Diplomate Exam - Candidate Pack and FAQs

Following feedback from the October 2024 sitting and discussions with registrars, Heads of School, Training Programme Directors and the FPH Board, the Faculty has decided to move away from holding remotely invigilated exams.

From March 2025, the exam will be delivered through a network of distributed test centres with in-person invigilation. There will be a number of centres across the UK and one in Hong Kong. Candidates will still be required to use the TestReach platform but without the need to connect to a remote invigilator.

The locations of the test centres are Belfast; Edinburgh; London; Leeds; Birmingham; Bristol; Liverpool and Hong Kong.

International candidates outside of the Hong Kong College of Community Medicine will be required to book a space at either in Hong Kong or at a UK test centre.

Please note that test centres have been arranged according to the number of bookings per location so it will not be possible to swap to another location once the application window has closed.

Belfast

Belfast South Community Resources (BSCR

127-145 Sandy Row, Belfast, BT12 5ET

Birmingham

Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) National 
Resource Centre

BDO National Resource Centre, 4th Floor, Aqueous II, Aston Cross 
Business Village, Chester Street, Birmingham, B6 5RQ

Bristol

Engineers House Conference Venue

Engineers House, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3NB

Edinburgh

Edinburgh Training and Conference Venue

16 St. Mary's Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1SU

Hong Kong

Kenfil

2/F, Centre Point, 181 Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Liverpool

Speke Training and Education Centre

Speke Training and Education Centre, Unit House, Evans Road, 
L24 9HZ, Speke, Liverpool

Leeds

Pitman Training

Leeds Media Centre, 21 Savile Mount, Leeds, LS7 3HZ

London

Winway College of Business and Technology

AMP House, 4th Floor, Suite 14, Dingwall Road, Croydon, CR0 2LX

Reasonable adjustments

Candidates will need to submit any reasonable adjustment requests to the FPH Exams team as soon as possible after the application opening date but by 5pm on 17 January at the very latest.

Candidates will be asked to state any special arrangements required on the application booking page, for example, multi-faith room, nursing mother’s room, special equipment. We are not yet able to confirm if infants will be permitted into test centres as this will depend on the insurance of individual test centre sites.

Candidates will be permitted to bring their own screen overlays if required, permission to bring other equipment and details about permissions to have drinks and snacks etc at the exam desk will be confirmed after the application closing date.

If your request for a reasonable adjustment has changed since submitting your application form, please contact the relevant Exams Co-ordinator.

What is the process for making a booking for the exam?

To apply for the exam, please follow the attached guidelines. 

You will be able to select your chosen test centre location. This location will be confirmed after the closing date.

Guidance for candidates on how to book an FPH Diplomate exam attempt - FPH registrars and candidates with a previous attempt

Guidance for candidates on how to book an FPH Diplomate exam attempt - Non registrars and candidates with no previous attempts

As directed by the UK regulators, all candidates must sit the exam in the same delivery format. It is not possible to choose between remote invigilation and test centre delivery – all candidates are required to attend a test centre to sit the exam.

• Screen activity will be recorded for later review should there be any concerns about a candidate’s conduct.
• Test Centres may also use CCTV to ensure security.
• These recordings will be retained and deleted 60 days after the date of the exam sitting in accordance, with GDPR.
• To ensure the security of exam questions, candidates will not be able to request a copy of the recording following the exam

No. Test centres have been arranged according to the number of bookings per location so it will not be possible to swap to another location once the application window has closed.

Please arrive 45 minutes before your exam start time to allow time to register and go through the necessary security checks and invigilator briefing. 

Please note that late entry can only be permitted up to 30 minutes after your individual start time. The test centre does not have the ability to extend this further.

No. As the exam times are now booked centrally with the test centre, candidates no longer need to enrol or schedule their exam start time. Please see your booking confirmation later for your individual exam start time.

Please note that late entry can only be permitted up to 30 minutes after your individual start time. The test centre does not have the ability to extend this further.

For the afternoon paper, you will be asked to register and go through the necessary security checks 30 minutes before your exam start time.

You may leave the building or use the breakout area at the test centre during the break between 12.15 and 13.15. These timings may vary if you have an approved reasonable adjustment.

Please ensure you have one of the following forms of ID ready to show the invigilator when you arrive at the test centre.

This must have a valid date.

Please ensure the name on your confirmation letter matches the ID that you will be bringing to the test centre, if it does not match, please contact the Exams Coordinator as soon as possible to submit change of name documentation and a new booking email will then be issued.

Please have one of the identification documents listed below as proof of identity. It must be original, 
current and bear a photograph:
• Passport 
• UK Immigration and Nationality Department identification document 
• Home Office travel document 
• Driving licence 
• EU identity card 
• National identity card (or Hong Kong Identity Card for Hong Kong candidates)

If the name on the identification document is different from that on the exam centre confirmation, original evidence (no photocopies or screenshots) must be provided to show that the candidate is the 
person named in the exam centre confirmation. FPH will accept:
• A marriage or civil partnership certificate; or 
• A declaration from the awarding body which granted the primary medical qualification stating that 
both names relate to the candidate. 
• Confirmation of name change by enrolled deed poll.

If candidates do not bring the documents listed above, or if the identification document does not bear a photograph, they will not be allowed to take the examination. The examination fee will not be refundable under these circumstances.

If you are unable to provide the appropriate ID for your exam, please contact the exams coordinator

Candidates will have access to either a locker or a room that will be locked for the duration of the exam.

Candidates will be asked to:
• remove outerwear, including hats, put hoods down and remove any items that prevent identification taking place. If candidates do not feel comfortable removing any items covering their face in the registration area, 
they may request to go to a private room with a gender-specific invigilator.
• show their ears
• pull up their sleeves to show no watches or smart devices
• show their basic calculator
• show any snacks and drinks – these MUST be in completely transparent packaging (no labels)
• show any ergonomic equipment (bringing your own equipment must be approved by FPH in 
advance)
• pull out front and back pockets if any
• show or request foam earplugs
• place any personal items (including mobile phones) in the locked room or lockers provided.

The word count limit is only for Paper IIA Question 1 - no other question has a word limit imposed.

The Diplomate Exam Development Committee are currently working on new preparation materials for the website with the aim to publish these before the March 25 exam. An update on this will be provided as soon as possible.

No. It will not be possible to print questions as the questions are taken from a closed question bank and we must ensure the security of these.

Candidates should have access to their own simple non-scientific, non-programmable calculator. Invigilators will verify that the calculator matches this specification upon registration to the exam.

Examples of permitted calculators can be seen here:

Example 1

Example 2

The digital calculator within the exam canvas can be seen in the TestReach tutorials. These tutorials can be accessed upon downloading the TestReach app. Instructions will be sent to candidates by email.

Candidates are allowed to bring a snack and water for the exam. Please note that food/water must be in clear packaging / a clear container otherwise the invigilator will ask them to remove it from the room.

Please do not bring any snacks that contain nuts. Please also be mindful of bringing any snacks/packaging that could be disruptive to other candidates in terms of noise or smell.

Yes, you may bring basic earplugs but these will need to be checked by the invigilator on entry to the exam. Alternatively, the test centre will be able to supply these on request.

You cannot accidentally shut down the exam once the TestReach secure computer lockdown feature is turned on so the only way to end the test is by actually submitting it.

You have the option to submit the exam at any point and there is a double confirm (i.e. “Are you sure you wish to end the test?”).

Like a pen and paper test, you can end the exam early if you wish. 

It is essential that you try out the system before you sit your examination. Once you have downloaded the TestReach application, you can access a ‘test tutorial’ so you can be familiar with how it feels to answer exam questions in TestReach. You can take this tutorial as many times as you like.

Details of how to access the TestReach application will be sent to candidates by email.

Candidates will be provided with 10 sheets of A4 plain, VICTVS headed paper which will be numbered and assigned to each candidate. Each sheet will be collected at the end of the exam. 

Should you require more paper during the exam, please raise your hand and another sheet will be provided.

Whiteboards are therefore no longer necessary or permitted.

Please do not write anything on your note paper until the exam has started.

Candidates will be provided with 10 sheets of A4 plain, VICTVS headed paper which will be numbered and assigned to each candidate. Each sheet will be collected at the end of the exam. 

Should you require more paper during the exam, please raise your hand and another sheet will be provided.

Whiteboards are therefore no longer necessary or permitted.

Please note that as timers will be a distraction to other candidates, timers will not be permitted for the in-person exams. A wall clock will be visible to all candidates.

• A valid ID document.
• Ergonomic equipment (if approved in advance).
• Pens, pencils, sharpener, eraser either loose or in a clear, small 15 x 15 cm bag.
• Highlighters can be used but please be mindful of potential noise distraction to other candidates of opening and closing lids.
• Water/snacks in clear packaging only (no labels). Please ensure that snacks are nut free in case of any other candidate allergies. Please do not bring any snacks or packaging that could be distracting  to other candidates in terms of noise or smell.
• Candidates should have a non-scientific, non-programmable calculator for all four papers
• Medication in blister packs only (no boxes).
• Foam ear plugs.
• Sanitary items in clothes pocket or a clear bag.

Numbered note paper will be provided to candidates at their desk. Whiteboards are therefore no longer necessary or permitted.

Other prohibited items include:
• Any timers.
• Any type of watch (smart watch, digital or analog) or other wearable technology.
• Any phone or other devices unless permitted as part of an approved reasonable adjustment.
• Any resources, books, paper, notes (including English and/or foreign language dictionaries).
• Scientific or programmable calculator.
• Headphones unless permitted as part of an approved reasonable adjustment. This is to maintain exam 
security.
• Paper or any writing materials. 

The banking rules will still apply and candidates can miss a sitting before re-sitting their remaining paper. For example, if you banked a paper at the sitting in March 2024 and missed the October 2024 sitting, you will be able to carry your banked paper to the next scheduled sitting. If you are unable to make the next scheduled sitting please email educ@fph.org.uk and this can be discussed on a case-by-case basis. Under the circumstances, we will be able to allow flexibility on this rule with the support of your Training Programme Director or employer. 

Yes. The exam papers will continue to be structured in the same way as for previous sittings.

The exam format is as close to the in-person format as possible. The sitting is run over two days, Paper I on day one and Paper II on day two.

This has been discussed in detail by the Diplomate Development Committee. The Committee considers that this is one exam and believes that a candidate should be ready to take both papers when they sit the exam for the first time. Indeed, in the past, banking was not permitted, so a fail in either paper, meant re-sitting both papers. Whilst the Committee is generally happy with continuing the banking process, committee members do not consider it appropriate to break the exam up in to its two constituent parts and allow either part to be taken separately at the first sit. It should also be noted that from an administration perspective such a change would add complexity and therefore cost which is unlikely to be welcomed by candidates.

The process for marking will remain the same and therefore we do not anticipate that the timeframe for the publication of results will change. Candidates will be notified about when they will receive their results when they receive their candidate pack. This will be sent approximately two weeks after the closing date for applications.

Yes, the online system will have notepad functionality and a keyboard that allows you to type in formulae and equations.

Please note that it is not necessary to write this out in equation form and word form is acceptable.

Yes. Please see the instructions for accessing the Diplomate Exam Test Tutorial here.

This has details of a different trial login for the alternative canvas so you can try this out. 

This can be switched on for any candidate once they have a personal login. It is not necessary to apply for a reasonable adjustment to be able to use this if preferred.

The exam canvas has word count functionality so it will not be necessary to count up the number of words manually.

Candidates will be able to make notes in the tool provided by the online platform and will also be able to highlight and annotate the questions and critical appraisal article.

More information on making notes will be shared as soon as possible and this FAQ will be updated in January.

The functionality offered by the online platform enables candidates to be able to view the resource at the same time as their question and answer paper. Each element can be resized on the screen as you wish.

Yes. The examiner will mark what you've written regardless of the format as long as it is possible to follow your working and understand what has been done.

You will receive a warning that there is 30 minutes remaining and five minutes remaining. This will display as a pop up that you can close down or choose to ignore and it will disappear.

Yes. For Paper IIA Question 1, as usual there is a word count limit of 600 words. You will be able to exceed this by a maximum of 10%. A word limit has been set in the question and if you exceed this limit the background of the answer pad will turn red. Please note that it is possible to exceed this limit to allow you to write more and then edit your answer. Examiners will, however, be able to see when the limit was exceeded and will not mark any further than 660 words.

No, this isn’t possible.

No, unfortunately this only works in the answer pad. If you copy across a symbol from the arithmetic keyboard to the notebook it will appear in text from (for example sqrt instead of the Square root symbol)

No. Please ensure you copy any text that you would like to be marked into the answer pad.

Yes, within the formatting toolbar in the notepad, there is a button with an expand symbol which will open the notebook to full size. Please click this button again to minimise it.

No, there is not a save button and your answers will be automatically be saved. 

Spellcheck and auto-correct is not currently available on the TestReach platform. Spellcheck functionality can be requested as a reasonable adjustment if this is a recommendation in a professional report and we will be in touch in due course with further details of how this will be accommodated at the test centres.

Answers will automatically be submitted when your time is up. You can also choose to end the exam early if you wish to do so. Please tell the invigilator you would like to submit your exam and they will ask you to check your A4 whiteboard and then close the exam.

Yes. There is also a table button within the formatting toolbar in the answer pad. There is also a table icon button within the notepad that allows you to create a table. You can then copy this across to your answer. 

Cutting and pasting does work in the main exam canvas and you can shift text around within the answer pad, similar to Microsoft Word.

No, there is not a summary function. Please refer to the text where you have posted your comments.

Any text that isn't part of a figure and that appears on the canvas (the article, your notes etc.) can be copied and pasted into the answer pad.

Yes. You can click back and forward through the individual questions. Please see the generical tutorials in the TestReach app for full instructions on how to navigate and flag questions that you would like to return to.

The timer counts up from zero. You will receive a warning that there is 30 minutes remaining and five minutes remaining. This will display as a pop up that you can close down or choose to ignore and it will disappear.

The timer functionality and time remaining warnings can be seen in the FPH Diplomate Functionality Test.

Yes, shortcuts work in a similar way to Microsoft Word but please try these using the FPH Functionality Test as this can vary depending on your individual equipment.