The Transition Year

Legacy OSCE/SOE formats remain available only to eligible candidates with a valid partial pass until June 2028.

What Is a valid partial pass?

A valid partial pass means you’ve passed either the OSCE or SOE but not both. You’ll be eligible to complete the remaining component during the transition year.

For example, a candidate who has passed the SOE but failed the OSCE (and therefore failed overall) will be eligible to complete the remaining component during the 2027–2028 academic year. 

After June 2028, partial passes will expire and cannot be carried forward.

All other candidates will sit the new examination formats from July 2027 onwards.

Candidate eligibility 

Legacy exam access in 2027-2028 is restricted to candidates with a valid partial pass in OSCE or SOE.

No legacy exam attempts will be available after July 2028.

Candidates who:

• Do not hold a valid partial pass by academic year 2027-2028
• Have passed MCQ but not yet attempted OSCE/SOE

will sit the new exam format (ACRE) in 2027-2028.

Exam pathways: What happens after your result?

Use the decision tree below to explore your next steps based on your exam outcome in Academic Year 2026–2027. This diagram shows the progression routes for candidates sitting the FCICM OSCE/SOE, including options for partial passes, resits, and transition to the new exam formats in 2027–2028.

FCICM examination pathways

If you sit the FCICM OSCE/SOE in October 2026, your results will give you several pathways:

• If you pass: Congratulations! You have nothing further to do.
• If you receive a partial pass:
  • You may complete your remaining component in March 2027 or during academic year 2027-28 or
  • You can sit the new Applied Clinical Reasoning Examination (ACRE) in academic year 2027–28 at a reduced fee.
• If you do not pass any component:
  • You may resit in March 2027 or
  • You can sit ACRE in academic year 2027–28.

Recommendation for candidates - Wait to sit

Because ACRE is designed to mirror real clinical practice and provide a clearer, more streamlined assessment pathway, many candidates may prefer to move directly to ACRE rather than completing remaining legacy components.

Candidates who wish to wait to sit the new examination format should contact us if the validity of their written exam expires during this time. We will extend the validity by one year on request.

Transition timeline 

Banked components & validity extensions

• Legacy OSCE/SOE candidates must pass their remaining component by June 2028 or transition to the new format.
• Written components are valid for 3 years from the point of passing. Candidates who wish to wait to sit the new examination format should contact us if the validity of their written exam expires during this time. We will extend the validity by one year on request.

Exam attempts

• Attempts at a new written or clinical oral exam in academic year 2027-2028 will be classed as attempt number one with the exception of those sitting legacy components during this year.
• The maximum of six attempts at a component remains unchanged. If you have failed an exam component six times, you are no longer eligible to sit further exams.

Extenuating circumstances

Candidates who cannot sit exams in the transition year due to:

• Health reasons
• Parental leave
• Other personal circumstances

will resume in the new exam format upon return.

Legacy exam sample materials

Legacy sample materials will remain available to candidates sitting OSCE/SOE during the 2027–2028 transition year. 

• FCICM OSCE/SOE Resources