PRES Quality Development

The Medical Council operates the Pre-Registration Examination System [PRES] to ensure doctors entering the health system in Ireland can demonstrate clinical knowledge, skills and behaviours necessary for good professional practice.  This has been subject to an external review. Quality development of the PRES will ensure that the Medical Council delivers on its strategic objective to ensure that appropriately qualified and competent doctors are permitted entry to the Register of Medical Practitioners.  A number of initiatives are completed and underway to develop and better manage the quality of the PRES so that it achieves this purpose. 

Streamlining examination of clinical knowledge

The PRES has traditionally been a two-step assessment operated by the Medical Council: Level 2 assesses clinical knowledge using Multi-Choice Questions and Level 3 assesses clinical skills and behaviours using Data Interpretation Questions and Objective Structured Clinical Examination [OSCE].  Candidates for PRES Level 3 can now access that examination through demonstration of clinical knowledge through an internationally recognised pre-registration examination. 

Establishing the Scope for the PRES

An assessment blueprint helps those designing an exam to determine what is in and what is out of scope and with what frequency different types of content should appear.  A blueprint for the PRES Level 3 (PDF) has been created by Dr Helen Hynes and a team from University College Cork in order to further enhance the Level 3 examination.  The main aim of this blueprint is to ensure each examination widely samples the competence required of a doctor who wishes to practice medicine in Ireland.  The content of the blueprint is tied to the Medical Council’s Eight Domains of Good Professional Practice and will underpin the planning and composition of each PRES Level 3 examination.   Establishing the scope of the PRES is fairer for candidates and makes for a more effective exam. 

Further quality development

An external examiner function is being built in to the PRES Level 3 to externally ensure the consistent application of assessment content, processes and standards of the PRES.  This will ensure consistency and fairness across all PRES Level 3 examinations.  External examiners will ensure that the Medical Council’s assessment policy is implemented in a robust and appropriate manner at each Level 3 examination.  They will also ensure that each PRES candidate has been fairly assessed and will adjudicate on appeals.