Abstract
In the Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA), should I read through all the case studies at the beginning of the exam or in turn before each consultation?
On your desk in the examination room, there will be a booklet with the patient case notes in front of you. This may also include supplementary data such as electrocardiograms (ECGs), blood results, x-ray results or images. Some candidates choose to flick through the booklet at the beginning of the exam in order to ‘save time’ or ‘calm themselves’. However, this can be dangerous as you will not have time to read each case thoroughly and may then approach the case without all the correct information to hand. Also, if you come across data which you are unable to interpret in a later case, you may then panic and perform poorly in preceding cases. Before each case, make sure you read ALL the information to hand; candidates will not be prompted if they have failed to see any supplementary data which may be pivotal to the case.
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