Results

Results are initially published in the Member’s area of the College website. Just log in using your username and password. A paper-based results letter is also sent out on results day by first class post.

Click here to create a new account. You will need your surname and membership number. 

Your membership number is displayed in your Member area.

Results letters are sent out on the day results are published on the College website. They are sent to your registered address. You should receive your hard copy of the results letter in the next couple of days. If you would like to see your results before then, you can check them by logging onto the College website.

For privacy reasons, it is College policy not to share results over the phone/by email. Please either log in to the secure College site or wait to receive your results letter in the post.

Until you have received your GOC number, you remain a pre-registered optometrist. This means that you cannot do anything additional to what you were allowed to do as a trainee. You must practise under the supervision of your College supervisor.

In your pass pack, sent out on results day, there is a GOC application form. If you would like to join immediately, you can download a copy of the form from the GOC website. Just fill that in and post it to the College with payment for your GOC application fee. We will then forward your application and payment to the GOC. If you want to pay by card, you can telephone the GOC directly or there is an option for them to call you back. 

A GOC form has been sent in your Pass Pack which you should receive in the next couple of days. Otherwise, you can download one directly from the GOC website. 

Please send your completed form to the College; we have included a stamped addressed envelope in your passpack to do this. Otherwise, send the form to: Education team, College of Optometrists, 42 Craven Street, London WC2N 5NG. 

Do not send it directly to the GOC as they will simply send it back to us for verification. 

You can send your payment by cheque to the College with your completed GOC application form. We will forward this on by Special Delivery. If you want to pay by card, you can telephone the GOC directly or there is an option for them to call you back.

This can vary. We recommend you check the GOC website for guidance. 

Yes, the link to do this is on your results page.

Othweise, we have sent you an application form in your Pass Pack. You should receive this a couple of days after results day. Please send this back to College at your earliest convenience. Please be aware that you receive a discounted membership rate of only £29.87 for your first year if you pay online for your first year.

Yes. These will then be processed by the College. 

A breakdown of your performance in each station is included with the hard copy of your results sent to your registered address.

We have included a sheet on Professional Indemnity Insurance in your Pass Pack. 

You need to visit the National Performers List website and download the application form and guidance notes. This will then tell you exactly what you need to do to fill in the form and complete the documentation and the checks that are required. You will need to provide details of two colleagues who can provide a clinical reference – one of them can be your supervisor. CRB checks can be arranged through a third party provider and details can be found on the AOP’s website.

The NHS England Performers website allows you to apply on the basis of where you are living or where you will be working – you just put in the relevant post code and contact the area team that covers that postcode. However, the address should be one where you can receive postal communications, so an out of date work address might not be ideal. You will probably have to present yourself in person with your application and therefore cannot post it in. You may need to arrange an appointment Page 5 of 9 with the NHS area team to do this – make sure you plan this and take photo ID with you.

Make sure your two clinical referees are happy to be contacted by the NHS area team because this can cause a delay to your application if they are not available. Let the NHS area team know your GOC number as soon as you receive it after successfully completing your scheme for registration.

A detailed breakdown of your marks for each station and overall mark for the day is sent to you with your results letter if you have failed. This should be with you in a couple of days. It is not possible to email you the breakdown on results day

Candidates may request copies of their mark sheets. There is a £10 administration fee for this service. Please look at the sample mark sheet on our website before requesting copies of your mark sheets. The mark sheets do not contain any feedback or details of the objectives for the station. You can view the sample sheet here in the Final Assessment page of the website. If you would like to request your marksheets, contact Adam Shonk at adam.shonk@collegeoptometrists.org or on 020 7766 4361. 

The objectives are the steps you should take to perform the task. If we release the objectives we will be telling you the answers. We re-use OSCE stations several times during the year. It is possible that candidates may be examined on the same station in their re-sit exam. If we released details of the station objectives this would give re- sit candidates an unfair advantage over first time candidates. 

Examiners are not asked to provide written feedback on individual candidates. They have 60 seconds between candidates to complete the mark sheets and this time is only used to give a considered mark. For this reason we cannot give detailed feedback on exam performance.
 

The only record we have of a candidate's performance in an OSCE is the mark sheet completed by the examiner. For this reason we cannot re-mark the exam. Each sheet is scanned by a computer and carefully checked by eye to make sure our records are correct.

Although disappointing for candidates, we do not change exam marks. 

We use the borderline regression method of calculating results. Each station has between three and six objectives which candidates are marked against. The examiner will give each candidate a mark between 0 and 4 for each objective. In addition to this the examiner will give a mark between 0 and 5 for the candidate’s overall performance.

The total possible mark for a station is 400. Objectives do not contribute equally to this score: some are more important than others. Each objective is given a percentage weighting depending on how important it is to the task the candidate is trying to complete. For example, a communication station might have four objectives: making a diagnosis, explaining the diagnosis to the patient, choosing an appropriate management plan for that patient and communicating the plan in a professional manner. Because the station focuses on communication the explaining and communicating objectives both contribute 40% of the mark, while the diagnosis and management objectives only contribute 10% each.

The examiner does not know the weightings for the objectives. This compensates for any conscious or unconscious bias the examiner may have.

When the results are processed we multiply the score the examiner gave by the weighting for that objective. So in the example above, if the candidate scored 3 on every objective, the weighted score would be 120 for each of the communication objectives and 30 for the other objectives. This gives a total score of 300 out of 400.

To calculate the pass mark for the station we look at the scores for every candidate who has ever taken that station. We compare the mean station score with the midpoint of the overall grade (0-5) given by the examiners. Plotted on a graph it would look like this:

The point where the two lines meet is the pass mark for the station. This means that the pass mark is set using the average ability of entry-level optometrists as well as examiner judgment.

Borderline regression is a method of standard setting that is used by medical professionals all over the world. It is considered to be the most objective way of setting the standard for practical exams such as OSCEs and is recognised internationally. 

No. You must complete the OSCE application form. You must also pay for your resit, please see our Fees section for current costs. You must pay for the resit when you apply. We will not release your timetable until the fee has been paid.  

Future examination dates can be found here.

The number of resits you have remaining will be stated at the bottom of the results letter sent out on results day. 

Visit the Preparing for the OSCE page for useful tips on revising for the examination.