As you may have seen announced recently, from Sunday 20 December 2020 new lockdown restrictions came into force in a number of regions across England.Whilst general advice is to avoid entering or leaving a tier 4 area, the UK government and the devolved administrations have emphasised that there are no restrictions on travelling in order to attend educational activities, including exams, as these are seen as vital to ensure the healthcare system across the UK continues to be supplied with professionals to support the tremendous work it is undertaking during the pandemic.We are currently following Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) guidance in relation to our examinations, which recognises the requirements of national and local lockdown advice regarding COVID-19, and reiterates the need for all healthcare professionals to take the necessary precautions and social distancing in line with national guidance. Nonetheless, attendance at, and necessary travel to, essential educational events should be treated in the same way as undertaking direct clinical care in terms of the requirements of COVID-19 guidance. There is no travel ban in place for candidates travelling to and from our examinations, be this written or clinical.The full AoMRC statement can be found on their website:https://www.aomrc.org.uk/statements/exams-academy-statement/At the present time the written examination (both certification and recertification) on 14 January 2021 and OSCEs between 25 January – 12 February 2021 will continue as scheduled. We continue to monitor the situation and will make the appropriate decisions, as necessary throughout the assessment period, should advice from the Government change.If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the assessment unit team - [email protected]
