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How MRCP PACES 2023 is structured
PACES is the clinical part of the MRCP(UK) diploma. The 2023 format has five stations and eight encounters, with a 5-minute changeover between stations:
- Station 1 — communication (10 minutes) and respiratory examination (6 + 4 minutes)
- Station 2 — consultation (15 minutes with the patient + 5 minutes of questions)
- Station 3 — cardiovascular and neurology examinations (6 + 4 minutes each)
- Station 4 — communication (10 minutes) and abdominal examination (6 + 4 minutes)
- Station 5 — consultation (15 minutes with the patient + 5 minutes of questions)
The seven PACES skills
Examiners mark seven clinical skills. Each one an encounter assesses is graded Satisfactory (2), Borderline (1) or Unsatisfactory (0):
- A. Physical examination
- B. Identifying physical signs
- C. Clinical communication
- D. Differential diagnosis
- E. Clinical judgement
- F. Managing patients' concerns
- G. Maintaining patient welfare
Consultations assess all seven skills; examinations assess A, B, D, E and G; communication encounters assess C, E, F and G.
How StationReady simulates a station
Consultation and communication stations run to exam timing with a bell: a single bell at 13 minutes and a double bell at 15 minutes in consultations, and a single bell at 8 minutes and a double bell at 10 minutes in communication stations. An AI voice patient answers your questions, and an AI examiner asks the same style of structured questions you will meet on the day.
When the station ends you receive a marksheet with a grade and written evidence for each assessed skill. The library holds 265 validated cases: 119 consultations, 78 communication scenarios and 68 examinations.