All Paces Exams in ONE

The PACES (Practical Assessment of Clinical Examination Skills) exam is one of the most challenging exams every medical trainee has to face in their life! It is the practical component to the MRCP(UK) examination, which is designed to test the clinical skills and knowledge of trainee doctors aspiring to enter HST (Higher specialist training) in the UK. It is one of the three essential exams that need to be completed in order to obtain the full MRCP diploma. If you are an Internal Medicine Trainee (IMT), you are expected to have completed it by the end of your second year. Although it can be quite challenging, with the right strategy you should be able to ace the exam! This article is designed to give to an idea about the exam, how to apply for it and what to expect on the day.

PACES is the practical component to the MRCP(UK) examination. It is different from the MRCP Part 1 and Part 2 written exams in that it takes place in a clinical setting and you have to interact with real patients with relevant symptoms and signs. Rigorous standards have been set to ensure competence in a range of clinical skills. The 7 clinical skills assessed in PACES exam are physical examination, identifying physical signs, clinical communication, differential diagnosis, clinical judgement, managing patients’ concerns and maintaining patient welfare. 

To pass the exam you need to achieve a pass mark in each of these 7 domains, as well as a total mark of 130 and above to pass the exam. Even if the total mark is greater than 130 but one of the skills is not passed, this would be classed as a fail overall.