PRESENTATION OF CLINICAL ACTIVITY ASSESSMENT (PCA)
BEFORE THE PRESENTATION BEGINS –
could you please say to the trainee

Remember that you have 45 minutes to make your presentation

Clearly state your name

Clearly state the title of your presentation

You will be given a time warning 5 minutes before the end
Presentation of Clinical Practice (PCA)
Currently Reports of Clinical Activity are limited to written presentations with predetermined ordered
subsections. As an alternative to this format, the RCA written report will be replaced by a formal
verbal presentation. The verbal presentations will have no predetermined sections, thereby, freeing
the trainee to design a presentation that best fits their chosen clinical case.
The trainee will be assessed on their ability to present a clinical case clearly and sequentially,
thereby illustrating:
1.
2.
Ability to defend their clinical practice, and
Clinical understanding.
By means of this presentation, the ability to defend clinical practice will be examined with regards
to, assessment, treatment, formulation and its empirical/theory practice basis. The Trainee’s
intervention defence will need to evaluate quantitative and qualitative changes [addressing internal
validity] whilst identifying barriers to intervention efficacy.
In addition, this presentation should demonstrate the awareness of the referral context and any
possible hidden agendas, systemic issues, interdisciplinary or interagency practice variables.
Awareness and responsiveness to safety, ethical, and legal issues will be evaluated, where
appropriate.
.
The table below provides a summary checklist of areas to be included within the Presentation of
Clinical Activity.
Ability to:
Defend clinical practice
Checklist for areas to be covered:
Awareness of:
Referral context and possible hidden agendas
Present assessment/treatment rationale
Systemic issues
Integrate theory practice links
Interdisciplinary/interagency practices
Evaluate quantitative and qualitative change
Ethical, safety and legal issues
Identify intervention barriers
The above listed areas for evaluation have been dovetailed with competency requirements as set out
in the Programme Specification.
Assessment Procedures
The trainee will be required to present a minimum 35 minutes to a maximum 45 minutes clinical
presentation to two Clinical Psychologists. This will be followed by a viva at which the trainee will be
required to defend his/her clinical practice.
Both presentation and viva will be videoed for verification by a moderator and/or external examiner
if required [i.e. for ratings of Distinction, Pass with modest amendments, or Clear Fail]. Where
verification is not required assessment results will be awarded the day after the presentation.
Currently, RCA results are awarded on average 4 to 5 weeks from submission date. Where
verification is required an additional seven weeks can be added.
Marking Criteria
The Presentation of Clinical Practice will be given a grade according to the four following categories;
1
2
3
4
5
=
=
=
=
=
Distinction
Pass
Pass with minor amendments
Pass with modest amendments
Clear fail
Marking standards
Distinction
This presentation/viva must be of the highest clinical standard, providing a clear and sequential
account of a clinical intervention. Across the presentation and viva, the trainee must have
successfully defended their clinical practices as it relates to assessment – treatment rationale,
integration of theory practice links, and evaluation of quantitative and/or qualitative data. Any
identified barriers to the efficacy must be specified.
In addition, the trainee must clearly demonstrate an understanding of the referral context and any
possible hidden agendas. Systems issues and interdisciplinary interagency practices must be
clarified where appropriate. With regards to safety factors, a risk analysis must be specified along
with any ethical/legal issues.
Pass
This presentation/viva represents a clinical intervention expected of a competent and safe Clinical
Psychologist. It must be a clear and sequential account, with a strong defence of practice.
Assessment/treatment rationale, integration of theory practice links, and evaluate of quantitative
and/or qualitative data must be appropriate. Significant intervention barriers affecting your
treatment efficacy need to be specified. An understanding of systemic issues and interdisciplinary
interagency practices must been considered. Overall, the presentation/viva may have some minor
omissions but this must be within the context of the above.
Pass with minor amendments
This grade applies to any presentation/viva which is comparable to a pass grade, with the exception
of some additional clarifications of a minor nature. However, the work presented must be
representative of safe, ethical and legal intervention.
Pass with modest amendments
Overall, this presentation/viva fails to reach an acceptable clinical standard. There is inadequate
defence of practice, through a failure to demonstrate clinical practice and its basis in appropriate
empirically founded Clinical Psychological principles, failure to correct, understand the referral
question/context and evident hidden agendas.
Clear Fail
The presentation/viva fails to reach an acceptable clinical standard in its inability to defend its
clinical practice either on an empirically founded basis, safety, ethical or legal grounds.
Scoring Sheet
Candidate:
Presentation Title:
1. Clarity of presentation and
sequence of story
2. Awareness of: referral context
and possible hidden agendas
Score
1
Score
2
Variance
Total Score
Total
Score
Total
Variance
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
3 Awareness of: systemic issues
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
4 Awareness of: assessment
/treatment Rationale
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
5 Awareness of: barriers to
intervention
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
6 Awareness of: ethical, safety
and legal issues
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
7 Ability to defend clinical
practice
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
8 Ability to manage
interagency/interdisciplinary
practice
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
9 Ability to evaluate quantitative
and qualitative change
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
10 Ability to integrate theory
practice links
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Notes
[All notes will be kept on file]
Overall grade
Distinction
Pass
Pass with minor
amendments
9-10
7-8
5-6
Pass with
modest
amendments
3-4
Clear Fail
1-2
Feedback
Strengths
Needs
Pass with Minor Amendments / Pass with Modest Amendments
[Statement of Minor Modifications]
Comments from the Examiners - for consideration only