Hundreds of students of the school of nursing take part in an open-air examination at a playground of an vocational college in Baoji, Shaanxi province, China, May 25, 2015.
Hundreds of students of the school of nursing take part in an open-air examination at a playground of an vocational college in Baoji, Shaanxi province, China, May 25, 2015. Reuters/Stringer

About 800 trainee doctors across Australia and New Zealand took the Royal Australasian College of Physicians’ Divisional Medical Physicians Exam on Monday, but they will have to retake it next month. The RACP has apologised after the exam was cancelled halfway due to a technical glitch.

It was the first time that the exam was conducted via computers through the online exam software company Pearson Vue. The participants spent months studying for the gruelling test, paying about $1,800 for the exam. Some of them had requested time off from their jobs in hospitals just to sit for the paper.

However, about five hours into the exam, they were told they would need to retake it. The problem arose from “technical issues,” resulting in hundreds of trainee doctors being locked out of the second part of the online test.

According to Pedestrian.TV, many of the participants were first told about the error through a message sent by RAPC via a private Facebook group. Some of them had already finished the whole exam and had only found out that they need to re-sit it from others.

The RACP announced the new date for the exam is on March 2, Friday. There will be no extra charge associated with the retaking of the test.

“The RACP is very disappointed that there has been a problem with today’s Computer Based Written Divisional exam, and we apologise to all trainee candidates for the distressed caused,” the letter from RACP reads. “In order to be fair – the Chairs of the Adult and Paediatric Exam Committees have determined that there will be an obligatory paper-based re-sit of the exam for all candidates.”

Dr Catherine Yelland PSM, RACP president, offered confidential counselling and support service to all trainees and fellows experiencing emotional and psychological stress brought upon by the announcement. She added that Pearson Vue would be providing a report within 24 hours.

“Our converge line is available if you need to talk about the stress you have experienced. This is a confidential counselling and support service available to all RACP Trainees and Fellows and can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Anyone who needs professional support is encouraged to call 1300 687 327 in Australia, or 0800 666 367 in New Zealand.”

The exam is taken by doctors who have completed medical training. Participants spent more than a year preparing and studying for it. Many of them have already booked overseas holidays following the test to celebrate.

Pedestrian.TV also notes that RACP ran into a similar issue with another Pearson Vue exam six months ago. Computers froze during an exam for registrars hoping to become orthopaedics.

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