Remote delivery of FDS examinations

摘要

The challenge of COVID-19 meant that there was an imperative to provide an alternative to face-to-face delivery for those trainees who required examination in autumn 2020 to progress within, or exit from specialty training programmes. Written examinations were most easily adaptable to online delivery, with established platforms readily available for this purpose. The key consideration related to invigilation of candidates in a remote context. Candidates were invigilated through a combination of their webcams and mobile phones, to ensure that any potentially aberrant behaviour was identifiable. Oral elements proved to be more complicated to implement remotely. As a consequence, it was necessary for Examinations Directorate staff to explore ways of accommodating the oral assessment delivery requirements within existing videoconferencing software used by the College. The experience of remote delivery appears to have been a very positive one, for both candidates and examiners, due in part to the significant training provided for both groups prior to each examination to ensure effective delivery. Attention is now turning to the question of future delivery of examinations; some recent initiatives, such as the online delivery of written examinations, appear to be appropriate for retention in perpetuity. A final consideration is the impact of remote examination delivery on assessment of international candidate cohorts. Remote delivery appears to be the most efficient and sustainable mode of overseas examination delivery, and ensures that prestigious College qualifications become more accessible than ever to those overseas.