As you approach the Simulated Consultation Assessment (SCA) exam, you are nearing the final milestone before your portfolio signoff and submission for ARCP and CCT. This is a pivotal moment in your GP training journey, and while the exam is undoubtedly challenging, it is also an excellent opportunity to showcase the breadth and depth of your skills.

The SCA exam is designed to reflect real-life general practice encounters, featuring cases of varying complexity and covering a wide range of topics. To help you ace this crucial exam, I’ve compiled some top tips based on experience and best practices.

Give Yourself Ample Time to Prepare

Start your preparation early. I recommend a minimum of 3-4 months of dedicated study and practice. This allows you to thoroughly cover the curriculum and build confidence in your consultation skills. This involves ensuring you practice your consultation skills a minimum of three times a week in a setting where you are being reviewed by a colleague giving constructive feedback guided by the RCGP Domains and Capabilities on your performance.

Identify and Target Areas of Weakness

Early in your preparation, identify any areas where you feel less confident. This could be certain clinical topics, consultation skills, or specific patient demographics. Once you’ve pinpointed these areas, focus your study and practice efforts on them to turn your weaknesses into strengths. For example, if you know women’s health is an area of weakness target this and get your Educational Supervisor (ES) to help facilitate directing women’s health cases to your daily surgery so that you can build confidence and experience.

Seek Feedback from Multiple Sources

Feedback is crucial for improvement. Record or simulate consultations and ask your ES or Training Programme Directors (TPDs) for detailed feedback. Additionally, gather insights from a variety of sources:

• Other trainees who have already taken the exam can provide valuable tips and share their experiences.
• Colleagues preparing for the exam can offer peer support and constructive criticism.

Join a Study Group

Join or form a study group with other GP trainees who are preparing for the same exam diet. Ensure that your group is diverse in terms of backgrounds and experiences. This diversity will enrich your practice sessions with a wide range of perspectives and insights. Commit to regular, weekly SCA practice sessions with your group to build consistency and confidence.

Utilize RCGP Resources

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) website is an invaluable resource. Thoroughly read the SCA section, especially the domains for the exam. Refer to these domains when giving or receiving feedback to ensure you’re aligned with the expected standards.

Ensure Varied Case Exposure

During your GP rotations, ensure you’re exposed to a variety of cases. If you find your case exposure lacking in any area, raise this early with your ES and TPDs. They can help facilitate changes to ensure you’re getting the breadth of experience needed for the exam.

Cover the breadth of the GP Training Curriculum

Your preparation should encompass the full spectrum of the GP training curriculum, particularly the Blueprint list of Clinical Experience Groups:

• Patients under 19 years old
• Gender, reproductive, and sexual health, including women’s, men’s, LGBTQ+, gynaecological, and breast health
• Long-term conditions, including cancer, multi-morbidity, and disability
• Older adults, including frailty and end-of-life care
• Mental health, including addiction, smoking, alcohol, and substance misuse
• Urgent and unscheduled care
• Health disadvantages and vulnerabilities, including veterans, mental capacity, safeguarding, and communication difficulties
• Ethnicity, culture, diversity, and inclusivity
• New presentations of undifferentiated disease
• Prescribing
• Investigation/Results
• Professional conversations/Professional dilemmas

Preparing for the SCA exam is a rigorous but rewarding process. By giving yourself ample time, focusing on areas of weakness, seeking diverse feedback, joining a supportive study group, and utilizing RCGP resources, you’ll be well-equipped to excel. Remember to cover the full range of clinical experience groups to ensure a well-rounded preparation.

Stay motivated, stay focused, and approach each practice session with the intent to improve. Your hard work and dedication will pay off, good luck!

Dr Sakaria Farah

PassCME SCA Tutor