Candidate code of conduct

You are expected to behave in a professional and respectful manner throughout all RCR exams, consistent with the values of the General Medical Council’s Good Medical Practice.

Before, during and after the exam your interactions with the wider RCR exam team must be polite and respectful. This team includes examiners, invigilators, RCR officers, staff and anyone else involved in the delivery of exams. This applies to communication by telephone, e-mail, letter or face-to-face. It also applies to any comments made on websites or social media.

Physical or verbal abuse, or the threat of such abuse, will be regarded as a form of misconduct.

Harassment or bullying will not be tolerated. Harassment includes any unwanted conduct affecting the dignity of members of the RCR team. Bullying may include offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour intended to undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient.

You are expected to be familiar with the format of the exams you are taking and to be suitably prepared. This includes having made use of relevant resources and practice facilities available from the RCR website

You must comply with the instructions and requirements of the invigilators, RCR staff and examiners at all times.

You are expected to act with respect for fellow candidates. Examples of inappropriate behaviour may include, but are not restricted to, threats, undermining of confidence, questioning a candidate’s abilities.

You must be considerate of other candidates at exam venues and not behave in ways likely to disrupt them. Examples of disruptive behaviour may include, but are not restricted to, talking to oneself, humming, sighing, excessively heavy breathing, foot tapping.

If you need to engage with invigilators, you should raise your hand to draw attention and conduct discussions in a suitably low voice.

In the communications station of the Final Clinical Oncology exam, the role player should be treated as you would treat a patient or colleague.

Invigilators’ role is to support candidates in ensuring the exam is conducted efficiently, they are not able to interpret exam questions. Candidates should answer questions to the best of their ability and should not ask for assistance from invigilators in doing so. In the Part B exams it is acceptable to ask examiners for clarification of their questions and instructions.

The RCR assumes the copyright of all exam materials. Candidates must not publish or in any other way attempt to share any exam content

During some exams, clinical scenarios may include anonymised patient information. Candidates are reminded that patients’ confidentiality must be respected at all times.

Academic misconduct includes cheating, or attempting to help others to cheat, and sharing of exam content. Examples include:

• Falsifying or altering admission or identification documents

• Impersonating, or attempting to impersonate, another candidate

• Falsely obtaining, or attempting to obtain, exam materials before the exam

• Attempting to access exam platforms outside of an exam environment

• Having an electronic device on your person during the exam. This included phones, tablets, smart watches, smart pens, Bluetooth headphones and other similar devices

• Using any electronic device (other than those provided) during the exam

• Using notes (in any form) or other unauthorised materials during the exam

• Attempting to gain access to or read the work of another candidate

• Making work available to another candidate for copying

• Attempting to communicate with another candidate during the exam

• Attempting to copy or record the details of exam questions or cases

• Continuing to provide responses when told to stop

• Attempting to release or releasing exam content to a third party (this includes making exam content available online)

• Removing exam materials from an exam room

• Falsifying or altering results documents

• Making false claims about passing exams.

• Any other form of cheating, deception, fraud or conduct that is likely to give an unfair advantage to a candidate or candidates

All reported or observed misconduct will be investigated and this may lead to sanctions.

More details of the process to be followed are provided in the misconduct policy.