FAQs for Medical Revalidation in Scotland
The following is a collection of Frequently Asked Questions by doctors working in Scotland regarding Medical Revalidation. If the questions and answers below do not answer your query, please get in touch via the SOAR Helpdesk for further assistance.
We will add your queries to our FAQs section as we look to build on this resource.
Please also visit the main section on Revalidation, as well as checking your own College's / Faculty's website.
If you are still unsure, there is a GMC blog post which helps answer some myths around revalidation which you may find useful.
"Under notice" is a GMC terminology used to indicate if a doctor was within 3 months of their revalidation due date. Your RO cannot revalidate you if you are not “under notice”.
Your Responsible Officer will consider each deferment request individually on its own merits and make the final decision. In any case, if you feel you have a legitimate case for deferring your Revalidation, please contact your local Administration team in the first instance, who will escalate your queries accordingly.
Please also note that revalidation deferral is a neutral act and should not be viewed as a negative.
No, revalidation is a process that happens in the background - unless specifically requested by the designated RO, appraisees are expected to proceed with annual processes as is.
Revalidation will take into account your appraisal history, its supporting information, and (where applicable) other information available to the RO. There will NOT be a separate "Revalidation Appraisal" meeting. Regular annual appraisals to proceed as per usual.
There is no such thing - see above.
This page was last updated on: 26/03/2026
