Goodbye OSCE, hello CASC: A mock CASC course and examination

Abstract

The Clinical Assessment of Skills and Competencies (CASC) is the latest change to the IVIRCPsych examination. The CASC is a complex version of an Observed Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) format, with paired stations, and is now the only clinical component in the MRCPsych examination. We describe how to organise a relatively inexpensive and workforce-light 1-day course and mock CASC examination by adapting a previously described method for running an OSCE workshop. We also evaluate the acceptability to trainees of a mock CASC examination and course, and describe their views on this new clinical examination format.