University of California San Francisco
UCSF School of Medicine UCSF Medical Center

CPX Grade Clarification and Appeal Process

Updated On
December 12, 2023

Purpose

To outline grade clarification and appeal policies and procedures for the Clinical Performance Exam (CPX). 

Overview

UCSF students who do not feel their CPX grade was accurately or fairly determined have a right to ask for clarification or appeal. 

Principles

  • Students have the right to review their CPX performance. 
  • Students may seek clarification or formal appeal of a CPX grade. 

Policy

  1. Students have up to two weeks after being notified of their CPX performance to ask for clarification from the CPX director. 
  2. A student is responsible for reviewing their CPX score report in detail and reviewing the accompanying information with their score report that details how meets/does not meet decisions are made. 
  3. CPX Director is required to respond within 1 week by email with an explanation/clarification of how student’s meets/does not meet decision for the CPX was determined

Appeal

  1. Students have up to two weeks after being notified of their CPX performance (or after receiving a response to their request for clarification if applicable) to ask for an appeal of their CPX grade from the CPX Director. 
  2. The CPX Director is required to conduct a formal review of the scoring for the student’s CPX performance. 
  3. The CPX director will respond to the student within two weeks of receiving a request for appeal. After this decision there are no other avenues of appealing the CPX result.
  4. Students are expected to participate fully in all of the components of the Clinical Skills Guidance Program while the appeal review is being conducted.  

Procedure

  1. When a student reaches out to the CPX director for clarification of their results, the CPX director will provide the student with an explanation via email; the student may also request to meet after receiving the initial email explanation. 
  2. If the student feels further review is warranted, the student can submit an appeal of the grade to the CPX director. Students who are submitting an appeal of the CPX grade have the opportunity to provide contextual information and an explanation of their concerns regarding their CPX experience. Contextual information may relate to issues occurring within the CPX. The contextual information provided by the student should generally be no more than one page in length. 
  3. Following the request for an appeal, the grading committee, led by the CPX director, will conduct a review of the student’s CPX performance and make a decision regarding the student’s appeal. 
  4. The decision will be communicated to the student and cannot be disputed further.

Accountable Dean or Director: Assoc Dean for Assessment
Approval Date and Governing Body: December 12, 2023, CCEP