Registration Training Portfolio

The title 'Biomedical Scientist' is legally protected. To protect public safety, anyone using the title must meet Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Standards of Proficiency and be HCPC Registered. 

Meeting HCPC Standards of Proficiency 

Completing an IBMS Certificate of Competence will enable you to apply for HCPC registration as a biomedical scientist.

An IBMS Certificate of Competence demonstrates that you have met the HCPC Standards of Proficiency for biomedical scientists through a combination of:

• academic qualifications and
• clinical laboratory training

Find out more about HCPC Standards of Proficiency. 

Students can also visit the HCPC Student Hub which has been created to provide guidance and learning materials to further support you. To find out more visit the HCPC Student Hub

An IBMS Certificate of Competence is awarded for a combination of academic qualifications and completing an IBMS Registration Training Portfolio in an IBMS approved laboratory.

Please note that the time limit for completing this qualification has been removed. However, there will be an expiry limit of 3 years on any outdated version of a portfolio from the date a new version is introduced. There is still a requirement for evidence to be current i.e. within 3 years of the verification. Evidence older than this will be discounted by the verifier.

Academic qualifications

To achieve an IBMS Certificate of Competence your academic qualifications must meet the HCPC Standards of Proficiency for biomedical scientists.

Academic qualifications that meet the academic criteria set out in the HCPC Standards of Proficiency include:

• IBMS accredited honours degree
• IBMS accredited Sandwich honours degree
• IBMS accredited Integrated honours degree
• HCPC approved honours degree

If your degree is not IBMS accredited you will need to have your qualifications assessed and possibly take top-up modules before beginning an IBMS Registration Training Portfolio.  

Laboratory training

Your laboratory training will involve completing the IBMS Registration Training Portfolio. You must complete the portfolio in a laboratory which holds current IBMS pre-registration training approval. 

 

Your laboratory must have IBMS Registration Training Approval to be issued with an IBMS Registration Training Portfolio.

You will need to submit:

• a completed IBMS Registration Training Portfolio Order Form 
• portfolio fee (please refer to the IBMS Registration Training Portfolio order form for the fee and methods of payment for the portfolio.)
• a copy of the candidate's birth certificate or personal details page of their passport
• additional supporting documentation depending on the candidate's degree qualification

Supporting documentation

Candidates are required to send the following supporting documents, dependent on their degree status, to registration@ibms.org.

If you:

• have taken an IBMS accredited degree - please send a copy of your degree certificate and academic transcript
• are currently undertaking an IBMS accredited degree - please send confirmation of your enrolment on an IBMS accredited degree course
• have had your non-IBMS accredited degree assessed - please send a copy of your degree assessment outcome letter and review form

You can also post your application forms, payment and copies of your supporting documentation to: Registration, IBMS, 12 Coldbath Square, London, EC1R 5HL

IBMS Registration Training Portfolio Order Form 

Any candidate undertaking an IBMS Registration Training Portfolio in your laboratory must be assigned a training officer.

The training officer will be responsible for ensuring that the candidate receives appropriate training and assessment. 

Candidates must complete all sections of the portfolio.

The training officer will need to sign off each piece of evidence in the Version 5.0 portfolio. Each piece of evidence will demonstrate how the candidate has met the HCPC Standards of Proficiency that the piece of evidence is mapped to. For the version 4 portfolios, the training officer will continue to ensure that all HCPC Standards of Proficiency are signed off individually.

The named training officer must sign the final declaration at the end of the portfolio confirming that the applicant has demonstrated all HCPC Standards of Proficiency for biomedical scientists and the portfolio is complete.

For advice on avoiding plagiarism click here. 

To request an examination the laboratory manager or training officer should complete and submit an IBMS Registration Training Portfolio Verification Request Form to registration@ibms.org.

A verifier will be allocated within three months of the date the Registration Team receives the request for verification.

The IBMS Registration team will contact the laboratory training officer and the IBMS external verifier, who will then arrange a mutually convenient date for the portfolio verification. 

The portfolio verification will usually then take place within three weeks of the date a verifier is allocated.

The IBMS verifier will check that the candidate has completed the Registration Training Portfolio and their training has been conducted according to standards of good professional practice and competence set out in the HCPC standards of proficiency.

IBMS verifier will also assess the ongoing suitability of the laboratory to remain an IBMS approved training laboratory.

The candidate will be asked to take the verifier on a tour of the laboratory to show that they understand the work of the department and their role within the laboratory team.

The IBMS verifier will give the candidate and training officer feedback on the portfolio and confirm that they are satisfied that the completed portfolio meets all the required standards.  

If the external verifier concludes that there are areas of the portfolio that need improvement they will discuss this with the candidate and the training officer.

Once the candidate has made the recommended improvements the laboratory training officer can contact our Registration Team to request another verification.

Following the verification visit

• The verifier will submit a Registration portfolio verifier's report to the IBMS Registration Team
• The laboratory training officer must complete and send a Registration Training Portfolio Verification Laboratory Feedback Form to the IBMS Registration Team

When the IBMS Registration Team have received both the: 

• Registration portfolio verifier's report, and 
• Registration Training Portfolio Verification Laboratory Feedback Form

The Registration Team will contact the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) to confirm that the candidate has passed their Registration Training portfolio and are eligible to become registered as a biomedical scientist.

The IBMS Certificate of Competence will be sent to the candidate.  

Registration Training Portfolio Verification Laboratory Feedback Form

The IBMS will consider IBMS Accredited degrees awarded within the past 10 years as being current (i.e. the candidate graduated from their degree programme within 10 years of their application for a Registration Training Portfolio). The content of the IBMS Accredited BSc programme will be aligned to the relevant Biomedical Sciences(s) QAA Subject Benchmark Statement and contain the required clinical specialisms but must have been completed within 10 years for the candidate to have current theoretical content. 

If the candidate was awarded an IBMS Accredited undergraduate degree more than 10 years before the submission of the Registration Training Portfolio application, then please contact the Education Team at registration@ibms.org. We will require a copy of their degree certificate and academic transcript as well as the completed application form.

If the candidate has been awarded a BSc (Hons) degree award that is IBMS Accredited, or not IBMS Accredited but in a relevant subject area, they may be eligible for the Certificate of Competence by Equivalence (Biomedical Scientist) route. More information on this route can be found here. 

Reference Copies

If you require a replacement reference copy of a Version 4 Registration Training Portfolio or any guidance documents for the Version 4 portfolio please contact registration@ibms.org.