The MSC Assessment Alliance is advancing the future of undergraduate assessment practices. Comprising assessment leads from all UK medical schools, the group’s goal is to ensure public, employer, and regulatory confidence in the quality of medical graduates by:
Ex officio:
A 47-year-old man has a two-day history of worsening epigastric pain, with nausea and vomiting. He drinks 70 units of alcohol per week. His temperature is 38.7ºC, pulse 120 bpm, blood pressure 102/65 mmHg and oxygen saturation 90% breathing air. He has upper abdominal tenderness with guarding.
Investigations
Urea 10.0 mmol/L (3.0-7.0)
Creatinine 131 umol/L (60-120)
Haemoglobin 133 g/L (130-180)
White cell count 21.8 x 109/L (4.0-11.0)
Platelet count 520 x 109/L (150-400)
Which additional blood test is most likely to confirm the diagnosis?
A. Amylase
B. Blood cultures
C. Calcium
D. Lactate
E. Liver function tests
Answer key A
A three-year-old boy has 24 hours of right knee pain and is unwilling to weight-bear. He had a chest infection two weeks ago, but is otherwise healthy with no other history of note.
His temperature is 38°C, pulse rate 118 bpm, respiratory rate 24 breaths per minute and oxygen saturation 99% in air. He appears unwell and lethargic. His right knee is red and swollen, warm to touch and tender on palpation with reduced painful range of movement. The patellar tap test shows a bouncing patella.
Which is the most appropriate investigation to establish a diagnosis?
A. Aspiration of knee joint
B. Blood cultures
C. MR scan of knee
D. Plain X-ray of knee
E. Ultrasound scan of knee joint
Answer key A
A 70-year-old man has a 24-hour history of central chest pain which is worse on inspiration. He had an ST elevation myocardial infarction one week ago.
His temperature is 38.9ºC, pulse 100 bpm, regular, blood pressure 100/60 mmHg, respiratory rate 16 breaths per minute and oxygen saturation 97% breathing air. A rub can be auscultated of the left side of the chest.
Which is the most likely diagnosis?
A. Acute coronary syndrome
B. Acute mitral regurgitation
C. Pulmonary embolus
D. Pericarditis
E. Ventricular rupture
Answer key D
Exam-Write is an intuitive exam authoring and delivery platform designed to streamline the exam creation and delivery process. Developed by the Assessment Alliance in collaboration with exam delivery experts, Exam-Write integrates world-class assessment expertise to provide a seamless experience.
With Exam-Write, users can efficiently author, review, and set standards for exam items in one unified space. Key features include automatic calculation of psychometric data, a controlled review environment, and a self-learning marking system for Very Short Answer (VSA) items—a cutting-edge area of assessment.
You can contact the Assessment Alliance team for more information.