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Results

Examinations – Publication of Results

Spring 2024 Examinations – Publication of Results

Results will be posted at 12h EDT on the date specified for each discipline

Anesthesiology - AppliedMay 9
Cardiac Surgery - Written
April 24
Cardiac Surgery - AppliedJune 24
Cardiology (adult) - Written April 24
Cardiology (adult) - AppliedJune 28
Cardiology (pediatric) - WrittenMay 1
Cardiology (pediatric) - AppliedJune 28
DermatologyJune 10
Diagnostic and Clinical Pathology (formerly General Pathology) - WrittenMay 27
Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology (formerly Anatomical Pathology) - WrittenMay 27
Diagnostic RadiologyMay 21
Emergency Medicine - WrittenApril 26
Emergency Medicine - AppliedJune 14
General Internal MedicineMay 1
General Surgery - WrittenApril 10
General Surgery - AppliedJune 7 
Geriatric MedicineMay 23
Hematological PathologyMay 2
Internal Medicine - Written
March 27
Internal Medicine - AppliedJune 21
Medical Genetics and GenomicsMay 17
Medical MicrobiologyMay 22
Neurology – WrittenApril 30
Neurology – AppliedMay 27
NeuropathologyApril 25
Neurosurgery - WrittenMarch 26
Neurosurgery - AppliedMay 23
Nuclear MedicineMay 10
Obstetrics and Gynecology - AppliedMay 3
Ophthalmology - WrittenApril 23
Ophthalmology - AppliedJune 28
Orthopedic Surgery - WrittenApril 3
Orthopedic Surgery - AppliedJune 5
Pediatric Hematology/OncologyMay 16
Pediatrics - WrittenApril 17
Pediatrics - AppliedJune 12
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation - WrittenApril 25
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation - AppliedJune 13
Plastic SurgeryApril 30
Psychiatry - WrittenMarch 25
Psychiatry - AppliedJune 3
Public Health and Preventive MedicineMay 16
Radiation Oncology - WrittenMay 27
Respirology (adult) - WrittenMay 8
Respirology (adult) - Applied
June 25
Rheumatology (adult) - WrittenApril 25
Rheumatology (adult) - AppliedJune 28
Vascular SurgeryApril 26

Please note: Candidates should not contact the chair or members of the exam board for comments or to discuss their performance at the exam.

How to access your results

Your results are posted on a secure, confidential server and can only be accessed using your unique identifier.

To login:

  1. Click on the following link: https://ca.kaizenep.com/?org=org_rcpsc.
  2. Click on the Login button.
  3. Enter your six- or seven-digit Royal College identification number as it appears on the first page of your appointment letter, but without the initial 0 (if applicable).
  4. If you have already created a password, enter it in the password field.

If you do not have or forgot your password:

  1. Click on “Reset or create your password/Forgot your password?” You will be asked for your Royal College identification number and email address that is registered with the Royal College. Click “submit.”
  2. You will receive an email from no-reply@royalcollege.ca with instructions of how to create or reset your password.

To view or download:

  1. To view your results, select My Exam Results.
  2. Select the View Result link to view your results in detail; the results will open in a popup window. You can also click on Open to preview your results in a new window.
  3. In the new window, click on the Download PDF button to download the results as a pdf file.

Exam data verification

All examination scores are subjected to multiple levels of verification and quality assurance prior to being reported to candidates. This ensures that each candidate’s performance is appropriately assessed, and their scores are accurately reported for all exam components (MCQ, SAQ, Practical, Oral/OSCE).

Quality assurance of exam questions

A rigorous exam development and quality review process is followed to ensure the validity and quality of the exam questions. The exam blueprint is developed to correspond to the training objectives of the specialty. The questions on the exams are developed to correspond to the exam blueprint for the specialty.

A quality assurance process ensures that the questions are relevant (correspond to the blueprint), clear and that the items are accurate and of high quality. This process involves three steps: In the development of the questions a panel of exam developers, consisting of recognized specialists reviews each question. Once the questions for the exam have been compiled an exam quality reviewer reviews all of the questions for clarity.

Following the exam, a psychometric analysis of the questions is conducted and items that do not meet psychometric standards are removed from the exam and the exam is rescored without those items. In addition, any items that have been flagged during the exam administration are reviewed and if these items are deemed to be defective for any reason they are removed from the exam.

Passed exam and certification dates

The date of certification is the date when all conditions listed below are satisfied:

  • You have met the Royal College credentials standards (including an acceptable medical qualification).
  • You have satisfactorily completed a defined period of specialty residency training in a program recognized by the Royal College.
  • The Royal College has received a document from your university confirming the satisfactory completion of your training.
  • You have passed the specialty exams.

You will receive a letter confirming your date of certification only when all the above conditions have been met. This means that the date of the exam may not necessarily be the date of certification.

Subspecialty Examination Affiliate Program (SEAP)

Please note that while the completion of the subspecialty exam through the Subspecialty Examination Affiliate Program (SEAP) does not result in Royal College certification, SEAP supports national standards for all subspecialists practicing in Canada. Those who choose to join as a Subspecialist Affiliate will receive an attestation suitable for framing, confirming successful completion of the exam in your subspecialty discipline.

How to become a Royal College Fellow

If you are a Royal College-certified specialist, you have achieved the highest standard for specialty medical education in Canada. To commemorate this important milestone in your career, we invite you to join the Royal College.

To become a Fellow, you will need to:

  • Accept the membership invitation from the Royal College

  • Commit to ongoing professional development through the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program, and

  • Pay annual member dues

Fellowship allows you to use the designation FRCPC (Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada) or FRCSC (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada), which is recognized by the public and the entire health community as proof that you have trained to the highest national standard.

You will also be able to leverage the Royal College’s Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program to help you manage your continued professional development.

As a Fellow, membership in the Royal College will help you advance your career, showcase your expertise, support your development and advance specialty medicine and specialty medical education across Canada and abroad.

Learn more about the benefits of Fellowship and how to apply.

What happens if I fail my exam? (Formal Review Policy)

If you fail the exam, you will receive a brief summary of your performance. The intent of this report is to indicate where your performance did not meet the standards set by the exam board. The report will provide very general comments and will not include details on specific questions.

Formal reviews

Formal reviews of exams are conducted only on the basis of alleged significant procedural irregularities in the assessment process, not because of alleged errors in content.

The exclusion of errors in content applies to allegations of errors in either the questions and structure of the examination, or the evaluation and content of the responses provided by the candidate.

The review process is not a re-grading or re-scoring exercise. This scope of review is designed to act as a safeguard for the validity of the exam and assessment process. The distinction between content reviews and process reviews is of the utmost importance. Requests for reviews based on alleged errors in content will not be processed.

A request for a formal review will only be considered in the event of a procedural irregularity serious enough to materially affect the candidate's performance.

Examples of potential issues that do NOT constitute process irregularities include

  • Disagreements or concerns regarding the content and/or structure of the examination.
  • Disagreements or concerns regarding the grading of the examination.
  • Concerns regarding the extent of post-examination feedback provided to candidates.
  • Requests for disclosure of Royal College documentation and/or records.
  • Mere fact of repeat examiners.
  • Requests for the Royal College to consider information not normally considered as part of the evaluation process.

Purpose of exam reviews

Formal reviews of examinations are part of the evaluation and quality improvement system used by the Royal College to grant specialist certification. They provide a means to investigate the circumstances of the written, oral or other type of examination administered to one or several candidates, and to ascertain whether the process was carried out under conditions appropriate to the conduct of an examination as determined by the Discipline Specific Examination Boards and approved by the Examination Committee of the Royal College.

Formal reviews of examinations involve candidates, Royal College examiners, the Examination Committee, the Assessment Committee and the Office of Standards and Assessment in an effort to identify any significant irregularities in the conduct of the examination process and any procedural unfairness materially affecting one or several candidates.

Principles of exam reviews

  1. Examiners in each specialty are authorities on content. Their judgment relative to the correctness of a candidate's answers is not open to challenge, otherwise the review would become a content-oriented discussion between experts.
  2. An examiner’s decision with respect to the correctness or completeness of a response and their assessment of a candidate’s knowledge and/or skills is final. While a candidate may disagree with their decision, such disagreement does not constitute grounds for review.
  3. On occasion, deviations from the stated format or conduct of the exam may be unavoidable and irregularities may occur that do not result in any unfairness or significantly affect the performance of the candidate.

Formal exam reviews

Formal reviews are conducted only on the basis of alleged significant irregularities in the assessment process, not because of alleged errors in content. The review process is not a re-grading or re-scoring exercise. Requests for reviews based on alleged errors in content will not be processed. A request for a formal review will only be considered in the event of a procedural irregularity serious enough to negatively materially affect the candidate’s performance.

On occasion, deviations from the stated format or conduct of the examination may be unavoidable and irregularities may occur that do not result in any unfairness or significantly affect the performance of the candidates.

Formal review process

Formal reviewBefore submitting a request for a Formal Review, candidates must ensure that their concerns relate to one or more alleged irregularities in the evaluation process, not a content, grading or other non-process issue.

Formal review requests and payment must be submitted within 30 days of the date appearing on the Summary of Performance.
Written request to Executive Director of Standards and AssessmentThe request must explain, completely and in detail, all of the circumstances surrounding the alleged process irregularity and its effect on the candidate’s performance.
Decision by Executive Director of Standards and AssessmentThe executive director of standards and assessment will, within 45 days of receipt of a complete request for a formal review, evaluate the request and conduct any enquiries, and provide a written decision to the candidate as to whether or not the grounds for a formal review alleged by the candidate are founded and, if so, what remedy should be accorded, if any.
End of review 
Review by panelIf a candidate disagrees with the decision of the executive director of standards and assessment the candidate may, within 15 days of the date appearing on the written decision, advise the office of the director of assessment, in writing, that they wish for the decision to be reviewed by a formal review panel.

The candidate can choose either a paper review by panel or an oral review by panel.
Paper review by panelThe formal review panel consisting of three members of the examination committee and/or the assessment committee shall be appointed.
Decision by panelWithin 30 days of its deliberations, whether in the case of a paper review or oral hearing, the chair of the formal review panel shall issue in writing the Panel’s decision and any other relevant information or recommendation to the office of the executive director of standards and assessment.
End of reviewThere is no provision for further review by the Royal College of the decisions of the formal review panel after a paper review or oral hearing as the decisions are considered final.
Oral review by PanelThe formal review panel consisting of three members of the examination committee and/or the assessment committee shall be appointed.
Decision by panelWithin 30 days of its deliberations, whether in the case of a paper review or oral hearing, the chair of the formal review panel shall issue in writing the Panel’s decision and any other relevant information or recommendation to the office of the director of assessment.
End of ReviewThere is no provision for further review by the Royal College of the decisions of the formal review panel after a paper review or oral hearing as the decisions are considered final.
Cost
OptionsPrice
Formal review by director$750
Paper review by panel *$1500
Oral hearing by panel*$1750

How to request an exam review

A candidate wishing to request a formal review must notify the Office of the Executive Director of Standards and Assessment of the Royal College in writing to formalreviews@royalcollege.ca and include payment by attaching the credit card authorization form.

It is recommended that before electing for a formal review of an exam, the candidate should review the Policy & Procedures for the Formal Review of Examinations.

 
Contact us:
candidates@royalcollege.ca; Telephone: toll-free 1-800-668-3740 ext. 278 or 419 or 613-730-6278; Fax: 613-730-8261
 

We recognize exams are a stressful experience and that we are in unprecedented times. The Royal College is committed to communicating with you in a respectful, professional and civil manner. Similarly, we ask the same courtesy is provided to our employees. Thank you!