MMED (PSYCHIATRY) EXAMINATION
Information for candidates on exam grading
Written examination: Paper I (Essay) & Paper II (Short Answer Questions)
Paper I (Essay) - 3 hours
The candidate has to answer 5 out of 7 questions. Of the 7 questions, 3 are on General Psychiatry and
the other 4 on the subspecialties (Child and Adolescent, Psychogeriatrics, Forensic, Alcohol and Drug
Dependence, Mental Impairment, Psychotherapy, Rehabilitation, Liaison, Community Psychiatry).
Paper II (Short Answer Questions) - 3 hours
The candidate answers 8 out of 10 questions. Each question may have subsections. Brief and concise
answers are expected. The questions can be on any aspect in Psychiatry.
How written exams are graded
Each question carries a maximum of 10 marks.
(i)
A close marking system will be used as follows:
Grade
Very Good
Good
Pass
Fail
Poor
Marks
7 and above
6
5
4
3 and below
(ii) Paper I will have a maximum of 50 marks (5 questions) and Paper II a maximum of 80 marks (8
questions). The total marks for each paper will be re-based to 100 marks.
(iii) To pass the Written exams, candidates must obtain a total of 100 marks or more from both
papers. The grading will be as follows:
Grade
Very Good
Good
Pass
Fail
Poor
Marks
140 and above
120 - 139
100 - 119
80 - 99
79 and below
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MMED (PSYCHIATRY) EXAMINATION
Information for candidates on exam grading
OSCE examination
The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) consists of a series of strictly-timed
‘stations’ where various areas of competence are tested by the examiner using an objective
marking scheme. The OSCE exam consists of a series of 8 stations (exam rooms/ cubicles),
each of which is timed for a precise period of 8 minutes and there is a 4 minute break
between stations.
Candidates should address their questions or remarks to the surrogate patient, unless
questioned by the examiner.
A bell will sound to mark the beginning and end of each 8 minute station. The candidates
are given time outside the examination room or cubicle to read the Information for
Candidate. They are then shown in and greeted by the examiner, who checks the
candidate’s number on the marksheet provided in the examiner’s file and instructs the
candidate to start. The examiner does not question the candidate at any point during the
interaction with the surrogate. He/she will observe and assess the candidate’s performance
using the mark sheet and grade descriptor provided.
At the 7th minute, the timekeeper or administrator will notify all parties that there is
1 minute before the end of the exam for that station with 2 knocks on the door.
At the 8th minute bell to signal the end of the station, or sooner if the candidate finishes
early, the candidate will leave the station.
Candidates are required to pass 6 out of 8 stations in order to achieve an overall pass for
the OSCE examination.
Each candidate will receive a separate mark on a Very Good, Good, Pass and Fail scale for
each component of the examination. Candidates must pass at least 6 out of the 8 stations.
Clinical examination
The candidate is given 50 minutes to examine a patient, following which he has 10 minutes
to gather his thoughts on the case. During the 50 minutes, he is expected to take a
psychiatric history, and carry out a mental state examination and a physical examination.
He will then be examined jointly by 2 Examiners for 30 minutes. In the 30 minutes, the
candidate is expected to give a case summary for 10 minutes, to interview the patient in the
presence of the examiners for 10 minutes, and be questioned on the case in the remaining
10 minutes.
The clinical examination will carry a maximum of 100 marks.
The following grades will serve as a guide.
Grade
Very Good
Good
Pass
Fail
Poor
Marks
70
60
50
40
39
and above
- 69
- 59
- 49
and below
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MMED (PSYCHIATRY) EXAMINATION
Information for candidates on exam grading
Guidelines on marks

Very Good:
an exceptional performance, has dealt in depth with case, diagnosis is
spot on, management is expert with real sophistication and relates directly to
patient's needs.

Good: a very sound performance without flaws, and with a competent management
plan. He is clearly in charge of the case, is better than average in knowledge base,
demonstrates sophistication and maturity in approach to patient's problems.

Pass: a sound performance, has achieved a specialist level of performance.
Performance is steady and adequately meets the standard. Diagnosis is supported by
signs and symptoms. Treatment is consistent with the diagnosis. There may have
been a few minor problems for the candidate. The Examiner, if he/she were the
consultant, would have little hesitation in handing over the management of the
patient to the candidate.

Fail: There is a real doubt in the examiner's mind whether the candidate deserves
to pass and the examiner may want to discuss this at the examiners' meeting.
Diagnosis is not supported by signs and symptoms. Treatment is not consistent with
the diagnosis. The candidate is often described as pedestrian or plodding and has not
met the standard to pass. The management plan is inadequate and unsafe.

Poor: means that the examiner feels that the candidate has clearly failed and is
sure of the reasons why. The Candidate has plumped for a plainly wrong diagnosis
without proper justification and could not retrieve the situation, or has given a totally
inadequate, unsafe and unsophisticated management plan or made gross errors of
judgement. The Candidate often had to be prompted through the discussion.
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