Table 9 Thematic grouping of examiners' free responses

Technical issues with internet

'The most stressful part was getting online'

'A few candidates had connection difficulties'

'Sound and video quality were variable and not always consistent'

Support from staff

'Occasional IT dropouts but this was very well managed by the examinations team'

'All worked very well with excellent back-up from the examination team'

'Very well organised. Smooth movement between rooms as the detailed timetable was very helpful'

'It ran better than I thought due to excellent team at RCS'

Overall

'The exam was excellent under the circumstances. In-person assessment does, however, remain the gold standard with better interaction, responsiveness and lower risk of problems in normal times'

'The online exam was extremely well set up and managed. However, it was definitely not the same as a face-to-face exam. A lot of non-verbal cues were lost and this sometimes disrupted the flow of the vivas'

'Worked extremely well and allowed all aspects that would usually be examined to be so'

'Score collation was more difficult and time consuming'

'The fact we used formats already established by other examinations gave us a lot of confidence we could make it work for our assessment'

'A thoroughly well-run and equivalent exam process. Allowed for the full range usually examined to be assessed in a similar manner. A fair, well-run and robust examination that safe-guarded the standards of the IMOrth and put the candidates at the heart of the process. In a time of such uncertainty, it was a great achievement to be able to supply an appropriate examination to allow candidates to progress in their careers'

'I think we have been part of revolution in assessment; however, the future may involve the integration of the face-to-face assessment with the online assessment rather than the replacement of one form of assessment with the other'

'Fantastic job by all. The right thing to have done in the circumstances but I feel the exam lost the special sense of occasion due to the online format. I don't think this is something that could ever be recreated without a face-to-face format - ideally in the college'

'Ran really well'