2. Purpose of this presentation
To give you an overview of the Divisional Clinical Examination and to describe the rationale for the scoring system.
We will talk about the:
purpose of the exam
format of the exam
Marking Guides developed for the exam.
(How pass and fail results as well as the scoring grid and bands are available in an accompanying presentation)

3. Statement of Purpose of the clinical exam
The purpose of the RACP Divisional Clinical Examination is to assess the clinical skills, clinical acumen and interpersonal skills to inform whether trainees have reached the standard for completion of Basic Training.
(TW) Both long case and short case are important. We want candidates to be good at both.

4. Examination format The Divisional Clinical Examination consists of:
Two (2) Long Cases
Focus on history, clinical examination, synthesis and prioritisation of clinical problems, impact on patient/family, appropriate management plan.
Four (4) Short Cases
Focus on physical examination technique and accuracy, interpretation and synthesis of findings, interaction with patient/family and investigation and management.
Real patient situations
Two examiners per case
Each Case is rated on a six-point scale (see Score Combination outcomes video on the RACP website). The two examiners mark individually and then come to a consensus score after a discussion.

5. Long Case
The purpose of the Long Case is to test clinical assessment skills through discussion with an emphasis on:
accuracy of the history
accuracy of the clinical examination
synthesis and prioritisation of clinical problems
understanding the impact of the illness on the patient and family
development and discussion of an appropriate management plan.

7. Short Case
The purpose of the Short Case is to test clinical assessment skills through direct observation and discussion with an emphasis on:
interaction with patient/family
examination technique
examination accuracy
interpretation and synthesis of physical findings
investigations/management.

9. For more information Contact:
For more information about the Divisional Clinical Examination and the 2019 rubric see the accompanying video
The 2019 rubric for the Divisional Clinical Examinations in Adult Medicine and Paediatrics & Child Health can be downloaded at