XClose

UCL Doctorate In Clinical Psychology

Menu

Assessment

The DClinPsy course has four examined components: 1) 3 clinical reports and 1 service-related project, 2) 4 written exams, 3) 6 clinical placement periods and 4) A research thesis.

In this section you will find information about our assessment procedures for trainees, staff and supervisors. You can also find links to our formal regulations relating to the passing and failing of examined course work.

Trainees

Submission Deadlines

Course Submission Deadlines and Exam Dates 2024-25

2024 INTAKE

SUBMISSION DEADLINE

DATE RETURNED

Clinical Report 124 January 20257 March 2025
Clinical Report 210 April 202530 May 2025
Research Statement of Intent02 May 2025n/a
Research Proposal04 July 2025n/a
Exam Paper 1(tbc by exams section)TBC
Exam Paper 2 (tbc by exams section)TBC

2023 INTAKE

SUBMISSION DEADLINE

DATE RETURNED

Clinical Report 315 November 202417 January 2025
Research Expense Proposal 07 February 2025n/a
1st Research Progress Review & Supervisor Appraisal14 February 2025n/a
Exam Paper 3 (tbc by exams section)TBC
Exam Paper 4

End of statistic teaching to end of May of Year 2 (for date see timetable)

TBC
2nd Research Progress Review & Supervisor Appraisal04 July 2025n/a
Literature Review Searches 13 September 2025n/a
Literature Review21 November 2025 

2022 INTAKE

SUBMISSION DEADLINE

DATE RETURNED

Literature Review22 November 2024n/a
Clinical Report 411 October 202422 November 2024
3rd Research Progress Review & Supervisor Appraisal24 January 2025n/a
Thesis Title/Abstract07 March 2025n/a
Thesis Submission 13 June 2025n/a
Vivas11 - 12 September 2025n/a

For Clinical Placement Deadlines, Please Click Here

 

Clinical Report Guidelines

The work clinical psychologists undertake is underpinned by their ability to apply models and theories, used in a reflective and an iterative way. Most clinical work can be seen as a process - assessment leads to hypotheses about how best to intervene, and monitoring the way the intervention unfolds gives feedback about how well these hypotheses fit the clinical picture. A sense of openness to this feedback and a capacity to reflect on one's own practice (often through supervision) is also central. All of this represents clinical competence, and clinical reports are a chance for you to demonstrate this and your development as a clinician. As such, the course uses them as one of the indicators of your capacity to function as a Chartered Clinical Psychologist.

Overall they give us a chance to look at:

a) your developing clinical competence across a range of different types of work and setting, in the context of a range of theoretical perspectives

b) your ability to integrate academic and theoretical ideas with your clinical experience

c) your ability to reflect on the way in which clinical, professional and ethical issues interact and impact on your work

For general information on aims, format and breadth of content click here

For information on the Service Related Project click here

For information on submission, marking, passing and failing of clinical reports and service related project click here

Sample past DClinPsy clinical reports can be accessed on the DClinPsy Moodle site

 

 

 

Clinical Report - Forms
Exams

Examination information can be found here

Details on passing and failing examinations

Study Time

In order to minimise disruption to placement work, we provide study time in the lead-up to the exams in what would otherwise be college teaching time. This means you will not have any automatic entitlement for leave from placement for exam revision and would have to take this as annual leave in negotiation with your supervisor.

Examination Dates

Times, location and candidate ID will be confirmed by UCL Exams Section via Portico

Year 1
Paper 1   Please see Portico for exam details
Paper 2    Please see Portico for exam details

Year 2
Paper 3   Please see Portico for exam details
Paper 4   End of statistic teaching to end of May of Year 2 (for date see timetable)

Past Exam Papers

Paper 1

Paper 2

Paper 3

 
Statistics Papers

paper 1

stats exam data files 1

paper 2

Stats Exam Data Files 2

Plagiarism and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Plagiarism refers to passing off someone else's work as your own. It is a serious offence with potentially serious consequences. Section 23 of the course handbook contains further information on this.

UCL guidelines on plagiarism can be viewed here

UCL also offers clear guidance on the use of AI tools in assessment here and here. Misuse of AI in assessments is considered to fall under the category of plagiarism and falsification. Passing off AI-generated content as your own work, without proper referencing and acknowledgement, is therefore a form of academic misconduct.

Assessments at UCL are categorised according to how AI tools may be used:
•    Category 1: AI tools cannot be used
•    Category 2: AI tools can be used in an assistive role
•    Category 3: AI has an integral role.

All assessments in the Professional Doctorate in Clinical Psychology fall under Category 1 (AI tools cannot be used). The reason for this categorisation is that course assessments are designed to test competencies in critical thinking, knowledge application and clinical practice, which are essential and fundamental to working as a Clinical Psychologist. Students believed to have ignored the categorisation will therefore undergo the standard academic misconduct procedure.

Note that in UCL’s Language and Writing review in the Academic Manual (9.2.2b), it is permissible for a third party to “check areas of academic writing such as structure, fluency, presentation, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and language translation.” However, “this may be considered Academic Misconduct if substantive changes to content have been made by the reviewer or software or at their recommendation.”

Extensions and mitigations: Extenuating Circumstances, the Delayed Assessment Scheme, and Summaries of Reasonable Adjustments
 
Assessment Regulations

The Doctorate in Clinical Psychology has four examined components (case reports/service related project, exams, placements, thesis), all of which must be passed in order to qualify for the degree of DClinPsy. To read our Scheme of Award, which describes our assessed course work, please click this link.

All course work is overseen by the DClinPsy Exam Board, which consists of course staff and external examiners. The regulations concerning the role of the Board and the procedures that lay out the rules for passing and failing course work can be found in the Course Handbook.

Staff

Clinical Reports: Guidance and Marking

For general information on aims, format and breadth of content click here

For information on the Service Related Project click here

For details of marking, passing and failing clinical reports click here 

Exam Marking

Guidelines for Marking Exam Papers

Guidance and Forms for Thesis and Clinical Viva Examinations

This section contains password protected access for staff examining trainee theses and clinical vivas.

Research Theses

  1. Guidelines for internal examiners
  2. Guidelines for external examiners
  3. Internal examiner preliminary thesis report form
  4. External examiner preliminary thesis report form
  5. Joint thesis report form

Clinical Vivas

  1. Guidelines for examiners
  2. Joint viva report form
Extensions and mitigations: Delayed Assessment Scheme and Extenuating Circumstances

Please click on the equivalent trainee tab for an overview of the UCL mitigations process and its application to the DClinPsy. As of September 2024, UCL has introduced a Delayed Assessment Scheme (DAS) to replace self-certifying extensions, and further details on the application of this new scheme can be found on the UCL website here. There is a wealth of information available on the UCL Extenuating Circumstances (EC) pages on how the EC system is affected.

What is the role of the Delayed Assessment System (DAS) within the DClinPsy course?
In short, there are now two distinct support processes available via UCL:

  • The Delayed Assessment Scheme (DAS), which allows trainees a fixed 5-day extension to clinical reports (including the Service Related Project) only. This does not need supporting evidence, does not have a minimum threshold, and is designed for flexible independent application by trainees when “life gets in the way.” This is in keeping with the UCL-wide approach as outlined in the guidance linked above, and is designed to provide students with the opportunity to exercise their own discretionary flexibility as autonomous learners. Examinations are exempted from this process, and require a full Extenuating Circumstances (EC) request.
  • The Extenuating Circumstances (EC) scheme, which allows flexibly tailored mitigations to be applied, including deferrals of examinations or longer extensions to clinical report deadlines. All requests via this system must be accompanied by supporting evidence and meet the grounds for a valid EC. This reflects the fact that the EC system (as distinct from the DAS system) is designed for emergencies that involve sudden, unexpected and significantly disruptive circumstances that affect a summative assessment.

Thesis deadlines and deadlines associated with clinical pathways, are handled internally and neither the DAS nor EC systems need to be used for these assessments.

Please see the equivalent trainee tab for further detail.

What is my role as course tutor?
Trainees are advised that they are free to use their DAS permits as they see fit, and do not need to routinely consult with course tutors before doing so. However, there are some situations in which support from course tutors may be advisable:

  • Please see the section under the equivalent trainee tab, headed “Advice before submitting an extension request under the Delayed Assessment Scheme.” UCL makes it clear that where students feel overwhelmed, have academic or study skill needs, or where other support mechanisms may apply, they should seek support rather than simply use the DAS. They are advised that permits under the DAS are not designed to be used routinely. Trainees are accordingly advised to reflect on whether a conversation with you as their course tutor could be helpful. Where you as course tutor are aware that trainees are routinely using DAS, please consider a supportive conversation about any additional support they may require.
  • Where trainees are requesting evidenced EC mitigations, they are advised they should routinely discuss this with their course tutor. This reflects the fact that the “bar” for EC claims is higher, and may likely require a supportive conversation about additional impacts and mechanisms available to redress these.
  • In any conversation about EC requests, please be prepared to collaboratively explore with the trainee:

- The grounds for valid EC requests as they are outlined in the UCL guidance (i.e., whether an EC request could be appropriate.
- The range of applicable mitigations that could be available (i.e., how many weeks’ extension, or what type of support to request is put in place)
- Which types of evidence they might be able to provide in support of any EC request (and please remind trainees that appropriate supporting evidence must accompany any EC request).

Supervisors

Quick Links

Conferences