Factors affecting PACES success rate-A Singapore experience

Introduction: MRCP (UK) is intentionally renowned for its relevance as a summative assessment in internal medicine training. It is known that the passing rates for the clinical component of MRCP (PACES) examinations for non-UK trainees are lower. Studies involving UK candidates proposed that factors such as availability and quality of postgraduate medical education, candidate demographics, and candidate's preparation efforts for this examination may affect the prospect of success. However, these factors have not been studied in detail among non-UK candidates. Material and Methods: To study these factors in non-UK candidates, we conducted an online survey of all doctors who took PACES examination from year 2009 to 2017 in a Singapore tertiary hospital to determine if these factors are similar in our population. A total of 107 respondents completed the survey. Pearson Chi-square, Fisher's exact, and Kruskal-Wallis H tests were used to determine the significance of these factors and their relationship with PACES examination success. Results: Singapore medical graduates perform better than their counterparts who are from medical schools outside Singapore. Males performed equally well as their female counterparts in PACES. Conclusion: It is suggested to look beyond conventional factors for other non-demographic contributors such as training, preparedness, and how organized is the candidate.