Skip to content
Medicine student practicing ophthalmology skills in clinical skills at Castle Hill Hospital

Assessment and feedback

Our assessments and ongoing feedback ensure that you develop the skills needed to practise medicine safely and confidently and are supported to fulfil your potential.

Home » Medicine » Curriculum » Assessment and feedback

Introduction

Providing a supportive environment in which you can succeed

We are committed to supporting you to achieve your potential, providing many opportunities for you to receive constructive feedback and monitor your progress.

Assessment is a much broader process than just examinations. There are many different types of assessment, including assessment by tutors at the university and on placement, by your peers and self-assessment. 

How will you be assessed?

We use both formative and summative assessments throughout the programme.

Formative assessments

Formative assessments are intended to provide feedback on how you are progressing. Their purpose is to help you and your tutors identify your strengths, so that you can build on them, and your weaknesses, so that you can improve in those areas.

Formative assessments include written assignments and online tests, exams or practical assessments. They don’t count towards your progression or final qualification but are designed to provide you with feedback to inform your learning.

They also help to ensure you are familiar with the format of assessments, which you will sit summatively throughout the course.

Summative assessments

Summative assessments are used to measure progress and to determine whether you have achieved the level of attainment required to progress through the programme, and to graduate as a doctor.

Vassili Crispi

HULL YORK MEDICAL SCHOOL Stories

Throughout the curriculum, you are supported to achieve your full potential. One-to-one meetings with your tutors and supervisors help you improve your academic skills and prepare you for exams, and there are numerous opportunities to receive feedback on your development. You will also validate your knowledge and skills with every patient you encounter; every day is a new challenge, and every challenge is a new learning experience!
2021 graduate

Dr Vassili Crispi

Types of assessments

We use a variety of assessment types. You may be familiar with many of these already such as written assignments, online tests, presentations and examinations.

However, you may encounter types of assessment you may not be familiar with, such as anatomy ‘spotter’ exams, clinical exams and our online portfolio.

Anatomy 'spotter' exam

Students rotate around 'stations', with each station comprising one or more anatomical (cadaveric) specimen with tagged, flagged or otherwise labelled anatomical structures.

Students are required to answer questions relating to the labelled structures. Each question will typically test either the identification, anatomical relationships or function/dysfunction (functional morphology and clinical applications) of a single labelled anatomical structure.

Clinical exam

Clinical exams are arranged in a circuit of 'stations', where you will be required to perform a task. This is usually assessed by direct observation by an impartial examiner.

The stations are designed to assess your level of competence across a range of clinical competencies.

In the earlier years of the course, these stations are shorter and include assessment of communication skills, physical examination and problem-solving skills using simulated patients and healthy volunteers..

In later years, you will be expected to consult with real or simulated patients to form a conclusion about their problems and develop appropriate management plans.

Online portfolio

The online portfolio will enable you and us to document your growth throughout the programme, helping you to develop your professionalism and key life-long learning skills. It will help you to understand what is or is not going well, what you could do differently next time, and what study or practical activities can help you reach your goals.

National Assessment

Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA)

The UK Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) was introduced in 2024 by the General Medical Council (GMC) to ensure that all doctors practicing in the UK meet the same standards of core knowledge, skills, and professionalism, regardless of where they obtained their medical degree. The MLA is a standardised, national examination which is mandatory for all UK medical graduates seeking to practice medicine in the UK. It aims to provide an agreed standard of proficiency for entry into UK medical practice and to enhance public confidence in the quality and consistency of doctors entering the NHS workforce.

The MLA consists of a two-part assessment framework; an online written Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) and a practical Clinical and Professional Skills Assessment (CPSA), focusing on the knowledge and skills relevant to modern medical practice, including professionalism, communication, and patient-centred care. From academic year 2024/25 all medical students graduating from UK medical schools must pass the MLA before they can join the medical register and practice medicine in the UK.

Visit the General Medical Council website for more information about the MLA.