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Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP)

The Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) is the formal method by which a doctor in training has their progression monitored and recorded through the programme.

The information on this page is for trainee doctors. 

The ARCP is a process to help check you have gained the appropriate experience and capabilities required by your training programme at an appropriate rate to progress to the next stage or grade of training. These competencies are defined in the curriculum developed by the Royal Colleges and Faculties, which have been approved by the General Medical Council (GMC).

The Gold Guide is a reference guide for postgraduate foundation and specialty training in the UK. It outlines the arrangements for ARCP as agreed by UK health departments.

ARCPs are completed annually in most cases, with a maximum interval of 15 months. However, trainees who are less than full time may be required to have more than one ARCP in the academic year. If there are performance or progression issues, or accelerated training is requested, this process may be done more frequently.

Further information

If you have any queries about your ARCP that haven’t been answered on these pages, you can contact the relevant team below: