PROJECT TITLE |
RELIABILITY, VALIDITY AND FAIRNESS IN THE MRCGP LICENSING EXAMINATION |
Funding body |
College of Social Science Research Fund |
Total funding |
£3,000 to date. |
Team |
- Professor A Niroshan Siriwardena, University of Lincoln
- Dr Zahid Asghar, University of Lincoln
- Dr Julie Pattinson, University of Lincoln
- Prof Graham Law, University of Lincoln
- Dr Chris Elfes, AKT group lead, MRCGP examination
- Carol Blow, AKT group, MRCGP examination
- Dr Jo Richardson, AKT group, MRCGP examination
- James Larcombe, AKT group, MRCGP examination
- Dr Katherine A Neden, AKT group, MRCGP examination
- Dr Amer Salim, AKT group, MRCGP examination
- Dr David Smalley, AKT group, MRCGP examination
- Dr Meiling Denney, Chief examiner, MRCGP examnation
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Team/consortium |
- University of Lincoln
- Royal College of General Practitioners
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Overarching aim |
This is a programme of research in collaboration with the MRCGP examination which seeks to investigate its reliability, validity and fairness, including the extent of differential attainment in the examination and its causes. |
Objectives |
- To explore the reliability and validity of the MRCGP examination.
- To explore the extent and causes of differential attainment by sex, ethnicity and disability status of doctors taking the MRCGP examination.
- To review the literature on differential attainment related to the MRCGP examination
- To undertake a process evaluation to explain trial results and understand intervention delivery, fidelity and acceptability.
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Methods |
Systematic review, cross sectional and qualitative studies |
Outcomes |
- Extent of differential attainment by sex, ethnicity, country of primary medical training, disability or other protected characteristic.
- Determinants of differential attainment.
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Outputs |
Peer reviewed publications, conference presentations and recommendations for the MRCGP examination and candidates.
Peer reviewed publications
- Asghar Z, Siriwardena AN, Elfes C, Richardson J, Larcombe J, Neden K, Salim A, Smalley D, Blow C (2018). Performance of candidates disclosing dyslexia with other candidates in a UK medical licensing examination: cross-sectional study. Postgraduate Medical Journal (in press).
- Dixon H, Blow C, Milne P, Siriwardena AN, Milne H, Elfes C (2015). Quality assurance of the Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) of the MRCGP examination – an immediate post-test questionnaire evaluation of the candidates’ views. Education for Primary Care 26, 4: 223-232.
- Dixon H,Blow C, Milne P, Siriwardena AN (2014) Reliability of non-pretested versus pretested questions in the applied knowledge test (AKT) of the MRCGP: evidence of quality assurance. Education for Primary Care, 25 (3):149-154.
- Siriwardena AN, Irish B, Asghar Z, Milne P, Dixon H, Neden C, Richardson J, Blow C (2012) Comparing performance among male and female candidates in sex- specific clinical knowledge in the MRCGP. British Journal of General Practice, 62 (599): e446-e450.
- Siriwardena AN, Dixon H, Blow C, Irish B, Milne P (2009) Performance and views of examiners in the Applied Knowledge Test for the nMRCGP licensing examination. British Journal of General Practice, 59 (559):110-113.
- Dixon H, Blow C, Irish B, Milne P, Siriwardena AN (2007) Evaluation of a postgraduate examination for primary care: perceptions and performance of general practitioner trainers in the multiple choice paper of the Membership Examination of the Royal College of General Practitioners. Education for Primary Care, 18: 165-172.
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Impact |
These studies seek to understand how the reliability and validity of the examination can be maintained or improved, why differential attainment exists and what we can do to address it. |