Infection specialty exams – basic information

All trainees do 2 years combined infection training then higher infection training (ID, TM, MM, MV or combination) (curricula available here)

Microbiology and virology trainees who began specialty training before August 2021 have their curricula separately.

Sample questions, exam dates and registration deadlines are available on the RCPath website.

CICE / Part 1 FRCPath

All UK specialty trainees are expected to sit the Combined Infection Certificate Examination (CICE) / FRCPath part 1. The Part 1 examination must be passed before the end of HIT year 2. It is recommended that the exam is attempted earlier to allow time to pass Part 2

ID/GIM trainees call it the CICE and do no further exams.

MM and MV and MM/ID and MV/ID call it the FRCPath Part 1 and then have to proceed to do FRCPath Part 2

Format:

· Two 3-hour papers, each of 100 SBA questions (200 in total)

· It is held twice per year (spring and autumn)

Do not get confused by the old-style MM/MV Part 1 exam which is also on the medical microbiology page of the college website – this is ONLY for clinical scientists and international medical graduates.

SBA = single best answer (ie multiple choice: choose the best of 5 given options)

FRCPath Part 2 Medical Microbiology

All higher specialist trainees accrediting in Medical Microbiology need to take the FRCPath Part 2 (microbiology). This needs to be completed before the end of HIT year 3 (ST7)

From the College examination regulations 2019:

“There is no specific timing for entry to the examination. Candidates should obtain guidance from their educational supervisor as to when to sit the examination. Planning should take into account planned CCT date (where applicable) but candidates should apply only when they are ready. Some general guidance is given below, but apart from the sequence in which the examinations can be sat is not intended to be prescriptive.”

They suggest that trainees should have completed at least three years of infection training before attempting to sit the exam.

Format:

The format has changed as of May 2021 to reduce over-assessment.

· Paper 1: written exam: 3 hours

· Five complex clinical and laboratory scenarios

Ten short-answer questions (SAQs).

· Paper 2: OSPE: 3 hours

15 stations of 9 minutes duration (plus rest stations)

It is held twice per year (spring and autumn). Both papers usually on same day, but order may vary. Marks are combined across the 2 papers.

FRCPath Part 2 Medical Virology

All higher specialist trainees accrediting in Medical Virology need to take the FRCPath Part 2 (virology).

Format:

The examination (all parts) take place over 1 day.

135 mins OSPE (Objective Structured Practical and Clinical Examination): 15 stations

90 mins Complex Clinical Scenarios: 3 long cases

60 mins Oral: 4 stations

It is held twice per year (spring and autumn)