Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain Council meeting 27 & 28 March 2007 PUBLIC BUSINESS ITEM 07.03/C/27 Amendments to the Examination Regulations (Section 3.3. and Schedule 2) Purpose To agree changes to the Examination Regulations (Section 3.3 and Schedule 2) for approval by the Privy Council. Strategic objective domain An organisation that consistently performs as a regulator, professional representative leader and publisher. Recommendations Council is asked to agree i. the proposals to amend Section 3.3 and Schedule 2 of the Examination Regulations as set out below, ii. that statements to explain the changes be issued, and iii. that the amendments be forwarded to the Privy Council for approval. 1. Background 1.1 Section 3.3 Section 3.3 of the Registration Examination Regulations deals with requests for “adjustments” – mainly from disabled candidates – at the sittings of the Registration Examination. Adjustments have always been offered, but they have become a new statutory requirement since the summer 2005 sitting, and their scope has widened. The Boards of Examiners have asked, in the light of experience, to have more time for these requests to be submitted, assessed and granted, as appropriate, than is allowed for in the general deadline for examination applications. This general deadline is six weeks prior to the date of the sitting under Byelaw XX 27. The Council is asked to approve a deadline of 12 weeks before the sitting for the submission of an application for an adjustment. The Boards of Examiners would still consider any later requests necessitated by a change in a candidate’s circumstances between the deadline and the sitting, as is done currently. The main reason for seeking this change is the time needed to secure appropriate accommodation, where that is the request being made. The amendment proposed (shown in italics below) is to add a new timescale to the first sentence of Section 3.3. Page 1 of 4 07.03/C/27 Amendments to the Examination Regulations 27 & 28 March 2007 “A candidate who wishes to request special arrangements at an examination centre to cater for permanent or temporary disability should submit the request to the RPSGB no later than six weeks before the general deadline specified for submission of documents which constitute the candidate’s application to sit the examination.” 1.2 Schedule 2: Background to and Reasons for the Change The Boards of Examiners and the Society wish to up-date Schedule 2 of the Examination Regulations to make it clearer in the light of changes in the way the Adjudicating Committee operates and to make more explicit the consistency of requirements since 2004 between UK and non-UK (or “overseas”) graduates. As from 2004 all overseas applicants (except those covered by the European Directives and former reciprocity agreements) have followed the same programme of attendance at the Overseas Pharmacists Assessment Programme (OSPAP) followed by 52 weeks of Preregistration training and the Registration Examination. This puts them on the same footing as UK graduates. The arrangements for overseas applicants to sit the Registration Examination are then dealt with in Schedule 2 of the Examination Regulations. The current text of Schedule 2 is appended to this report. Paragraph 2A of the Schedule is still accurate, but it has become misleading for some applicants in the light of recent changes. This is because it specifies one particular discretion (allowing applicants to sit the Registration Examination after 26 weeks of Preregistration training) which the Adjudicating Committee is now most unlikely to exercise. Despite explanatory notes to applicants, a number of them are still misinterpreting the Schedule. It would be helpful, therefore, to amend the wording to reflect the Committee’s general powers and not draw attention to one particular (now largely historic) arrangement. It is proposed to change paragraph 2A of Schedule2 of the Examination Regulations as follows:- 2A Entering the examination for the first time ‘Overseas pharmacists seeking to register in Great Britain who fall within the scope of Section XIX of the RPSGB Byelaws must meet whatever criteria are stipulated by the Adjudicating Committee for entry to the Registration Examination. To make an application to enter an examination sitting for the first time, Adjudicating Committee students must submit to the Examinations Officer of the RPSGB, by the specified deadline: (i) a tutor’s declaration to the effect that: • the trainee has obtained a score of 80% or more in sample calculation questions “• the trainee will have satisfactorily completed 26 weeks approved employment by the date of the registration examination” “• the trainee will have satisfactorily completed the Preregistration training directed by the Adjudicating Committee by the dates of application for and of sitting the registration examination” ‘. Paragraphs 2B and 2C require consequential amendments that candidates make application to sit the Registration Examination to the Examinations Officer (and not “Overseas Page 2 of 4 07.03/C/27 Amendments to the Examination Regulations 27 & 28 March 2007 Page 3 of 4 07.03/C/27 Registration” as currently shown) and that the term “approved employment” should be replaced by “Preregistration training”. 2. Explanatory Statements The Society will explain to candidates seeking adjustments to the Registration Examination that they are being asked to allow the Society more time to assess and grant (as appropriate) the requested adjustment with special reference to the time that may be needed to secure any necessary accommodation. The Society will publish a report on the up-dating of Schedule 2, although all those needing the information will receive it direct in any case. 3. Resource Implications There are no resource implications. 4. Risks The proposed amendments will ensure that disabled candidates wil be more likely to receive the most appropriate adjustment if the Examinations Officer is given more time to make arrangements. and there will be less chance that overseas candidates misinterpret the text of the Schedule as it applies to them. Recommendations Council is asked i. to agree the proposals to amend Section 3.3 and Schedule 2 of the Examination Regulations as set out below, and ii. that statements to explain the changes. Peter Burley, Head of Preregistration Amendments to the Examination Regulations 27 & 28 March 2007 Page 4 of 4 07.03/C/27 SCHEDULES TO THE REGULATIONS FOR THE REGISTRATION EXAMINATION OF THE ROYAL PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY Schedule 2 Criteria and procedures for entry to the examination for candidates who are overseas pharmacists seeking to register in Great Britain 2A Entering the examination for the first time Overseas pharmacists seeking to register in Great Britain who fall within the scope of Section XIX of the RPSGB Byelaws must meet whatever criteria are stipulated by the Adjudicating Committee for entry to the Registration Examination. To make an application to enter an examination sitting for the first time, Adjudicating Committee students must submit to the Overseas Registration, section of the RPSGB, by the specified deadline: (i) a tutor’s declaration to the effect that: • the trainee has obtained a score of 80% or more in sample calculation questions • the trainee will have satisfactorily completed 26 weeks approved employment by the date of the registration examination • the trainee's overall progress is likely to be sufficient for registration on completion of the required period of approved employment (ii) the specified examination fee (iii) a correctly completed application form for entry to the examination (iv) two passport size photographs, each bearing on the reverse side the following hand-written declaration by the preregistration tutor, "I certify that this is a true likeness of [trainee's name and reference number]"; this declaration to be signed and dated by the tutor on each photograph. Eligibility to sit the examination for the first time will lapse at 18 months after the satisfactory completion of approved employment. In such circumstances the candidate will have to meet such requirements as are stipulated by the Registrar before again becoming eligible for first entry to the examination. 2B Entering the examination for a second time Candidates who fail the examination at their first attempt will be eligible to re-sit the examination within 18 months without undergoing practice experience beyond their initial satisfactorily completed approved employment. To make an application to enter an examination sitting for a second time, candidates must submit to Overseas Registration, RPSGB, by the specified deadline: i) a correctly completed application form for entry to the examination ii) the specified examination fee. 2C Entering the examination for a third time Candidates who fail the examination at their second attempt will be eligible to re-sit the examination for a third time only on satisfactory completion of a further six-month period of practice experience in a community or hospital pharmacy acceptable to the Registrar for this purpose, and then only within 12 months of completion of such further practice experience. To make an application to enter an examination sitting for a third time, candidates must submit to Overseas Registration, RPSGB, by the specified deadline: i) a correctly completed application form for entry to the examination ii) the specified examination fee iii) confirmation, by the supervising pharmacist at the establishment concerned and in the specified form, of the satisfactory completion of a six-month period of pharmacy practice experience (Byelaw XX 27 b) iv) a passport photograph certified on the reverse by the supervising pharmacist, in the manner described in para 2A (iv). 2D Candidates who do not re-sit the examination within the periods of time specified will have to meet such requirements as are stipulated by the Registrar before becoming eligible to re-sit the examination, as per Byelaws XX para 28.