The CCE explained
How the RACGP CCE is marked
In the CCE each competency you are assessed on is rated on a four-point scale. Dr Stewart teaches that most stations turn on whether you recognise the real task before you start, which is the difference between borderline and fellowship standard.
The structure
The exam runs nine cases over two days on Zoom, fifteen minutes each, in two formats: the clinical encounter (you consult a role-player) and the case discussion (you reason aloud through three or four structured examiner questions). See the exam format page.
A worked example: Fitness to drive
Most stations turn on whether you recognise the real task. Edmund arrives expecting a signature. A borderline response treats the form as a formality. Fellowship standard recognises a fitness-to-drive assessment before the form is touched.
Fitness to drive
Patient
"Morning, doctor. I've just brought my form for the licence, if you wouldn't mind signing it. I won't take up much of your time."
Borderline
"Of course. Let me check your blood pressure and eyesight, then I can sign it for you."
Fellowship standard
"Before I complete the form, I'd like to understand how things have been going for you on the road. Tell me about your driving over the last few months."
One response signs a form. The other starts an assessment.
Where the marks actually sit
- The focused driving history
- Relevant examination findings
- The Austroads framework
- Difficult communication
- A plan that protects Edmund, Nora and the public
A marking grid, as it looks in the course
On the course banner, a postnatal review station is marked live against a grid. These three lines show the idea; the real grids come with each station.
| Uncovers the hidden agenda | Met |
|---|---|
| Asks the sensitive question safely | Met |
| Safety-nets with a named plan | Borderline |
The common traps
Six patterns show up year after year: the scattergun history, doctor-centred consulting, cultural safety by rote, premature closure, generic management, and safety-netting that isn't. Read each one.
Questions
How many cases are in the CCE?
Dr Stewart describes the exam as nine cases over two days on Zoom, fifteen minutes each, in two formats: clinical encounters and case discussions.
What is the difference between borderline and fellowship standard?
A borderline response does the expected task on the surface. A fellowship-standard response recognises the real task first, as when a licence form becomes a fitness-to-drive assessment before the form is touched.
Is this the RACGP's marking guide?
No. CCE Complete is independent and nothing on this site reproduces official College material. This page describes how Dr Stewart teaches the standard.