Structure of the Part A Membership Examination

The examination is designed to accommodate candidates from disciplines in the wider field of public health as well as candidates with experience outside the UK health service system. In setting questions, the aim is for generic questions, which, where appropriate, allow candidates to relate answers to their particular settings.

PAPER I (4 hours) ("KNOWLEDGE PAPER") Candidates are required to answer ten compulsory short-answer questions (which may include some internal choice) across the range of the syllabus, in order to demonstrate their knowledge of the core sciences of public health. Most questions will be of a standard format, 'write short notes on', and options within questions may incorporate additional local options where appropriate. Candidates will be requested to answer a specified number of options for each question.

  • SECTION A (2 1/2 hours)
    Candidates are required to answer six questions covering the following subjects:
    1. Research methods, including epidemiology, statistical methods, and other methods of enquiry including qualitative research methods
    2. Disease prevention and health promotion
    3. Health information

  • SECTION B (1 1/2 hours)
    Candidates are required to answer four questions covering the following subjects:
    1. Medical sociology, social policy and health economics
    2. Organisation and management of health care

PAPER II (4 hours) ("SKILLS PAPER") This paper is designed to test candidates' public health skills. Candidates are required to answer the question posed in each of two sections. There is no choice of questions on either section.

  • SECTION A (2 1/2 hours)
    Critical appraisal and commentary on material in an article from a journal and its application to a specific public health problem. The second half of the question may be phrased in general terms and allow candidates to give examples from different contexts.

  • SECTION B (1 1/2 hours)
    This will involve the distillation of a variety of material provided to the candidate in order to produce a summary, policy or other document aimed at a particular target individual or group. Data manipulation and interpretation may form part of this process, and candidates will be provided with a basic calculator with sufficient functions for these purposes. Candidates are neither required nor permitted to bring a different calculator into the examination.

 

The Syllabus | Knowledge testing | Skills testing | The Structure of the Examination | Marking