Examination Complaints and Appeals Policy

Candidates must inform the RCoA Examinations Department of any procedural irregularities and exceptional circumstances as soon as possible following an examination and before the publication of results using the complaints process.  This helps the Examinations Department to determine the likely scale of any issues which may have arisen as early as possible.  

Candidates must submit their appeal in writing within 30 calendar days of receipt of the complaint outcome.  The appeal must be made using the online form and include all documentary evidence.  The appeal must state the grounds for appeal, provide supporting evidence, and state the desired outcome.  

Candidates are not able to apply to enter a new examination if an appeal has been submitted and remains unresolved. If an appeal is submitted based on a complaint with an examination sitting after applying for a subsequent examination sitting, the appeal will be dismissed so the candidate can take their examination sitting. 

All appeals will be acknowledged via email. In this acknowledgement candidates will be provided with a timeline for consideration of the initial appeal, steps the College or Faculty will be taking to undertake an initial investigation, and contact details to be used during the appeals process.   

The Examinations Department will determine whether the Appeal submitted has met the criteria set out in section “grounds for an appeal” to proceed to an Appeals stage. 

It is essential to establish a fair and equitable framework for assessing the validity of the candidate's appeal. As such, the burden of proof lies with the candidate. This means that the candidate must present substantial documentary evidence to support their appeal, demonstrating that an irregularity or unfairness occurred in the examination assessment process that was not satisfactorily addressed through the complaints process. 

The candidate is responsible for gathering and providing relevant evidence to support their appeal. This evidence may include, but is not limited to: 

a. Detailed documentation: The candidate must provide a comprehensive written statement outlining the grounds for the appeal. This statement should clearly articulate the alleged irregularity or unfairness in the assessment process, providing specific details and supporting arguments. 

b. Supporting documentation: The candidate should include any supporting documentation that strengthens their case. This may include relevant emails, correspondence, or any other relevant material that sheds light on the circumstances surrounding the appeal. 

 One of the next steps may follow: 

a. The appeal meets the grounds for appeal and the College or Faculty will form a review panel. 

b. If the appeal is considered unsubstantiated or does not involve one of the permitted grounds (e.g., no complaint previously received within timeframe), the candidate will be notified and informed that their appeal will not progress any further.  

c. If the appeal is considered vexatious or malicious, or that the appellant has used false information, the appeal will not progress any further. In this instance the appellant may be liable for action under the Misconduct sections in the Examination Regulations.  

To ensure the effective operation of this policy and to allow all issues to be appropriately resolved, the Examinations Department will review all issue(s) raised concerning the quality of a service provided by the College or Faculties including issues such as staff/ examiner/ invigilator conduct, feedback on examination content, disputes about the Examination Regulations, or other procedures or application process. Even where grounds for appeal have not been satisfied, these issues will be logged and feed into the continuous improvement facets of College and Faculty work. 

The Examinations Department will investigate the issue(s) raised by a candidate appealing an examination. This may take the form of for example, obtaining video footage and time-stamped data for the online written exams, speaking to examiners and invigilators, reviewing floor logs and examiner feedback for the clinical exams.  Such evidence will be presented to the Review Panel alongside the candidate evidence submitted with the appeal.