Assessing the assessor

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During an assessment period, which lasts around six weeks, a typical day starts at 10am when Silverberg visits students in practice to conduct an intense assessment lasting around three to three-and-a-half hours. On arrival, he discusses the past three months' experience with the candidate and supervisor, including patient records completed by the student.

'I will ask the candidate how those patient encounters went and talk about any management issues arising,' he says. He then observes the student conducting a routine eye exam on a patient for about 40 minutes and afterwards asks them to explain their actions during the test.