, and is based on the same professional knowledge, skills and behaviours as the occupational standard.

This document sets out the requirements for EPA for the Doctor fully integrated apprenticeship standard. It is for the end-point assessment organisations (EPAO), that must be an institution recognised by the GMC to award a UK medical degree, who need to know how EPA for this apprenticeship must operate. It will also be of interest to apprentices and their employers.

Apprentices will typically spend 60 months on-programme working towards the occupational standard.

The EPA period should only start, and the EPA be arranged, once the employer and GMC recognised institution are satisfied that the apprentice is consistently working at or above the level set out in the occupational standard and all of the pre-requisite gateway requirements for EPA have been met. It is expected that the gateway will be reached on completion of the final qualification module and before the GMC recognised institution’s examination board.

The EPA period is expected to last a maximum of 1 month beginning when the apprentice has passed the EPA gateway.

The EPA will determine the overall apprenticeship standard and grades of:

• fail
• pass

This apprenticeship has a fully integrated EPA. The EPA will use the assessment arrangements in use for other entry routes into this occupation and will be completed simultaneously, as outlined in this end-point assessment plan. Alignment of the integrated EPA is permitted because the following criteria are met:

1. Parliament has prescribed that the occupation (profession) must be regulated and a statutory regulator has undisputed control of access to the occupation

2. The aligned integrated EPA meets the requirements of an apprenticeship

The EPA period should only start once the employer and the GMC recognised institution are satisfied that the apprentice is consistently working at or above the level set out in the occupational standard.

The EPA starts with the examination board and finishes when the institution:

• confirms successful graduate apprentices to the GMC by submitting the graduation list

The apprentice must have completed the following gateway requirements prior to beginning their EPA:

• Achieved English and mathematics at level 2.
  For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement the apprenticeships English and mathematics minimum requirement is Entry Level 3 and British Sign Language qualification are an alternative to English qualifications for whom this is their primary language.
• Apprentices must complete all required modules, taking into account any recognised prior learning (RPL) of the following approved qualifications as mandated in the occupational standard:
  o UK medical degree at Level 7 that includes the medical licencing assessment

The EPA is:

Examination board

The examination board will be constituted in line with the GMC recognised institution’s academic assessment regulations and must have an external examiner present when considering achievement of the GMC approved qualification.

Independence of the EPA will be assured through:

• the examination board, which will include the external examiner, being responsible for the final decision on the award of the qualification that confirms the apprentice has met the education outcomes required for provisional registration with the GMC
• the end-point assessment organisation (GMC recognised institution) will conduct the EPA

Internal quality assurance refers to the requirements that EPAOs must have in place to ensure consistent (reliable) and accurate (valid) assessment decisions. EPAOs for this EPA must:

• appoint external examiners who:
o meet QAA Guidance on External Examiners/ Expertise for HE programmes
o meet the EQA provider’s recommendations for external examiners
o meet the Approved Education Institution’s requirements as set out in their ‘Assessment, Progression and Awarding’ or similar guidance

In line with the EPAO’s (GMC recognised institution) procedures

This apprenticeship standard aligns with requirements for provisional registration with the General Medical Council.

The EPAO (GMC recognised institution) must have in place clear and fair arrangements for making reasonable adjustments for this apprenticeship standard. This should include how an apprentice qualifies for reasonable adjustments and what reasonable adjustments will be made. The adjustments must maintain the validity, reliability and integrity of the assessment decisions outlined in this EPA plan.