MSRA Essential MSRA 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Approximately how long is the Clinical Problem Solving paper?
- 15 minutes
- 75 minutes (Correct answer)
- 5 hours
- There is no fixed duration
Correct answer: 75 minutes
The CPS paper is typically allotted around 75 minutes to answer its questions.
Question 2: Which clinical areas are commonly covered in the CPS paper?
- Only cardiology
- A broad range including general medicine, surgery, paediatrics, psychiatry and more (Correct answer)
- Only laboratory sciences
- Only public health
Correct answer: A broad range including general medicine, surgery, paediatrics, psychiatry and more
The CPS paper samples across the major specialties relevant to early postgraduate practice.
Question 3: When answering 'most appropriate action' PD questions, what should guide your choice?
- What is easiest for you
- Patient safety and professional standards (Correct answer)
- Avoiding all senior involvement
- The cheapest option
Correct answer: Patient safety and professional standards
Patient safety and adherence to GMC professional standards should drive the most appropriate response.
Question 4: A scoring feature of the PD ranking questions is that:
- Only the top-ranked answer scores
- Partial marks are awarded for near-correct orderings (Correct answer)
- All questions are pass/fail
- Negative marking applies to every wrong move
Correct answer: Partial marks are awarded for near-correct orderings
PD ranking items use partial scoring, so orderings close to the ideal still earn some marks.
Question 5: Is negative marking applied to wrong answers in the MSRA?
- Yes, heavily penalised
- No, so all questions should be attempted (Correct answer)
- Only in the PD paper
- Only for the first question
Correct answer: No, so all questions should be attempted
The MSRA does not use negative marking, so candidates should answer every question even if unsure.
Question 6: Which approach best fits a CPS diagnosis question with limited time?
- Read every option twice before the stem
- Identify key clinical features and match to the single best fit (Correct answer)
- Always choose the longest answer
- Skip all questions about investigations
Correct answer: Identify key clinical features and match to the single best fit
Spotting discriminating clinical features quickly and matching them to the best option is the efficient strategy.
Question 7: How are MSRA scores typically used by specialties?
- Ignored entirely
- To rank, shortlist, or directly contribute to selection for interview/offer (Correct answer)
- Only to set exam fees
- To assign hospital locations randomly
Correct answer: To rank, shortlist, or directly contribute to selection for interview/offer
Specialties use MSRA scores to shortlist candidates and, in some cases, the score directly forms part of the final ranking.
MSRA Essential MSRA 3
Approximately how long is the Clinical Problem Solving paper?