MEDI5016 · UKMLA clinical & professional skills
The CPSA
Southampton’s CPSA is 22 equally-weighted stations, sequentially tested — an OSCE plus the Clinical Summary Exam practical paper. Everything you need to prepare, in one place.
Pass = >75% of stations and an overall mean above the standard-set cut. High performers gain exemption after Sequence 1 — no one fails on Sequence 1 alone.
Equally weighted. Sign-off count measures procedures only — it says nothing about whether you can take a history or break bad news, so it no longer stands in for the whole CPSA.
Practise a CPSA station out loud
A timed simulated patient you speak or type to, marked on the cues a real examiner would tick. The only part of Finalist that rehearses producing a consultation rather than recognising one.
Suggested for you
Chest pain — focused history
You have not spoken through a station yet — this is the one to start with.
The patient follows an authored script and is marked exactly as it would be with AI. Connect your own compute node if you want it to improvise — Finalist runs no model of its own.
Timed simulated-patient stations you speak or type through, marked on the cues a real examiner would tick. The only part of Finalist that rehearses producing a consultation rather than recognising one.
The CPSA, in order
Side-by-side stages are interchangeable — take them in any order. Later stages are greyed as advice, never locked: if your placement needs something now, go and get it.
Say it out loud
you are hereProduction, not recognition. The spoken stations are the part students most reliably under-practise, and reading a framework does not rehearse them.
2 in parallel — either order
Histories
comes laterTwelve presenting complaints with their red flags and differentials — the spine of any history station.
Examinations
comes laterFifteen routines. Runs parallel to the histories because the two are independent and both are pure rehearsal.
Communication
comes laterSixteen scenarios. The pitfalls are where the marks actually move, so read those before the frameworks.
Practical procedures
comes laterCompetence here is a count of supervised performances rather than a feeling, so this is the one segment measured by sign-offs.
History, examination, communication, MSE, prescribing, data interpretation, procedures, professionalism — with the marking domains and a practice log.
The CPSA, in order
Side-by-side stages are interchangeable — take them in any order. Later stages are greyed as advice, never locked: if your placement needs something now, go and get it.
Say it out loud
you are hereProduction, not recognition. The spoken stations are the part students most reliably under-practise, and reading a framework does not rehearse them.
2 in parallel — either order
Histories
comes laterTwelve presenting complaints with their red flags and differentials — the spine of any history station.
Examinations
comes laterFifteen routines. Runs parallel to the histories because the two are independent and both are pure rehearsal.
Communication
comes laterSixteen scenarios. The pitfalls are where the marks actually move, so read those before the frameworks.
Practical procedures
comes laterCompetence here is a count of supervised performances rather than a feeling, so this is the one segment measured by sign-offs.
The 23 GMC skills you must reach competence in — learn each and track your progress to the target level.
The CPSA, in order
Side-by-side stages are interchangeable — take them in any order. Later stages are greyed as advice, never locked: if your placement needs something now, go and get it.
Say it out loud
you are hereProduction, not recognition. The spoken stations are the part students most reliably under-practise, and reading a framework does not rehearse them.
2 in parallel — either order
Histories
comes laterTwelve presenting complaints with their red flags and differentials — the spine of any history station.
Examinations
comes laterFifteen routines. Runs parallel to the histories because the two are independent and both are pure rehearsal.
Communication
comes laterSixteen scenarios. The pitfalls are where the marks actually move, so read those before the frameworks.
Practical procedures
comes laterCompetence here is a count of supervised performances rather than a feeling, so this is the one segment measured by sign-offs.
Written practical paper: Parts A & B (audio-visual — notes, MSE, referral, discharge) + Part C (practical prescribing).
The CPSA, in order
Side-by-side stages are interchangeable — take them in any order. Later stages are greyed as advice, never locked: if your placement needs something now, go and get it.
Say it out loud
you are hereProduction, not recognition. The spoken stations are the part students most reliably under-practise, and reading a framework does not rehearse them.
2 in parallel — either order
Histories
comes laterTwelve presenting complaints with their red flags and differentials — the spine of any history station.
Examinations
comes laterFifteen routines. Runs parallel to the histories because the two are independent and both are pure rehearsal.
Communication
comes laterSixteen scenarios. The pitfalls are where the marks actually move, so read those before the frameworks.
Practical procedures
comes laterCompetence here is a count of supervised performances rather than a feeling, so this is the one segment measured by sign-offs.
Assessment of Clinical Competence, practical-procedure sign-offs and ILS — the third finals module, with its deadlines.
The CPSA, in order
Side-by-side stages are interchangeable — take them in any order. Later stages are greyed as advice, never locked: if your placement needs something now, go and get it.
Say it out loud
you are hereProduction, not recognition. The spoken stations are the part students most reliably under-practise, and reading a framework does not rehearse them.
2 in parallel — either order
Histories
comes laterTwelve presenting complaints with their red flags and differentials — the spine of any history station.
Examinations
comes laterFifteen routines. Runs parallel to the histories because the two are independent and both are pure rehearsal.
Communication
comes laterSixteen scenarios. The pitfalls are where the marks actually move, so read those before the frameworks.
Practical procedures
comes laterCompetence here is a count of supervised performances rather than a feeling, so this is the one segment measured by sign-offs.