In May this year, following extensive development, the College held a trial of the proposed new Professional Qualifying Examination, PQE, part II. The new examination incorporates Multiple Choice Questions/Visual Recognition, Interpretation of Clinical Signs, practical station examinations and case scenarios. These changes are designed to achieve greater objectivity to the examination.
A team from the General Optical Council's Education Committee attended the trial. The GOC Team planned to make a report to the September meeting of the Committee, advising the Committee and the Council whether the College could be given leave to continue with the development of the PQE part II, so that the new examination format could be introduced in 2004.
The trial demonstrated positive areas of the proposed examination; both the written and the Clinical Management elements performed well. The trial also informed the way forward for a system to be used by the examiners to record their assessment of the practical stations, and identified that examiner training is a priority.
As a result of the information gleaned from the trial, the College has concluded that it should administer a further trial during 2003. The College has informed the GOC of its decision. Consequently, the College and the GOC will work towards a 2005 introduction of the examination.
The development work in 2003 will investigate and provide further data to correctly assess the degree of difficulty of the Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), the weighting of the practical elements and the pre-testing of case scenarios. The first trial showed that these tasks need to be undertaken by a peer group that accurately reflect the standard required for fitness to practise by a newly qualified optometrist. The College has already started work in this area, utilising newly qualified members of the profession to assist in further development.
Professor Mike Salmon, Chair of the General Optical Council Education Committee commented: "It is essential that, due to the magnitude and complexity of this project, every effort is made to ensure that the proposed exam is robust and effective before it is put into use. For this reason, the GOC supports the College's decision to conduct further work and trials."