Understand the SCA before you try to beat it

How the SCA is structured

The RCGP builds the SCA from twelve cases, with each consultation running to twelve minutes. The assessment is recorded remotely, and each case is marked independently by a different examiner. That last detail matters more than candidates expect: no examiner sees your other eleven consultations, so a strong case cannot be explained away by a weak one, and a weak case cannot be rescued by charm you showed earlier. Every consultation is judged on its own terms, by someone meeting you for the first time. Exam details can change, so treat the RCGP's current published guidance as authoritative.

• Twelve cases, each independently marked by a different examiner — every consultation starts from zero
• Twelve minutes per consultation, which is the real constraint most candidates underestimate
• Three marking domains, each graded clear pass, pass, fail, or clear fail
• An aggregated overall mark — there is no minimum number of cases you must pass individually

What the aggregated mark changes about your strategy

Because your overall result comes from your performance across all twelve cases rather than a count of cases passed, consistency beats brilliance. A candidate who is solidly competent twelve times will usually outperform one who is outstanding four times and disorganised twice.

• Do not write off a case that starts badly — its marks still count toward the aggregate.
• Do not chase a perfect consultation at the cost of the clock; an unfinished case loses marks in every domain.
• Practise recovering mid-consultation, because you cannot compensate for a lost case elsewhere.
• Weakness in one domain, repeated across twelve cases, is what quietly fails candidates.

• Rehearse under exam-style timing
• What each SCA domain assesses in detail

Useful starting points for SCA exam prep

These pages turn the exam structure into specific practice blocks.

• SCA exam day checklist
• Common SCA mistakes
• Time management
• Communication skills