Guidance for OSPHE candidates: What is involved

Format

Part B is an Objective Structured Public Health Examination (OSPHE). It takes the form of 6 scenarios or ‘stations'. There may be a pilot station. Such a station is where we are checking whether the station can be used in future examinations. Your mark for this station will not count towards your result. It is important, however, that candidates sometimes complete the pilot station because without the information gained from this we cannot evaluate the station properly. For this reason we do not reveal which is the pilot station. Each station lasts approximately eight minutes.

Level

The OSPHE is designed as a “Show How” assessment of the candidate to apply relevant knowledge, skills and attitudes to the practice of public health. It requires candidates to show that they can integrate the theoretical and practical aspects of public health.

The standard required in the OSPHE will be that which could be reasonably expected of a public health trainee with at least two years (wte) left of service based training. The examiners will assess candidates' ability to use knowledge and skills appropriately in public health settings.

Content

The OSPHE is a test of skills and attitudes relating to every day public health issues in commonly experienced settings. You will not be required to be familiar with NHS procedures or practices.

The following skills will be tested:

The ability to demonstrate presenting communication skills (verbal and non verbal) appropriately in typical public health settings: presenting to a person or audience.
The ability to demonstrate listening and comprehending communication skills (verbal and non verbal) appropriately in typical public health settings: listening and responding appropriately.
The ability to assimilate relevant information from a variety of sources and settings and using it appropriately from a public health perspective.
The ability to demonstrate appropriate reasoning, analytical and judgement skills, giving a balanced view within public health settings.
The ability to handle uncertainty, the unexpected, challenge and conflict appropriately.

Examples of OSPHE stations are available to download.

How to prepare

You have already demonstrated that you know how to apply your knowledge by passing Part A of the Membership examination. In the OSPHE, you must demonstrate to the examiners' satisfaction that you can apply your knowledge in practice.

Websites: Please use the Faculty's own website. We update it regularly and it is a reliable source of information.

We strongly recommend that you take the advice of your programme director or training advisor in preparing for this exam and remind you that the exam will be testing every day skills which can be learned in your every day work.

Textbooks and handbooks: We do not recommend specific textbooks and handbooks in preparation for the OSPHE. You are being assessed on your practical and communication skills, rather than on your ability to remember and recite facts.

We do not authorise or endorse any books specifically about passing the OSPHE test.

Courses: We are unable to monitor the quality of courses and, therefore, do not endorse any. If you decide a course would be a useful preparation, we recommend that you research its quality before you enrol.

What happens on the day

You will be given full and clear directions on the day about what you have to do. There will be a full briefing to all candidates before the exam begins.

Each station lasts approximately eight minutes, and there will be approximately one minute between stations. The examination stations will be numbered clearly from 1-6 and staff will be there to help you move from station to station.

You will receive a candidate briefing pack with the full set of 6 questions. Each question will be clearly marked. You should take this pack with you to all stations; preparation and examination rooms. You may make notes on it. You will be asked to return the full set as you leave the examination suite at the end of the exam. There will also be paper in the preparation room for you to make notes on. You can take these notes with you into the examination room but you should leave them there at the end of the station.

When you enter the Examination area, you will find a series of 6 preparation booths and 6 examination booths, known as stations. Each station requires you to undertake a particular task. Some tasks will involve just reading instructions; some will involve tasks such as preparing a verbal briefing, giving a short formal talk, being interviewed by a journalist.

There may be one pilot station where we will be trialling a new scenario. You will not be told which station this is. Your result in this station will not count.

You will be required to perform all tasks. You will be told the number of the station at which you should begin in the briefing session and you will be directed to that station when you enter the Examination area. Your starting station will also be indicated by a number on your name badge given to you when you register.

Your first station will always be a preparation station where you will read the instructions for the examination station outlining what you will be required to perform at that station. You will have approximately eight minutes before entering the exam station to read the instructions. You must always read the station instructions carefully and respond appropriately. You should not assume you know what the station is about.

A bell will ring. You may then enter the exam station. There will be an examiner in each station. You will not always be required to have a conversation with the examiner; you should only direct your remarks to him or her if the instructions specifically ask you to do so. You should undertake the task as instructed.

In some stations there may be an actor who has been provided with a detailed script beforehand. In these stations the examiner will observe you and will not intervene, except in very limited circumstances.

A bell will ring after approximately 7 minutes to warn you that you are nearly out of time. Another bell will ring when the time is finished. At this point, you must stop immediately and go to the next station. If you finish before the end, you must wait inside the station but you should not speak to the examiner or the role player during this time.

You should continue in this way until you have completed all examination stations. You will then have finished the OSPHE.

Examiners will not give any feedback during OSPHE stations.

Marking the OSPHE

The OSPHE marking guidance in the sample OSPHE station shows the five competency areas that are covered at each and every station. The aims of the OSPHE have been rephrased to form five broad aims (the only significant change from the original four is that with the development of the OSPHE the first aim has been separated into two components). Candidates will therefore receive six independent assessments of each of the five competency areas.

For each of these six assessments for each of the five competencies the candidate will be awarded a grade between A and E, with A being excellent, B being good, C being adequate, D just below adequate, and E being poor.

If a candidate were to be awarded a C for each competency at all six stations this would indicate a pass overall. The marking structure is such that it is possible to not do well on say two of the stations and yet still pass overall by obtaining the same overall score by getting some marks higher than a C at other stations. The other requirement is that each competency area must be marked as adequate or above at half or more of the stations.

At each station there will be at least two people conducting the examination. One examiner at each station will be responsible for the marking. In addition to the candidate, there may be more than two other people in the room and these others may include examiners in training, observers participating in an audit and evaluation of the OSPHE, etc.

Contact details

If you need to contact us about the OSPHE:

email us at osphe@fph.org.uk
or
telephone us on 020 7224 0642 (from UK only) or +44 207 224 0642

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