THE MEDICAL REPRESENTATIVES EXAMINATION

THE EXAM FORMATS

In order to deliver the flexibility which the industry requires, the ABPI offers two options:

• The traditional examination
• The Accredited Programme (only available to companies)

Each of these is described below.

The traditional examination.

The exam structure:

a. Morning Paper

The morning paper is in three parts:

Paper 1. The industry and the Code of Practice (30 questions, 23 on the Code of Practice)

Paper 2. The human body, pathology, pharmacology (30 questions)

Paper 3. Body systems (140 questions)

• cardiovascular
• respiratory
• central nervous system
• digestive
• musculo-skeletal
• endocrine
• urinary
• reproduction
• skin
• special senses
  

Candidates need to pass all three papers with a mark of at least 60 per cent. Candidates scoring 80 per cent in all three papers at the same sitting will be eligible for a 'distinction' certificate, subject to passing all 3 specialist papers at the same sitting with 80 per cent or more.

The morning papers have an equal distribution of questions drawn from the ten topic areas under 'body systems'.

b. Afternoon specialist subject examination papers

Candidates must select 3 examination subjects from the following list of topics. Examinations are based on materials contained within Volume 2 of the ABPI learning material.

Paper 1 Arthritis and bone disease
Paper 2 Pharmacology
Paper 3 Oncology
Paper 4 Hypertension and Coronary Artery Disease
Paper 5 Dyslipidaemia
Paper 6 Respiratory diseases
Paper 7 Immunology
Paper 8 Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
Paper 9 Depressive illness and schizophrenia
Paper 10 Gastro-duodenal diseases
Paper 11 Osteoporosis
Paper 12 Diabetes
Paper 13 Female reproductive health
Paper 14 Male reproductive health
Paper 15 Dermatology

Criteria for passing the exam

The exam is divided into six papers; all have to be passed with a score of 60% or more. Candidates who fail one paper only, in either or both of the morning/afternoon exams may re-sit the single paper that they failed (in either session). Candidates who fail more than one paper in either or both of the morning/afternoon exams must resit the entire exam session (morning or afternoon).

Individual paper re-sits will be made available at the January, May, July and November examinations.

Time expiry of qualifications.

In order to register a valid overall ‘pass’ the morning and afternoon papers must be taken and passed within 3 years of each other.

Generic Medicines Representatives

Generic Representatives sit the same morning exam paper as Medical Representatives.

ABPI Accredited Programme

This programme is also essentially a modular approach to the ABPI examination, whereby the examination is normally taken in several stages. Candidates study learning materials based on company product training manuals which have been accredited by the ABPI. Copyright and other intellectual property rights in the company training manuals vests in the individual pharmaceutical company concerned and the training materials themselves are treated as confidential outside the company and the ABPI.

The cost per candidate of sitting the accredited programme is £1,000 plus VAT. This includes the following: ABPI distance learning programme; mock examination (optional); up to ten examination opportunities a year; invigilation; marking of the papers; and the certificate for successful candidates.

Any tips for passing the exam?

1. Read the Manual!

The most fundamental error that candidates make is to forget that the examination is an examination based entirely on the ABPI syllabus and Learning Manual, plus any instructions about further required reading. The correct answer, for the purpose of the exam, is what is stated in the manual.

For example, if the question asks what the normal rate of respiration in an adult is, we are seeking the answer from the manual; not what you may have been taught elsewhere.

It is also clear that some candidates are not familiar with the learning manual content. It is not a good idea to rely solely on studying mock exam papers as a way of preparation for the exam, though many candidates do this.

2. Read the questions carefully!

Instead of reading the stem of the question carefully, candidates tend to confuse themselves between two potentially correct answers, even though only one answer will be, for example, “the most common”. If we ask for the most common, we mean that. One of the multiple choice answers may perhaps offer an uncommon or rare example - discard it.

3. Can you give feedback to the Examiners?

A feedback sheet is provided, but use it with caution. Try not to waste time raising queries to numerous questions. Candidates often say that a question is ambiguous, when in fact it is not.

Of the 100 or so queries raised over examination questions in an average year around 99.9% are normally deemed to be incorrect or unsustainable by the Examination Board. It is very rare for a question to be incorrect or to have potentially more than one correct answer.

4. Are questions ever wrong, or have more than one answer?

It is very unusual. If you have been misled as to the likelihood of there being ‘wrong’ questions in the examination, you are bound to be nervous and excessively cautious. It is actually very rare for a question to be incorrect or to be so ambiguous that a credit mark has to be given.

5. Use all of the time available!

Many candidates leave the examination rooms early, some by as much as an hour before the end of the time allowed. It is clear that if they paced themselves better and considered the questions more thoroughly, they might improve their scores. Many of the questions can be answered by a process of logic and deduction, so use the time available to do so.

6. Follow the instructions on the papers carefully

Answer sheets have to be completed accurately. A horizontal line must be placed on the answer sheet. You would be amazed how many vertical lines, dots, ticks and other marks appear on the answer sheets!

IMPORTANT!!
Remember, when attending an examination you must take with you photographic identification such as your passport or a photo driving licence. You won’t be allowed in to the exam without them.