The IAPS consists of 3 elements:
- A pre-professional discussion element
- Professional discussion element 1 – review of a specialist or service-based paper
- Professional discussion element 2 – meeting the Higher Specialist Scientist Standards of Proficiency
1. A pre-professional discussion element
On this element you are being assessed on your submitted showcase evidence.
2. Professional discussion element 1 – review of a specialist or service-based paper
In this element you are being assessed on your critical reasoning, scientific integrity and vision.
You will have 60 minutes to review a previously unidentified specialist research or service-based paper and then have a professional discussion with the examination panel (30 minutes).
This component will require you to respond to the following standard statement made to start your discussion:
“Please discuss with us (the panel) the key points of interest to you as a Consultant Clinical Scientist that you elicited from the paper in your review. We (the panel) would like to understand your reasoning as part of your discussion. We (the panel examiners) may come in with supplementary questions as appropriate to the discussion.”
3. Professional discussion element 2 – meeting the Higher Specialist Scientist Standards of Proficiency
In this element you are being assessed on your development to Consultant Clinical Scientist level.
You will be expected to demonstrate your development to consultant clinical scientist level against each Good Scientific Practice (GSP) domain via a professional discussion with the examination panel using the submitted evidence as a basis for the discussion (60 minutes).
This component will require you to address the following standard statement to start the discussion under each GSP domain:
“With reference to the evidence you submitted, please tell us how this demonstrates your development to Consultant Clinical Scientist level on the (name of domain) domain.“
Timing of the IAPS elements
| Activity | Timing |
| Professional discussion element 1 – specialist or service-based paper review and preparation | 60 minutes |
| Professional discussion element 1 – specialist or service-based paper professional discussion | 30 minutes |
| Break | 15 minutes |
| Professional discussion element 2 – Higher Specialist Scientist Standards of Proficiency professional discussion | 60 minutes |
The assessment panel
The assessment panel will comprise of 3 examiners. At least 2 examiners will be specialists in your specialty, the third examiner may be a healthcare scientist from your speciality, from a related science or another healthcare professional, e.g. from medicine, dentistry or other, with expertise in your area of practice. We will consider possible conflicts of interest when selecting examiners to form a panel.
Each panel will have a nominated Lead Panel Examiner who is responsible for ensuring that the professional discussions are conducted fairly and appropriately. The Lead Panel Examiner will usually be the Lead Examiner however, where there is a need to run parallel panels, the Lead Examiner will nominate the Lead Panel Examiner on the parallel panels.
Marking and feedback
You will be assessed on the quality of your discussion in meeting the standard for elements 1 and 2.
Each panel examiner will assess your discussion and record their judgement and comments independently without reference to the other examiners. Each examiner is required to provide comments for all trainees for element 1 and under each domain for element 2. These will ensure the justification for their assessment.
At the end of the assessment the panel will discuss their judgements and come to a consensus about the outcome under each element which, together, will provide the overall outcome for the IAPS. The panel will also agree on the comments to be submitted alongside the outcome for element 1 and under each domain for element 2. Examiner comments are provided for all candidates in the individual IAPS candidate report irrespective of whether they have achieved the standard for passing the IAPS.
The Lead Panel Examiner will record the overall outcome and agreed comments as well as the agreed elemental outcomes and comments on a candidate’s report template. This will be the panel’s recommendation from your IAPS to initially forward to the Examination Board to review.
The examination board
The examination board operates under the IAPS Examination Board Terms of Reference. The Board is chaired by a senior member of the School who is on duty that day. The Board consists of the Lead Examiners present on the day, any nominated Lead Panel Examiners plus co-opted specialists. The aim of the Examination Board is to review the agreed outcomes and comments and ensure that there is consistency in the decision-making process applied by each assessment panel. The recommended outcomes will then be forwarded to the Head of School for ratification.