Psychiatry CASC
Walk into your Psychiatry CASC OSCE having already done it — dozens of times
Practise the real Psychiatry CASC stations out loud against a simulated patient who responds realistically, any time of day. Get instant, examiner-style feedback after every encounter — no study partner, no booking, no waiting.
What is the Psychiatry CASC OSCE, and how do you practise for it?
The Psychiatry CASC OSCE is a spoken clinical exam that assesses how you take histories, explain information, and handle patients and colleagues under timed conditions. The most effective way to prepare is to rehearse the real stations out loud — with MedMock you practise them against a realistic AI patient any time of day and get instant, examiner-style feedback after every one.
Last reviewed September 2026
⏳ Count down to the next Psychiatry CASC sittingYou can know the medicine and still freeze in the room
The Psychiatry CASC tests more than what you know — it tests what you can do with a real person in front of you, under time pressure. You can read every guideline and still mishandle the opening line, miss the patient's cue, or run out of time.
There is only one way to address this: practise out loud, repeatedly. The difficulty is finding someone to practise with. Study partners cancel, seniors are busy, and courses cost hundreds of pounds and book out months ahead — so most candidates arrive under-rehearsed and rely on adrenaline on the day.
Psychiatry CASC OSCE practice, on demand
The MRCPsych Clinical Assessment of Skills and Competencies — the Royal College of Psychiatrists' final clinical exam: sixteen 7-minute role-play stations run in two circuits (five history-taking, five examination, six management), each a live encounter with a professional role player while a silent examiner marks analytic domains and a global judgement. MedMock runs all sixteen. The blueprint requires at least one of physical-health history or physical examination in every running order, and MedMock takes the history form, so this is a complete circuit in a spoken format — the hands-on physical examination itself is not simulated.
MedMock gives you a simulated patient who responds realistically, available 24/7. Pick a station, have a genuine spoken conversation, and get instant, examiner-style feedback the moment you finish — scored against what genuinely matters in the Psychiatry CASC. No rota conflicts, no study partner, no waiting your turn. Simply practise whenever you have a few minutes.
How it works
Choose a station
Pick from the Psychiatry CASC stations — all 16 that MedMock runs, or let MedMock surprise you the way exam day will.
Have the conversation
Speak naturally, out loud. The AI patient responds in real time — with emotions, cues and unexpected turns, just like a real encounter.
Get instant feedback
The moment you finish, you get specific, examiner-style feedback and a score — what you did well, what cost you marks, and precisely what to fix before the next attempt.
Why candidates practise with MedMock
Practise out loud, any time
No study partner, no booking, no rota clash. Open MedMock at 6am or midnight and run a full station in minutes.
All 16 stations, endless variations
You will never simply memorise answers. Each run is different, so you build the real skill — adapting in the moment.
Examiner-level feedback in seconds
Know exactly where you lost marks and how to address it, instead of guessing why a mock session went poorly.
Turn nerves into muscle memory
By the time you sit the Psychiatry CASC, the format feels familiar — because you have already done it dozens of times.
A fraction of the cost of courses
Avoid the hundreds of pounds you would spend on a one-off exam course, and practise a deep bank of scenarios instead.
Practise anywhere, from your phone
On a break, during the commute, between lessons or shifts — your preparation goes wherever you do.
Practise every station
MedMock covers the stations you will face in the Psychiatry CASC OSCE. Rehearse each one until it feels routine.
History‐taking (Presenting complaint)
Seven-minute focused psychiatric history from a Virtual Patient — elicit the presenting complaint and its course, screen the key differentials and risk, and close with a clear next step. Depression, psychosis, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, eating disorders, perinatal and substance-use presentations all rotate here.
History‐taking (Physical health)
Physical-health history in a psychiatric context — medical comorbidity, medication effects (metabolic syndrome, lithium, clozapine), smoking, alcohol and lifestyle, linking the physical story to the mental-state picture.
History‐taking (Developmental)
Developmental and early-life history — pregnancy and milestones, school and friendships, adversity and attachment — the backbone of adult ADHD / autism assessments and personality-difficulty formulations.
History‐taking (Personal & social)
Personal and social history — relationships, housing, work and finances, alcohol, drugs and forensic history — taken with tact and woven into risk and support planning.
History‐taking (Collateral)
Collateral history from a relative, carer or friend of the index patient — first-episode psychosis, dementia, mania and safeguarding pictures — balancing the informant's distress with confidentiality.
Examination (MSE – Psychotic)
Live mental state examination of a psychotic Virtual Patient — elicit hallucinations, delusional beliefs, first-rank and passivity phenomena, thought interference and insight, with phenomenological precision.
Examination (MSE – Non-psychotic)
Mental state examination of mood and neurotic presentations — depressive cognitions, anxiety and panic phenomenology, obsessions and compulsions, suicidal thinking — eliciting and naming the psychopathology.
Examination (MSE – Cognitive)
Bedside cognitive examination done conversationally — orientation, registration and recall, attention, language and executive screening — pitched to a possibly confused or apprehensive patient.
Examination (Capacity assessment)
Capacity assessment on a live decision — testing understanding, retention, weighing and communication under the Mental Capacity Act while keeping the patient's trust.
Examination (Risk assessment)
Seven-minute risk assessment with a Virtual Patient — elicit and weigh risk to self, to others, from others and of self-neglect, probing intent, plan, preparation, means and protective factors as explicitly as risk, and reach a defensible formulation. NICE NG225-aligned: no risk-stratification scores.
Management (Formulation)
Explain your formulation to the patient or a relative — predisposing, precipitating, perpetuating and protective factors in plain language — and agree what happens next.
Management (Biological)
Explain and agree drug treatment — starting clozapine or lithium, switching antidepressants, depot antipsychotics, side-effects and monitoring — Montgomery-standard information giving with teach-back.
Management (Psychological)
Explain psychological therapy — what CBT, DBT, EMDR or family therapy actually involves, what it asks of the patient, realistic timelines and interim options.
Management (Holistic plan)
Build a whole-person management plan — social prescribing, occupational and carer support, physical health, follow-up and crisis contacts — co-created rather than dictated.
Management (Safety planning)
Co-create a personalised safety plan after self-harm or a suicidal crisis — warning signs, coping strategies, means restriction and crisis contacts, NICE NG225-aligned (no risk scores, no contracts).
Management (Legal & ethical)
Explain the legal and ethical position — Mental Health Act detention and tribunal rights, Mental Capacity Act and best interests, confidentiality limits, DVLA duties — accurately and without jargon.
Example scenarios
A sample of the scenarios you will practise — each plays out as a live, spoken conversation, not a script to read.
“Explain the common and serious side effects of clozapine, and the monitoring it needs, to a patient whose psychosis has not responded to two other antipsychotics.”
“A 19-year-old was brought to the Emergency Department after an impulsive paracetamol overdose. Co-create a personalised safety plan with her before discharge.”
“A 25-year-old man has been referred by his GP after four months of hearing voices commenting on his actions. Elicit the psychotic phenomenology and assess his insight.”
“The mother of a 20-year-old university student has brought him to the Early Intervention Service. Take a collateral history of the changes she has seen over the last few months.”
“A 24-year-old woman with emotionally unstable personality disorder has been brought to A&E after her third overdose in six months. Assess her risk — intent, plan, preparation, means and what protects her.”
Psychiatry CASC practice — your questions answered
How realistic is MedMock's Psychiatry CASC practice?
Every scenario is built around the real Psychiatry CASC OSCE format and the domains examiners assess. You speak out loud and the AI patient responds in real time, so it feels far closer to the day than reading notes or rehearsing silently.
How does the feedback work?
As soon as you finish a station, MedMock gives you instant, examiner-style feedback and a score — highlighting what you did well, what cost you marks, and exactly what to work on next.
Can I practise specific Psychiatry CASC stations?
Yes. You can pick any of the 16 stations to drill a weak area, or run a mixed set to simulate the real exam.
Do I need a study partner or a fixed time slot?
No. That is the point — MedMock is available 24/7 and you practise alone, out loud, whenever it suits you. No coordinating diaries, no waiting for a course date.
Is MedMock right for me if I am sitting the Psychiatry CASC?
If your Psychiatry CASC exam involves speaking — histories, explanations, breaking news, dealing with patients and colleagues — then spoken rehearsal is exactly what MedMock is built for.
How much does it cost?
Far less than a one-off exam course. Every plan includes a monthly credit allowance, and everyone starts with a free trial — no card required — so you can see how it works before paying. See current options on our pricing page.
Disclaimer: National medical recruitment formats and Royal College examination criteria are subject to change annually. While Medmock checks each format against the latest published guidance from the responsible body (the Royal Colleges, the Federation of Royal Colleges of Physicians, NHS England, the GMC and others), always consult your official candidate guidance or applicant handbook for the definitive, up-to-date station requirements for your specific cohort.
Ready for your Psychiatry CASC OSCE?
Rehearse real Psychiatry CASC scenarios out loud and get instant, examiner-style feedback.
- Instant, personalised feedback
- Real voice-to-voice conversation
- Repeatable attempts, endless variations
Guides to help you prepare
Be ready for your Psychiatry CASC OSCE before you walk in
Start rehearsing Psychiatry CASC OSCE scenarios out loud today, get instant feedback, and turn exam-day nerves into something you have already done a hundred times.
Practise Psychiatry CASC stations