BPT students are assessed continuously through the year and by a University examination at the end of each academic year. The rules below follow the NCAHP Curriculum Handbook of Physiotherapy (2025).
RGUHS regulations prevail. Examinations for RCP students are conducted by Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bengaluru. Where the University's regulations, schemes or notifications differ from the summary below, the University's rules apply.
Attendance
To qualify to appear for the final examination, a candidate must have at least:
- 75% attendance in theory subjects, and
- 85% attendance in skills training (practical)
No relaxation is permitted on any ground, including illness.
Assessment
- Continuous Internal Assessment (CIA) is the formative component. The end-of-year examination, together with the formative assessment, forms the summative assessment.
- Academic staff carry out assessments based on the student's theoretical and clinical performance across the training programme.
- Each paper carries 20% Internal Assessment + 80% University/External Examination.
- Pass mark for every subject: 50% in theory and 50% in practical. Theory and practical must be passed separately. A candidate who fails only the theory or only the practical exam must appear again for both theory and practical.
Internal assessment
| Component | Share of internal assessment marks |
|---|---|
| Written work / assignments / project work, attendance, etc. | 40% |
| Two mid-term tests (best of two) | 60% |
- Regular periodic examinations are held throughout the course, with at least two internal assessment examinations each year.
- To be eligible for the final University examination in a subject, a student must score at least 50% in theory and practical separately in that subject's internal assessment.
- Internal assessment results are displayed on the notice board within 1–2 weeks of the test.
Scheme of examination
University examinations are held at the end of each academic year. The University holds two examinations in each academic year: one annual and one supplementary. The summative assessment is the University examination.
| Year | Internal exams (20% weightage) | Final (80% weightage) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st year | Internal 1, Internal 2 | University Exam 1 |
| 2nd year | Internal 1, Internal 2 | University Exam 2 |
| 3rd year | Internal 1, Internal 2 | University Exam 3 |
| 4th year | Internal 1, Internal 2 | University Exam 4 |
Subject-wise marks for each year are listed on the Scheme of Study page.
Design of question papers
- Questions cover all levels of the knowledge domain (Bloom's taxonomy of the cognitive domain), using suitable action verbs to test higher-order learning and applied knowledge.
- Papers combine structured essays (Long Answer Questions, LAQ), Short Answer Questions (SAQ) and objective questions (MCQs), with marks shown separately for each part.
- MCQs, if used, may not carry more than 20% weightage.
- Questions are spread evenly across all sections and competencies.
| Level | Weightage |
|---|---|
| Knowledge | 20% |
| Comprehension | 20% |
| Application | 20% |
| Analysis | 10% |
| Synthesis | 10% |
| Evaluation | 10% |
Theory paper pattern (University)
Duration: 3 hours · Total marks: 80
| Section | Question | Type | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section I | Q1 | Long Answer: any 2 of 3 | 2 × 10 = 20 |
| Q2 | Short Answer: any 2 of 3 | 2 × 5 = 10 | |
| Q3 | Very Short Answer: any 5 of 6 | 5 × 2 = 10 | |
| Section II | Q4 | Long Answer: any 1 of 2 | 1 × 15 = 15 |
| Q5 | Short Answer: any 3 of 4 | 3 × 5 = 15 | |
| Q6 | MCQ | 1 × 10 = 10 | |
| Total | 80 | ||
Practical / clinical examination (University)
Format
- Total marks: 80, based on OSPE/OSCE, viva and case presentation. In the scheme of study this is 60 marks practical + 20 marks viva.
- Tools include case presentations, OSCE, OSPE and Directly Observed Procedural Skills (DOPS), where applicable.
- Held in laboratories and/or hospital wards and OPD.
What is assessed
- The psychomotor and affective domains. Clinical and procedural skills are assessed by the examiners' direct observation.
- The viva assesses approach to patient management, emergencies, and attitudinal, ethical and professional values.
- Conducted only by a pair of examiners: one internal (from the same university) and one external (from another university).
Promotion criteria
Pass each subject
A candidate passes by scoring at least 50% of the marks in theory and practical papers separately.
Move to the next year
A student may move to the next year only if he/she has failed in two or fewer subjects, and must clear all subjects before appearing for the final examination of the next year.
Begin the internship
A student may begin the internship only after passing all subjects of all four years.
Classification of successful candidates
| Aggregate marks | Classification | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| 75% and above | First Class with Distinction | Passes the whole examination in the first attempt |
| Above 60% and below 75% | First Class | Completes the course in the stipulated period and passes the whole examination in the first attempt |
| Above 50% and below 60% | Second Class | Completes the course in the stipulated period |
| All other successful candidates | Pass | – |
Credit and grading system
A credit is the unit used to measure coursework. One credit equals one hour of teaching (lecture or tutorial) or two hours of practical/field work per week. Credits are assigned for lectures (L), tutorials (T), clinical training (CR), laboratory work (P), research project (RP) and other forms of learning in a 15–20 week schedule.
| Mode | Credit rule | 1 credit = |
|---|---|---|
| L: Lecture | 1 credit for 1 hour of lecture per week | 15 hours |
| P/T: Laboratory / Practical / Clinical | 1 credit for every 2 hours | 30 hours |
| CR: Field work posting | 1 credit for every 3 hours | 45 hours |
| RP: Research Project | 1 credit for every 2 hours per week (maximum 20–25 credits) | 30 hours |
- Credit point: grade point × number of credits for a course.
- Grade point: the numerical weight of each letter grade on a 10-point scale.
- Letter grade: an index of the student's performance in a course.
Marks, grades and grade points
| Letter grade | Grade point | Range of marks |
|---|---|---|
| O (Outstanding) | 10 | 86–100 |
| A+ (Excellent) | 9 | 70–85 |
| A (Very Good) | 8 | 60–69 |
| B+ (Good) | 7 | 55–59 |
| B (Average) | 6 | 50–54 |
| C (Average) | 5 | 45–49 |
| D (Below Average) | 4 | 40–44 |
| Ab | – | Absent |
| NC | – | Not completed |
| F | – | Fail: below 50 |
A student with a 'C' or lower grade in any course fails that course. Grades of C and below are not counted in the AGPA or CGPA.
Note: the table is reproduced exactly as printed. Since the pass mark is 50%, the C and D bands both fall below a pass. The grading notification issued by RGUHS prevails for RCP students.
AGPA and CGPA
Annual Grade Point Average
Total credit points earned in a year ÷ total credits taken that year, to two decimal places.
AGPA (Si) = Σ(Ci × Gi) / ΣCi
Ci = credits of the i-th course; Gi = grade point scored in it. Example (Table 4.7): 139 credit points ÷ 20 credits = 6.95.
Cumulative Grade Point Average
Overall performance across all years, to two decimal places.
CGPA = Σ(Ci × Si) / ΣCi
Si = AGPA of the i-th year; Ci = total credits in that year. Example (Table 4.8): 1321.5 credit points ÷ 198 credits = 6.67.
AGPA and CGPA are rounded to two decimal places and shown on the transcript.
Review of answer papers
Answer papers of failed candidates are reviewed as per the regulations of the Commission/University.
Re-admission after a break of study
- Candidates with a break of study of five years or more from the date of admission, or with more than two spells of break, will not be considered for re-admission.
- The five-year period is counted from the date of the candidate's first admission to the course.
- Re-admission is considered only if the candidate faces no disciplinary action and no charges are pending or contemplated.
- All re-admissions need the approval of a duly empowered University committee constituted by the Vice-Chancellor.
- Candidates with a break of up to five years apply for re-admission to the appropriate University authority, and are exempted from subjects already passed.
Maximum duration of the programme
- The BPT degree must be completed within ten years from the date of joining the course.
- A student who cannot complete the course or pass the prescribed examinations within ten years is discharged: his/her name is removed from the University rolls and he/she may not attend classes or sit any University examination after that.
- If a student cannot complete the internship within two years, the case goes to a committee constituted by the State Council for a case-by-case decision.
- Students who reach the ten-year limit while in the final year get one last chance to sit the University examination. If they fail in that attempt, they are discharged. The Controller of Examinations admits such candidates only after they submit an undertaking in the format given in the students' manual.
Migration, transfer and vacation
Migration / transfer
Allowed up to the second year, from government college to government college. For private colleges, migration and transfer follow the norms of the University concerned.
Vacation
The Head of the Institution/University may declare up to 30 days of vacation (summer and winter) in an academic year, and decides when the vacation falls.
Questions about assessment?
Our admission desk can explain how the BPT is structured and examined before you join.