A number of frequently asked questions and answers have been compiled to help provide you with relevant, correct and up to date information about the project. If you do have any additional questions please visit the discussion forum pages and post your questions here or join us on Facebook. These FAQs were last updated on 28 February 2011.
The FAQs are also available to download: 
FAQs 2011
Why is this review being carried out when the current system appears to work well and most people get their first choice?
What is being proposed?
What is an Educational Performance Measurement (EPM)?
What is a Situational Judgement Test (SJT)?
Are SJTs used in other areas of medical recruitment?
Are the SJT questions realistic of the situations Foundation doctors will encounter?
How will EPM be scored?
How will EPM and SJT be weighted?
How much time will need to be spent revising for the Situational Judgement Test?
How will the new system be fairer?
When will the pilots be carried out and what - and who will be involved?
Which medical schools will be involved in the pilots?
How do I get involved in the pilots?
Are the pilots compulsory?
Are there any benefits in taking part in a pilot?
When will this be implemented?
How will selection be managed in the meantime?
Will the new selection method affect how I will be allocated to my Foundation School?
How can I find out more about the pilots and updates on the project?
What is the website address for the project?
How are the views of medical students being taken into account?
How will this affect international applicants?
More information
Why is this review being carried out when the current system appears to work well and most people get their first choice?
Some concerns were raised about the current system, including:
• There are concerns about whether the white space questions can be sustained in the long term. They reflect the attributes outlined in the person specification and it is possible that appropriate answers could be developed and sold on the internet
• Quartiles are calculated different at each of the medical schools
To address this, the Department of Health commissioned a Project Group to review methods of selection into the Foundation Programme.
What is being proposed?
After considering all the evidence the following recommendations were made:
• To pilot two new selection methods:
o Educational Performance Measure (EPM) - to evolve from the current quartile rankings
o Situational Judgement Test (SJT) – to replace the current white space questions
• To continue with the current method of selection unless piloting of the proposed new method demonstrates substantial and convincing evidence for change
What is an Educational Performance Measurement (EPM)?
A common framework based primarily on the results of assessments of applied knowledge and clinical skills. This will be more robust than quartiles with all schools providing scores to a standard specification. This will include separate scores for clinical skills and written knowledge based on performance throughout medical school.
What is a Situational Judgement Test (SJT)?
An invigilated assessment which will assess the professional judgements and behaviours expected of the Foundation Doctor. All applicants will undergo an assessment comprised of multiple choice questions which may have more than one correct answer and will be based on the complex situations encountered in foundation training. There will be two question formats and an example of each of these formats can be found on the SJT page.
Are SJTs used in other areas of medical recruitment?
SJTs are currently used in the selection process for GPs, and they are being piloted for selection into other specialty training posts so it is likely that medical students will encounter SJTs during specialty selection. It is proposed that the SJT will be delivered by medical schools in the UK on a minimum of two dates to allow for electives and unavoidable absence.
Are the SJT questions realistic of the situations Foundation doctors will encounter?
Yes. The SJT questions are developed by people who work closely with Foundation doctors and understand the role they have to undertake. The questions are quality assured by a number of different groups including Foundation Year Two doctors, who agree that the situations are realistic. There is an extensive quality assurance process which includes a number of concordance panels with clinicians and other relevant professionals. We are confident the questions accurately reflect the role of the Foundation Year One doctor.
How will EPM be scored?
A framework is currently being developed to look at how the results of assessments at medical schools can be used to create a standardised EPM score. The medical schools are working closely with the Project Group to identify the best ways of doing this. The EPM score will be combined with the SJT scores to give an overall mark which will be used for selection. More information on the EPM will be available shortly.
How will EPM and SJT be weighted?
The weightings of the EPM and SJT scores have yet to be decided. Independent experts will be commissioned later in the year to offer advice on the best way to do this. More information will be posted on the ISFP website when this has been confirmed.
How much time will need to be spent revising for the Situational Judgement Test?
There is no need to revise for this test as it is not a test of clinical knowledge.
How will the new system be fairer?
The SJT test will be taken under invigilated conditions and so we can be assured that it is entirely the candidate’s own work. The assessments used to calculate the EPM score will be based on a common framework which will be used by all UK medical schools. This will ensure each student is assessed in exactly the same way.
When will the pilots be carried out and what and who will be involved?
The next round of SJT pilots will take place during March and April 2011 in nine UK medical schools and two overseas medical schools. These are: Barts and The London, Brighton and Sussex, Glasgow, Imperial, Liverpool, Malta, Manchester, Norwich (UEA), Nottingham, Peninsula and Trinity Dublin. Final year medical students at these schools will answer 60 questions in 2 hours and feedback will be given on five of the items featured in the SJT.
Four medical schools were involved in an initial pilot in October and November 2010. These were: Cardiff, Cambridge, Keele and Sheffield. The feedback from the pilots was extremely positive and the results were used to inform the 2011 pilots.
How do I get involved in the pilots?
Only final year students will be eligible to take part in the pilots. If your medical school agrees to take part in the pilots and you are a final year medical student you will be sent information on when the pilot will take place and what you need to do in order to take part.
Unfortunately, if you are not a final year medical student or your medical school does not volunteer to pilot SJTs you will be unable to take part in any pilots at this stage. However, some sample questions will be available on the ISFP website for those who are unable to take part following the spring 2011 pilots.
Are the pilots compulsory?
No. If your medical school agrees to pilot SJTs you are under no obligation to take part. However, the more students who do take part, the more reliable the findings of the pilots will be.
Are there any benefits in taking part in a pilot?
SJTs are being used more and more for selection into specialty training and it would be beneficial for you to gain early experience of answering these types of questions and to familiarise yourself with the type of assessment you may be required to undertake in a few year’s time. You will also have the benefit of knowing that you have helped inform the future selection of doctors. We will also be offering a £100 prize for one student picked at random at each pilot school as a thank you.
When will this be implemented?
The proposed new method will be robustly piloted. The new system will only be implemented if the pilots demonstrate substantial evidence that the EPM and SJT are an improvement on the current system and are proven to be a reliable selection method. If piloting is successful, the new selection methods will be used for applicants to the Foundation Programme beginning in August 2013. No changes will be made unless there is evidence that this is the best way forward.
How will selection be managed in the meantime?
The 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 recruitment rounds will run as normal using the current system of white space questions and academic quartiles. Pilots will be run over this period at certain medical schools across the UK but will not affect these recruitment rounds in any way.
Will the new selection method affect how I will be allocated to my Foundation School?
Any new system involving EPM and SJT will not affect the way you are currently allocated to your Foundation School. Applicants will continue to complete the online form stating Foundation School preferences. Applicants will continue to be allocated to Foundation Schools based first on their preference, and then on their score.
How can I find out more about the pilots and updates on the project?
We will be sending any relevant information updates to you in a number of different ways:
ISFP website: The latest information including updates on the pilot, final reports and how the proposed system will work will be available here. Comments or questions can be posted on the discussion forum and we aim to respond within five working days
Facebook: Regular updates will be posted on the Improving Selection to the Foundation Programme Facebook group and an email will be sent to members when there is an important announcement
Email: Emails outlining important information will be sent to you via your medical school secretary or your Head or Dean of the medical school so keep an eye out for these in your inbox
E-bulletin: Sign up for e-bulletin updates on the e-Bulletin page.
Intranet/newsletters: Each medical school will be asked to post information on the project on the intranet and in any newsletters that your medical school produces. You can also sign up for the ISFP e-update
Podcast: A video podcast has been produced which outlines the most important points for you and is available to watch on YouTube.
What is the website address for the project?
The ISPF website can be accessed at: www.isfp.org.uk. The website contains all information on the project from the final reports of the option appraisal, to information on the pilots and the Project Group. Any information updates will be posted on this website. You can sign up for RSS feeds on any of the pages to ensure you do not miss any updates.
How are the views of medical students being taken into account?
Karin Purshouse, Chair of the British Medical Association Medical Students Committee (BMA MSC), is a member of the Project Group representing the medical student body. The BMA MSC is consulting with its current student members on the system, and with the wider student population.
The UKFPO is also a member of the Project Group and is representing students via the Medical Students Board. Updates on the project are provided at every UKFPO Medical Students Board.
In addition to this, medical students can communicate their views via the Improving Selection to the Foundation Programme Facebook Group and the discussion forum on the ISFP website. Any comments posted on either Facebook or the discussion forum will be fed back to the Project Group and will be considered when making any final decisions.
How will this affect international applicants?
EU applicants will be involved in the pilots. Trinity Dublin and Malta have agreed to pilot the in March 2011. SJTs are also being piloted with international applicants undertaking the clinical assessments this year, including EEA and non-EEA applicants. If the system is adopted it is likely that international applicants will have to come to the UK to take the SJT. We will be working with the Academy of Medical Education Europe of the proposed changes in order to help inform schools in Europe to understand these changes.
More information
If you would like project updates as they happen or would like more information on the pilots sign up to our e-bulletin.
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