Thread by @ThePhoenix_90

@TheGPhC @gmabbam @prof_standards @the_pda @rpharms @BTLGroup @BBCNews @DailyMailUK @Telegraph @nadhimzahawi
A thread highlighting the incompetence of the general pharmaceutical council (GPhC), assessment provider (BTL) and examination issues. READ BELOW...

On Wednesday 29/06/2022, thousands of pre-registration pharmacists sat an extremely pivotal exam, the result of which determines their future- whether they will be allowed to practice as a pharmacist despite 4 years of study and a further year of training on the job.

The exam; set out in 2 parts- calculations (40 questions; 3 minutes per question) and clinical (120 questions; 1.25 minutes per question) over the course of 4.5 hours.
Not only are we required to pass both elements of the exam but we are also required to achieve 70% in EACH!!!

The Gphc, despite having placed such a high pass mark, provide ZERO support for their pre-registration pharmacists, leaving them to fend for themselves in such a tumultuous point of their studies and career. We are required to juggle a full time job and study for said exam...

dedicate all our time and energy and yet are left STRANDED by our governing body who should be giving us their upmost support during this time.

Now with all this being in place, you would expect students to be provided with multiple revision aids, mocks, past papers, a syllabus- that thoroughly outlines what we will and won't be tested on, seminars etc. But we are given NOTHING...

anything that is provided requires some sort of payment and does not even reflect the actual exam in any way.

We are only provided with a very basic framework and barely any sample questions and told to use these to study;

now students having used this framework as a reflection of the exam were left in pure disbelief and shock when faced with the exam that took place on the 29th as it majorly diverged from the framework set out by the @TheGPhC

The questions were extremely long winded and felt impossible to do in the time frame given; students were taking 10 minutes plus to complete questions that according to the time regulations should only take 3 minutes to do- I ask, could @TheGPhC do the same Qs in 3 mins/less?

Students were left feeling completely disheartened after such a horrendous calculation paper that it most definitely affected their performance in the 2nd clinical paper, which was also much harder than expected- which included calcs-IMPOSSIBLE TO DO QUICKLY WITHOUT A CALCULATOR.

Certain test centres had such a delay in their examination start- due to computers crashing that students were finishing their exam at 11pm at night!!- Having been there since 9:30am!! And yet all @TheGPhC can do is 'apologise' because that certainly makes up for everything...

... despite going against their own code of conduct and standards and violating at least one human health right.

Their solution to this, is potentially putting those affected by delays on a provisional register and/or nullifying their attempt should they not pass.

Although we empathise with our peers for having to go through such a harrowing experience, we cannot guarantee whether or not these students had access to exam material/help during the delay, hence putting them at an UNFAIR ADVANTAGE of performing better than others.

Some test centres also did not carry out the checks that they were required to do, allowing students to use calculators in the 2nd non-calculator paper. Again putting those that did not use a calculator at a DISADVANTAGE!!
The exam conditions were not the same standard for all!!!

Yet all @TheGPhC seem to be focusing on are the delays when in reality there is so much more that went wrong!!

The irony that the exam is used to test our competency whilst the GPhC has shown themselves to be INCOMPETENT COUNTLESS TIMES!!!
@the_pda @BBCNews @nadhimzahawi

To top all this off, @TheGPhC, only allow students to take this exam a MAXIMUM OF 3 TIMES (which also needs to be completed within an 8 year time limit from starting your degree) after which if you do not pass you are unable to practice as a pharmacist...

For many people this was their 3rd and FINAL attempt and have now been left in complete distraught, stress and anxiety at the thought of their education essentially going down the drain due to a poorly written exam that in no way determines one's competency/adequacy to practice.

'THREE STRIKES AND YOU'RE OUT' is what the @TheGPhC goes by when it comes to THEIR OWN Pre-registration pharmacists, considering that they themselves have REPEATEDLY made the same mistakes; MORE THAN THREE TIMES, are they out??'

We have been repeatedly let down by our governing body, a body that should support us in every way but instead continue to fail us! @TheGPhC and their inadequacy is making people lose their passion for pharmacy. It's time they change. Learn from @gmcuk. Fix up or be gone.

@BBCLondonNews @BBCNews @BBCRadioLondon @MailOnline @SkyNews @the_pda @rpharms @nadhimzahawi @TheGPhC #gphcexam #gphc #preregistration