Before the new selection processes were introduced, a full-scale recruitment run, or Parallel Recruitment Exercise (PRE), took place to ensure that the new process was robust. This built on the Situational Judgement Test (SJT) pilots that had already taken place in 17 UK and 2 non-UK medical schools with positive feedback and results. Schools had also been consulted on how the Educational Performance Measure (EPM) score should be produced. However, before any new system was implemented it was important to ensure that all medical schools had in place the robust mechanisms to deliver the SJT simultaneously on national dates and to agreed national standards. As a result, a PRE was run which involved a full-scale pilot of both the EPM and SJT components involving almost 7,000 applicants to the Foundation Programme 2012.

For more information about the SJT and EPM components of the PRE, please use the links on the left hand side of the page.