The FFLM Examinations Focus: Your Essential Exam FAQ Directory

• Autumn Sitting (DLM, Part 1 LFFLM, Part 1 MFFLM): Applications open in June for one month.
• Spring Sitting (Part 2 LFFLM, Part 2 MFFLM): Applications open in November for one month.
• Late Applications: The FFLM is unable accept late applications.

• The Official Schedule: Check the FFLM Examinations Schedule page regularly, where precise opening and closing dates are published for both the Autumn and Spring diets.
• Faculty Files: Members of the FFLM will receive official application window dates sent directly to their inbox via the Faculty Files newsletter.
  
• Social Media and Website Banners: Notices are published on the main FFLM website homepage, and announcements are shared across the FFLM’s official social media channels prior to, and once the application window opens.

• • No Exceptions: To ensure fairness to all candidates and allow adequate time for administrative and remote-proctoring setups, deadlines are rigidly enforced. This applies regardless of the reason for missing the date, including technical delays or clinical workload.
  • Next Steps: If a candidate misses a deadline, they will need to wait and apply during the next available application window for their chosen examination.
  • Validity Check: Part 2 candidates should check their four-year validity window to ensure missing an applications window will not cause their Part 1 pass to expire.

Immediately after completing the online application, candidates will receive an automatic email confirmation acknowledging that their application has been successfully submitted, including a PDF copy of their application.

Candidates should ensure they have applied for the correct examination.

Candidates should email forensic.medicine@fflm.ac.uk immediately. providing the title of the examination applied for and the title of of the examination they wish to sit.

Within 10 working days of the application period closing, candidates will receive an email confirming:

• Their entry status (whether their application has been accepted).
• Their unique candidate number.

Candidates who are unable to locate their unique candidate number should email forensic.medicine@fflm.ac.uk to request this information.

Receipts are handled manually by our finance team, and will aim to process and email candidates their official invoice and payment receipt within seven working days of the transaction.

Candidates who have not received their receipt after seven working days, should check their spam folder before contacting the FFLM at forensic.medicine@fflm.ac.uk.

Employer payments: If an employer is paying via a Sales Invoice Request, and they are a new FFLM customer, a receipt will only be issued once the candidate’s organisation completes the New Customer Form and the funds have fully cleared into our account.

Candidates can only sit one examination discipline per diet. As examination schedules overlap, candidates are unable sit General Forensic Medicine (GFM), Secure & Detained Settings (SDS), and Sexual Offence Medicine (SOM) tracks in a single diet.

• First-Time Applicants: When applying for the Part 2 exam for the first time, candidates must register and pay for both components (the Short Answer Question paper and the OSCE) to sit them in the same diet.
• Banking a Component: If a candidate passes one component (e.g., the SAQ) but fails the other (e.g., the OSCE), they are permitted to keep and “bank” the successful result. Candidates can then return to retake only the failed portion in a subsequent exam diet.
• The Four-Year Validity Window: All remaining elements of the Part 2 exam must be successfully cleared within four years of passing the Part 1 examination. Candidates who do not pass both the SAQ and OSCE components before their Part 1 result expires, the banked results are lost, and candidates must retake the Part 1 module.

Payment of examination fees can be made or arranged via the following methods:

• Online: By credit or debit card, using the link provided upon application and on the Exams page of the FFLM website during the application window.
• Instalments: To pay via installments please request by emailing accounts@fflm.ac.uk. The balance will need to be paid four weeks ahead of the examination.
• Employer: Candidate’s employers will need to complete an Invoice Request Form.

• Complimentary Materials: The FFLM offers free sample questions and a recommended reading list accessed directly through the Exam Revision Materials page of the FFLM website. There is also a list of webinars on the Webinars page of the FFLM website, some of which are free to non-members.
• Excluded Resources: Access to the official FFLM eLearning, webinars, clinical study days, and educational revision courses require a separate booking and payment via the Events page of the FFLM website.

• Key Benefits: You will gain unique insights into how the Short Answer Question (SAQ) and OSCE marking keys are applied, tips on time management, and a clearer understanding of common candidate pitfalls.
• Format and Booking: These sessions are hosted virtually ahead of the Part 2 examinations. Because they are not covered by your standard examination fee, you must book your place separately via the Events page of the FFLM website.

The FFLM does not offer examination deferrals or fee roll-overs to future exam diets if a candidate changes their mind or feels unprepared.

• Withdrawal and Fees: If  a candidate withdraws from an exam after their application has been accepted, their fee is  non-refundable and cannot be transferred to another year.
• Exceptional / Mitigating Circumstances: In exceptional cases, such as sudden medical illness or personal emergency, candidates should submit an Exam Withdrawal Request Form supported by official evidence (e.g., a medical certificate).
• Impact on Validity: Withdrawing or missing an exam does not pause or extend the four-year validity of the Part 1 examination.

The eligibility for a refund depends on when a candidate submits their Withdrawal Request Form.

• Before the Application Closing Date: Forms submitted on or before the examination application window closing date, will receive a 90% refund of the examination fee. 
• After the Application Closing Date: Fees are non-refundable once the application window closes.
• Exceptional / Mitigating Circumstances: In exceptional cases such as sudden medical illness or personal emergency, a refund may be considered. These requests, along with supporting evidence, must be submitted within four weeks of the examination date.

For further information, please refer to the FFLM’s Refund and Cancellation Policy.

Venue details are released depending on whether your assessment is conducted remotely or in person:

• Online Written Examinations (DLM, Part 1 MCQs/SBAs): Remote online assessment tool login credentials and platform registration instructions are typically emailed two to three weeks before the examination date.
• In-Person Part 2 OSCEs: The exact venue location will be posted on the FFLM Examinations Schedule once confirmed, typically two months prior to the exam date. While every effort is made to provide candidates with this information as early as possible, early release cannot always be guaranteed.
  

Please Note: While London remains the standard location, there may be rare occasions where an exam is scheduled at a venue outside of London. Always double-check the FFLM Examinations Schedule for the exact, confirmed location of your specific diet.

Yes. The FFLM is committed to supporting accessibility and will arrange reasonable adjustments, such as extra time, for eligible candidates with verified physical, health, or learning needs.

Candidates must submit an official request by completing the Reasonable Adjustments Request Form. It is vital to send this request along with your evidence during the active application window. Retrospective requests made after the closing date may not be accommodated.

Candidates must upload recent, official evidence from a qualified specialist. This can include an educational psychologist’s report for dyslexia, or a detailed diagnostic letter from a registered medical consultant specifying their health condition.

Accommodations are tailored to the format of the specific examination. For example, remote written exams may include 25% extra time, while the in-person OSCEs may accommodate specific physical room requirements, such as seated stations.

Candidates are permitted to take supervised comfort breaks during an examination, provided they obtain express permission from an invigilator before leaving their seat.

No. All FFLM examinations are conducted strictly in English, and extra time is not granted for non-native English speakers.

For further information, please refer to the Language Requirements section within the FFLM General Examination Regulations.

No, negative marking is not used in any FFLM examination. Marks are not deducted for incorrect answers, so you should attempt every question on the paper.

Results will be published via a link on the Exams page of the FFLM website within six to eight weeks upon completion of the examination. Written confirmation will be emailed in a further four to eight weeks. Results will be identifiable by candidate number; names will not be published.

Yes. If you pass either the SAQ paper or the OSCE component but fail the other, you can retain your passing mark and re-sit only the failed component in a future diet, providing the Part 1 is still valid (four years).

Part 1 & DLM Examinations

Candidates can apply and sit the Part 1 & DLM examinations as many times as required.

Part 2 Examinations

If a candidate does not pass the Part 2 within four years, their Part 1 examination expires. The candidate must then re-sit and pass the relevant Part 1 to be eligible for two further attempts at the Part 2 examination.

A pass in the Part 1 assessment is valid for four years. Candidates must successfully complete all components of the Part 2 examination within this four-year window, or their Part 1 pass will expire.

If you believe there was a procedural error or irregularity in the conduct of your exam, you can submit a formal appeal. Appeals must be lodged in writing within 28 days of the results release date, following the guidelines in the official FFLM Appeals Procedure detailed in the FFLM General Examination Regulations.

• Part 1 SBAs/MCQs: No. These papers are marked automatically by an electronic computer system. Because there is no human examiner bias or subjective interpretation involved in grading single best answers, the results are final and cannot be re-marked.
• Part 2 SAQs: Yes. Since these papers require manual evaluation of written clinical reasoning, candidates may submit a formal request for a  re-mark if they believe there was a marking error. There is a charge of £160.00 for this service. This charge will be refunded if an error, made by the FFLM, is identified. 
• The FFLM does not accept requests to re-evaluate an examiner’s clinical judgment as the examiner’s assessment is based on direct, real-time observation of the candidate’s performance during the live station. 

• Yellow Card: Issued if an examiner flags unprofessional or substandard clinical practice. You will be permitted to continue the examination process, but the Chief Examiner and/or Academic Dean will provide written guidance detailing your specific training needs.
• Red Card: Issued if your conduct indicates you are potentially unsafe to practice. This card is issued following a direct consultation between the examiner, the Chief Examiner Committee (CEC), and the Academic Committee.

• Red Card Offences: If you are issued a “red card” during your OSCE assessments because your clinical conduct is deemed potentially unsafe and your fitness to practice is brought into question, the FFLM is duty-bound to flag this to protect patient safety.
• Academic Misconduct: If you are caught cheating, violating exam security, or exhibiting highly unprofessional behaviour during either online or face-to-face exams, the matter will be escalated.
• Reporting Pathways: Following a formal review by the Chief Examiner Committee (CEC), the FFLM may report the incident directly to your employer, clinical trust, or professional regulatory body (such as the GMC, NMC, or HCPC).

Yes. Candidates will need to submit an examination application form and pay the examination fee even if they have sat that examination previously.

Candidates must present a valid, unexpired, and official government-issued photo ID to gain entry to their examination. This is a requirement for all examinations.

• Passport: A valid national passport. (Preferred.)
• Photocard Driving Licence: A full or provisional photo driving licence.
• National Identity Card: A recognised government-issued national ID card.

Candidates should confirm at the point of application that they are actively booking a  place on a future course and once booked, provide their proof of booking by emailing forensic.medicine@fflm.ac.uk.

Candidates must not bring mobile phones, pagers, tablets, smartwatches, smart glasses, calculators, or any other electronic device capable of communication, storage, or audible alerts into the examination.

• All personal devices must be powered off or switched to silent mode and stored inside a closed bag.
• A secure area will be provided at the venue for candidates to store their belongings.

Why It Matters: All critical exam communication, online examination login details, and results are sent to your preferred email address. Additionally, any change to your regulatory status can impact your eligibility to sit the exam, so prompt transparency is vital to protect your candidate entry.

Candidates are responsible for ensuring their hardware, software, and internet connection meet the minimum specifications provided by the online assessment provider in advance.

In the event of any internet disruption, candidates must notify the invigilator immediately at the time of the incident.

Please refer to the FFLM General Examination Regulations for additional guidance.

This decision is that of the candidate, however the FFLM strongly advise any candidate to speak with their employers IT department prior to their examination to ensure the device meets the online examination platform specifications and requirements.

This is solely the candidates responsibility.

• Question Evaluation: The Chief Examiner’s Committee (CEC) reviews the complexity of questions prior to each examination sitting.
• Modified Angoff Method: FFLM examiners evaluate the difficulty of each item against the baseline knowledge expected of a competent candidate.
• Data Analysis: Judgements from these standard setters (examiners) are statistically analysed for each specific exam paper to calculate the baseline pass mark.

Please refer to the FFLM General Examination Regulations for additional guidance.