The OSCE marking scheme used for this study consists of 5 assessable categories, as follows: APPROACH: the ability of the candidate to communicate with the patient; HISTORY: the ability of the candidate to collect medical history; INTERPRETATION: how well does the candidate interpret his or her investigation in order to formulate an appropriate diagnosis; MANAGEMENT: how well does the candidate formulate a management plan for the diagnosis; COUNSELLING: is the candidate able to give appropriate counselling to the patient.
see section 2 for full details of the examination environment and participants involved.