Confidentiality and copyright

Confidentiality policy

In agreeing to sit for the PS Examination (MCQ), each candidate consents to the collection, use and disclosure of the candidate’s personal data for the following purposes:

• MOH may collect, use and disclose a candidate's personal data, including certification status, mailing address, e-mail address and identification number, to ABMS Assessment Services, LLC (ABMS-AS), Pearson VUE, the Singapore Medical Council (SMC), the Specialists Accreditation Board (SAB) and all other organisations participating in the examination programme for the purpose of programme administration and professional regulation. Notwithstanding their location, these parties will protect each candidate’s personal data as required by Singapore Law, unless disclosure is permitted by law or policy.
  

• As part of training performance feedback, MOH may provide Programme Directors with anonymised aggregate scores for the examinations.
  

• MOH may use examination performance, training programme evaluations, self-evaluations of knowledge and practice performance, and other information for policy development and research purposes, including collaboration with other research investigators and scientific publications. For such purposes, MOH will not reveal personal identifying information.

MOH reserves the right to disclose information it possesses about any individual whom it considers has violated the examination rules, engaged in misconduct, misrepresentation or unprofessional behaviour, or shows signs of impairment. Candidates also agree that MOH may provide information it has concerning such individuals to such persons whom MOH considers to have a legitimate need for it or in the public interest.

Copyright and Examination Non-Disclosure Policy

All examination materials of the PS Examination (MCQ) are confidential and are protected by the Singapore Copyright Act (Cap. 63), the U.S. federal Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 101, et seq, and all applicable laws protecting copyright and trade secrets. Access to all such materials, as further detailed below, is strictly conditioned upon agreement to abide by the rights of the copyright owners under law and to maintain examination confidentiality.

Candidates who undertake the PS Examination (MCQ) agree that they will not, directly or indirectly, copy (including by the taking of pictures), reproduce, adapt, disclose, or transmit examination materials, in whole or in part, before or after taking an examination, by any means now known or hereafter invented. They further agree that they will not, directly or indirectly, reconstruct examination content from memory, by dictation or by any other means now known or hereafter invented, or otherwise discuss examination content with others.

Candidates further acknowledge that disclosure or any other use of the PS Examination (MCQ) content, without prior explicit written permission from MOH, the ABMS-AS and its Member Boards, may constitute copyright infringement and professional misconduct, and may expose them to criminal as well as civil liabilities. The violation of copyright laws may also result in the imposition of penalties against them, including but not limited to, the invalidation of examination results, exclusion from future examinations, suspension, revocation of certification and other sanctions. Every legal means available to protect PS Examination (MCQ) copyrighted materials and secure redress against those who violate the copyright in such materials may be pursued.