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How to decide between PLAB and MRCP/MRCS

Deciding whether to take PLAB or a Postgraduate qualification like MRCS or MRCP to gain full GMC registration can be a stressful decision. Walk through the different factors with us to help you decide.

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Deciding between whether to take PLAB or a Postgraduate qualification like MRCS or MRCP to gain full GMC registration can be a stressful decision. Walk through the different factors with us to help you decide.

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The rules, guidelines and criteria for working as a doctor in the UK change frequently. Please make sure you check the latest official guidance before taking action.

Updated: February 16, 2023

One of the great things about coming to work in the UK as a doctor is that there are so many options, there is no one way to gain GMC registration. But this can also make it very confusing! Today we’ll be tackling which exam is best for different situations to help you decide.

As a reminder, the GMC requires you to demonstrate that you meet a certain standard of clinical knowledge and skills. Most IMGs achieve this by passing PLAB but it is not the only way. Certain postgraduate qualifications can also be used to gain full registration in place of PLAB.

Postgraduate qualifications are generally awarded after passing the relevant exams. The most common exams that many IMGs consider taking instead of PLAB are MRCP (Membership of the Royal College of Physicians) and MRCS (Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons).

Other examples include MRCOG, MRCEM MRCPsych, FRCR etc. You can view the full list of UK and international qualifications  accepted by the GMC here.

Which exam you take can also affect what training pathway you go down as an IMG. Find out how by enrolling in our FREE online course The IMG Shortcut where I show you how to get into UK training within 2 years.

Don’t take unnecessary exams!

If you’re considering MRCP/MRCS instead of PLAB, check first whether it is even required for your target specialty.

MRCP is only required for specialty training in medical specialties eg. Cardiology, Neurology, Gastroenterology. It is not required to enter training for other specialties such as Paediatrics, Psychiatry, GP, Ophthalmology, Surgery etc. This seems to be a common misconception. Make sure you know your training pathway so you don’t take unnecessary exams.

MRCS is required for most surgical specialties. It is not required for Obstetrics or Ophthalmology.

You can check the required exams for your target specialty on the GMC curricula. Use this guide to interpret the GMC curricula.

What factors need to be considered?

If your specialty does require MRCP or MRCS at some point, there are several factors that you need to consider when deciding whether to take MRCP/MRCS or PLAB.

1. Pass rates

Many IMGs want to take MRCP/MRCS instead of PLAB to save time and money. This is perfectly reasonable but remember, you can only save time and money if you pass on your first attempt. MRCP/MRCS have much lower pass rates compared to PLAB. Have a look at the numbers so you can make an informed decision.

PLAB

The pass rates for PLAB are higher than MRCP

Year PLAB 1 PLAB 2 (OSCE)
2015 69% 68%
2016 72% 73%
2017 76% 79%
2018 69% 66%
2019 64% 66%

MRCP

The pass rates for MRCP are much lower than PLAB, especially for Part 1 and PACES. In particular, non-UK candidates have a lower passing rate for PACES compared to UK candidates. This may be due to lack of UK experience.

2019 Pass rates for first attempt of MRCP 2-4
  Overall UK candidates Non-UK candidates
Part 1 46.7% 58.1% 41.3%
Part 2 68.7% 71.9% 66.6%
PACES (OSCE) 50.6% 61.9% 40.3%

MRCS

Recent pass rates are not published on the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) website however I did find this Powerpoint presentation from RCS with these numbers. There is no year on the presentation nor is there any distinction between UK and non-UK graduates but these figures give you an overall idea.

MRCS Overall pass rate 5
Part A 30-35%
Part B (OSCE) 57-60%

2. Preparation time

Exams deserve and require dedicated preparation time. Being a more basic exam, PLAB is much easier to prepare for in a shorter period of time compared to postgraduate exams like MRCP and MRCS.

I’ve given the typical times that UK trainees tend to recommend for MRCP/MRCS when preparing for an exam alongside work. Keep in mind that the times may be shorter if you do not work while preparing for the exam, and longer if you work very long hours.

 Typical preparation time
PLAB 
PLAB 11.5 – 3 months
PLAB 2 (OSCE)1.5 – 2 months
MRCP* 
MRCP Part 13-6 months
MRCP Part 23-6 months
MRCP PACES (OSCE)4-6 months
MRCS* 
MRCS Part A3-4 months
MRCS Part B (OSCE)4-6 months

3. Costs

When it comes to factoring in cost, there are 2 main things to look at:

  1. Exam fees – self-explanatory
  2. Location of closest testing centre – this will affect the cost of flights tickets, accommodation, and exam fees (fees can be higher if you take the exam overseas). 

Here’s a table of the 2020 fees to compare:

 UK exam feeOverseas exam feeLocations
PLABTOTAL: £ 1,114  
PLAB 1£ 239No additional feeWorldwide
PLAB 2 (OSCE)£ 875N/AUK only
MRCPTOTAL: £ 1,487 £ 2,390 – 2,485 
MRCP Part 1£ 419£ 594Worldwide
MRCP Part 2£ 419£ 594Worldwide
MRCP PACES (OSCE)£ 657£ 1,202 – £ 1,297Worldwide
MRCSTOTAL: £ 1,516£ 1,573 – £ 1,671 
MRCS Part A£ 550£ 596 – 659Worldwide
MRCS Part B (OSCE)£ 997£ 977 – 1,012Worldwide

You’ll notice that exams for postgraduate qualifications tend to be more expensive than PLAB, especially when taken overseas. However being able to take MRCP and MRCS overseas may make up for the cost of flight tickets and accommodation of coming to the UK for PLAB 2.

Review your budget and the full cost of registration through PLAB route to make a decision.

4. Required clinical experience

PLAB

PLAB 1 can be booked as soon as you have passed your final exams in medical school & have evidence of English proficiency (IELTS/OET/PMQ). Internship is not a requirement to sit PLAB.

These exams test the basic and most important clinical knowledge and skills of competent doctors. Many IMGs are able to pass PLAB with or without completion of internship.

Related: Getting ready for your first visit to the UK as an IMG

MRCS

Similar to PLAB, you can book Part A of MRCS right after graduating from medical school provided you meet the rest of the eligibility criteria. You can also book Part B but passing it without clinical experience, especially UK experience, can be difficult.

The Royal College of Surgeons recommends that candidates attempt Part A during the first year of core surgical training (CT1) which is 2 years post-graduation, and Part B during the second year of core surgery (CT2). Many doctors who aim to pursue surgery sit Part A prior to CT1 applications, and clear Part B during CT1.

MRCP

This exam requires 12 months postgraduate clinical experience before you can sit MRCP Part 1 which means you must complete internship first.

There are no further requirements for postgraduate experience for Part 2 or PACES however as a postgraduate exam, MRCP requires postgraduate experience to pass. It appears that UK clinical experience is also very important considering the lower pass rate of IMGs compared to UK candidates, especially for PACES which is an OSCE.

The Royal College of Physicians says that based on their data, the pass rates are highest when candidates:

  • make their first attempt at the Part 1 Examination within 12 to 24 months of graduation
  • make their first attempt at the Part 2 Written Examination within 36 months of graduation
  • delay their first attempt at the Part 2 Clinical Examination, PACES, until 36 months after graduating
  • pass the Part 2 Written Examination before attempting PACES.

5. Job prospects

PLAB is enough to secure a job in the NHS. Having a postgraduate qualification such as MRCS or MRCP is a bonus and will look good on your job application, however, it is not essential. Completing MRCP/MRCS with the idea that it’s the only way to get a job is misguided.
 
The vast majority of IMGs will start working in the UK in a non-training job. MRCS or MRCP are not required to secure non-training jobs, especially at SHO level. It can help for registrar level roles but again it is not a requirement.

So if you’re worried about not getting a job because you don’t have a postgraduate qualification like MRCP or MRCS, don’t be!

Related: The best first job in the UK for overseas doctors

Training jobs

Full MRCP or MRCS are not entry requirements for the first-year of training (CT1). Passing Part 1 of MRCP or Part A MRCS will gain you points on your application to core training, but passing Part 2/PACES/Part B will not. So consider how much effort you’ll be putting into unnecessary exams – effort that can be spent improving other parts of your application eg. research, audit, and teaching.

You are only expected to pass all parts of MRCS or MRCP by the end of core training which is 2 years for surgery and 2-3 years for medicine. Only then will you need it to enter higher specialty training eg. Cardiology or Gastroenterology for medical specialties, or General Surgery or Orthopaedics for surgical specialties.

If you have already completed postgraduate specialty training (residency) overseas equivalent to UK core training, you can work towards having your training recognised and apply for higher medical or surgical training at ST3 level. In this case it may be worth your time to pursue MRCP or MRCS instead of PLAB.

Related: What IMGs need to know about applications to specialty training (residency) in the UK

Looking for a step-by-step guide?

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Conclusion

For those who have just graduated or just finished internship, PLAB is the logical choice.

It does not require any further postgraduate experience, needs less preparation time, and allows you to start working in the UK sooner.

Your first job in the UK is going to be at SHO level and having MRCP or MRCS is not required for this role. Applicants without them are just as likely to get an SHO post. MRCP and MRCS can be cleared while working in the UK. The UK clinical experience will give candidates a higher chance of passing.

For those who have significant postgraduate experience or have completed  residency overseas, you have a choice between a PGQ and PLAB.

PLAB is faster and has a higher pass rate, while a PGQ is more expensive and takes longer, but will be in your specialty. 

Your first job in the UK can either be at SHO or Registrar level, most likely in a non-training role. For these types of jobs, MRCS and MRCP are also not required but can help when applying for Registrar level positions. Just keep in mind that the lack of UK experience can be an obstacle to passing.

Frequently asked questions

No, you need to pass all parts of a postgraduate qualification to use it for GMC registration.

Yes, you can certainly save time and money by clearing one set of exams instead of two, but that relies on you passing the first time. MRCS and MRCP have much lower pass rates compared to PLAB!

Being postgraduate qualifications, your success in MRCP/MRCS is generally tied to your postgraduate clinical experience. Postgraduate clinical experience (especially UK experience) is usually needed to succeed.

So if you have only completed internship, you may end up spending more time and more money with multiple attempts of MRCP/MRCS compared to PLAB. But if you feel up for the challenge then by all means, go for MRCP/MRCS.

If you have already completed postgraduate specialty training (residency) overseas, it may be worth your time to pursue MRCP or MRCS instead of PLAB.

Yes, you may need to pass MRCP or MRCS at some point but these exams are not entry requirements for first-year specialty training (CT1).

You are only expected to pass MRCS or MRCP by the end of core training which is 2 years for surgery and 2-3 years for medicine. Only then will you need it to enter higher specialty training eg. Cardiology or Gastroenterology for medical specialties, or General Surgery or Orthopaedics for surgical specialties.

For entry to the first year of core training, passing Part 1 of these exams is sufficient.

If you have already completed postgraduate specialty training (residency) overseas equivalent to UK core training, you may wish to skip UK core training and apply for higher medical or surgical training at ST3 level. In this case it may be worth your time to pursue MRCP or MRCS instead of PLAB.

References

1. General Medical Council. (2019). Recent pass rates for PLAB 1 and PLAB 2. [online] [Link] [Accessed 6 Apr. 2019].

2. MRCP(UK) Part 1 2018 performance report. (2019). [ebook] MRCPUK. [Link] [Accessed 6 Apr. 2019].

3.  MRCP(UK) Part 2 Clinical Examination performance report 2018. (2019). [ebook] MRCPUK [Link] [Accessed 6 Apr. 2019].

4. MRCP(UK) Part 2 Written 2018 performance report. (2019). [ebook] MRCPUK. [Link] [Accessed 6 Apr. 2019].

5. MRCS: when, what and how?. (2019). [ebook] Royal College of Surgeons. [Link] [Accessed 6 Apr. 2019].

You might also like

Looking for a step-by-step guide?

Subscribe to the Savvy IMG and grab your FREE 2-year roadmap to UK residency as an IMG.

free

Looking for a step-by-step guide?

Subscribe to the Savvy IMG and grab your FREE 2-year roadmap to UK residency as an IMG.

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60 Responses

  1. Hello,
    I have 3.5 years of experience in Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia and completed the initial 6 months of Anaesthesia training. Planning to sit for Primary FRCA. If I get through that, is it possible to pursue training in Anaesthesia as a Registrar without having previously worked in the UK or without IELTS..?
    Thanks

    1. Hi there,
      It may be possible get into anesthesia training directly if you can meet all the entry requirements, have a good portfolio and good interview performance. Although it’s highly recommend to gain some UK experience first before applying to training to prepare you.
      You will still need IELTS or OET to get GMC registration.
      It can get quite confusing so if you are looking for one-to-one guidance for your specific personal circumstances, you might be interested in booking a session to discuss your options. For more details, please visit our page here.
      https://calendly.com/drkimberlytan
      I look forward to speaking with you!
      Kimberly

  2. I have 15 years service as a doctor in Sri Lanka in the fields of Aneasthesia and Oncology. I started a MSc in Scotland Sep 2021 (1 year ). I have PSWVisa for another 2 years. Is it possible to start MSRA in either of above fields in order to get in to NHS before GMC registration? So that I can utilise that 2 years in health sector while planing for GMC registration.
    Thanks

    1. Hi there, there seems to be some confusion. The MSRA is only taken as part of the application process to training programmes in certain specialties. If you get into a training programme, you need to have GMC registration before you will be allowed to start working. It’s not possible to work as a doctor in the UK without GMC registration.

  3. Hi, I graduated 6yrs ago. Have worked in a private hospital in my country for 5yrs. I am presently in London doing postgraduate in public health but I have exhausted my four attempts on plab 2. Is it advisable to take MRCS exam, will GMC agree to register me after passing it

    1. Hi there, sorry to hear about your struggle. It’s possible that the GMC will accept it but if you only pass the exam without any further clinical experience, they may not. You can try but I’m afraid there are no guarantees in this case.

  4. Hello
    Thanks a lot for such a clear guidance to help IMGs. I have a question. I am an IMG with MD+ 2years of internship+ postgraduate specialty training for 4 years in Urologic surgery, and 2 years of job experience. I plan to go through the GMC registration pathways, but not sure which of the PLAB or MRCS routes are suitable for me to save time and money.
    Will I become ST/3 of urology training If I can pass the MRCS?
    Best regards

    1. Hi there, MRCS seems more suitable given your experience. You will not automatically be given an ST3 urology training post once you pass MRCS. You’ll need to complete all the other eligibility requirements, prepare your portfolio and attend the interview. This can all take 1-2 years but if you do well in the application, you can certainly get a training post. If you are looking for one-to-one guidance for your specific personal circumstances, you might be interested in booking a session to discuss your options. For more details, please visit our page here.

      https://calendly.com/drkimberlytan

      Best of luck!

  5. Hey Nick,

    Thanks a lot for such a clear and to the point guide.
    I am an IMG and graduated at 2016. I have been working as a general practitioner since then. I have passed the PLAB part 1 and MRCP part 1&2 but unfortunately have not been able to secure a placement for PACES (the prospect of getting a slot soon is not bright due to the backlog caused by COVID).
    My question:
    Would I be able to apply for a job and start working in the UK without clearing PACES?

    Thanks in advance

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We use technologies such as tracking pixels (small graphic files) and tracked links in the emails we send to allow us to assess the level of engagement our emails receive by measuring information such as the delivery rates, open rates, click through rates and content engagement that our emails achieve.

Information obtained from third parties

This section sets out how we obtain or collect information about you from third parties.

Information received from third parties

We can often receive information about you from third parties. The third parties from which we receive information about you can include partner events within the marketing industry and other organisations that we have a professional affiliation with.

It is also possible that third parties with whom we have had no prior contact may provide us with information about you.

Information we obtain from third parties will generally be your name and contact details but will include any additional information about you which they provide to us.

Legal basis for processing: necessary to perform a contract or to take steps at your request to enter into a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Reason why necessary to perform a contract: where a third party has passed on information about you to us (such as your name and email address) in order for us to provide services to you, we will process your information in order to take steps at your request to enter into a contract with you and perform a contract with you (as the case may be).

Legal basis for processing: consent (Article 6(1)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Consent: where you have asked that a third party to share information about you with us and the purpose of sharing that information is not related to the performance of a contract or services by us to you, we will process your information on the basis of your consent, which you give by asking the third party in question to pass on your information to us.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interests: where a third party has shared information about you with us and you have not consented to the sharing of that information, we will have a legitimate interest in processing that information in certain circumstances.

For example, we would have a legitimate interest in processing your information to perform our obligations under a sub-contract with the third party, where the third party has the main contract with you. Our legitimate interest is the performance of our obligations under our sub-contract.

Similarly, third parties may pass on information about you to us if you have infringed or potentially infringed any of our legal rights. In this case, we will have a legitimate interest in processing that information to investigate and pursue any such potential infringement.

Information obtained by us from third parties

In certain circumstances (for example, to verify the information we hold about you or obtain missing information we require to provide you with a service) we will obtain information about you from certain publicly accessible sources, both EU and non-EU, such as Companies House, online customer databases, business directories, media publications, social media, and websites (including your own website if you have one.

In certain circumstances will also obtain information about you from private sources, both EU and non-EU, such as marketing data services.

We will continue to send you marketing communications in relation to similar goods and services if you do not opt out from receiving them.

You can opt-out from receiving marketing communications at any time by emailing hello@thesavvyimg.co.uk

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interests: Sharing relevant, timely and industry-specific information on related business services.

Where we receive information about you in error

If we receive information about you from a third party in error and/or we do not have a legal basis for processing that information, we will delete your information.

Disclosure and additional uses of your information

This section sets out the circumstances in which will disclose information about you to third parties and any additional purposes for which we use your information.

Disclosure of your information to service providers

We use a number of third parties to provide us with services which are necessary to run our business or to assist us with running our business

These include the following: Internet services, IT service providers and web developers.

Our third-party service providers are located both inside and outside of the European Economic Area.

Your information will be shared with these service providers where necessary to provide you with the service you have requested, whether that is accessing our website or ordering goods and services from us.

We do not display the identities of our service providers publicly by name for security and competitive reasons. If you would like further information about the identities of our service providers, however, please contact us directly by email and we will provide you with such information where you have a legitimate reason for requesting it (where we have shared your information with such service providers, for example).

Legal basis for processing: legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interest relied on: where we share your information with these third parties in a context other than where is necessary to perform a contract (or take steps at your request to do so), we will share your information with such third parties in order to allow us to run and manage our business efficiently.

Legal basis for processing: necessary to perform a contract and/or to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Reason why necessary to perform a contract: we may need to share information with our service providers to enable us to perform our obligations under that contract or to take the steps you have requested before we enter into a contract with you.

Disclosure and use of your information for legal reasons

Indicating possible criminal acts or threats to public security to a competent authority

If we suspect that criminal or potential criminal conduct has been occurred, we will in certain circumstances need to contact an appropriate authority, such as the police. This could be the case, for instance, if we suspect that we fraud or a cyber-crime has been committed or if we receive threats or malicious communications towards us or third parties.

We will generally only need to process your information for this purpose if you were involved or affected by such an incident in some way.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interests: preventing crime or suspected criminal activity (such as fraud).

In connection with the enforcement or potential enforcement our legal rights

We will use your information in connection with the enforcement or potential enforcement of our legal rights, including, for example, sharing information with debt collection agencies if you do not pay amounts owed to us when you are contractually obliged to do so. Our legal rights may be contractual (where we have entered into a contract with you) or non-contractual (such as legal rights that we have under copyright law or tort law).

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interest: enforcing our legal rights and taking steps to enforce our legal rights.

In connection with a legal or potential legal dispute or proceedings

We may need to use your information if we are involved in a dispute with you or a third party for example, either to resolve the dispute or as part of any mediation, arbitration or court resolution or similar process.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interest(s): resolving disputes and potential disputes.

How long we retain your information

This section sets out how long we retain your information. We have set out specific retention periods where possible. Where that has not been possible, we have set out the criteria we use to determine the retention period.

Retention periods

Server log information: we retain information on our server logs for 3 months.

Correspondence and enquiries: when you make an enquiry or correspond with us for any reason, whether by email or via our contact form or by phone, we will retain your information for as long as it takes to respond to and resolve your enquiry, and for 36 further month(s), after which point we will archive your information.

Newsletter: we retain the information you used to sign up for our newsletter for as long as you remain subscribed (i.e. you do not unsubscribe).

Membership: we retain the information you used to sign up for our memberships for as long as you remain subscribed (i.e. you do not unsubscribe).

Criteria for determining retention periods

In any other circumstances, we will retain your information for no longer than necessary, taking into account the following:

    • the purpose(s) and use of your information both now and in the future (such as whether it is necessary to continue to store that information in order to continue to perform our obligations under a contract with you or to contact you in the future);
    • whether we have any legal obligation to continue to process your information (such as any record-keeping obligations imposed by relevant law or regulation);
    • whether we have any legal basis to continue to process your information (such as your consent);
    • how valuable your information is (both now and in the future);
    • any relevant agreed industry practices on how long information should be retained;
    • the levels of risk, cost and liability involved with us continuing to hold the information;
    • how hard it is to ensure that the information can be kept up to date and accurate; and
    • any relevant surrounding circumstances (such as the nature and status of our relationship with you).

How we secure your information

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to secure your information and to protect it against unauthorised or unlawful use and accidental loss or destruction, including:

  • only sharing and providing access to your information to the minimum extent necessary, subject to confidentiality restrictions where appropriate, and on an anonymised basis wherever possible;
  • using secure servers to store your information;
  • verifying the identity of any individual who requests access to information prior to granting them access to information;
  • using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software to encrypt any payment transactions you make on or via our website;
  • only transferring your information via closed system or encrypted data transfers;

Transmission of information to us by email

Transmission of information over the internet is not entirely secure, and if you submit any information to us over the internet (whether by email, via our website or any other means), you do so entirely at your own risk.

We cannot be responsible for any costs, expenses, loss of profits, harm to reputation, damages, liabilities or any other form of loss or damage suffered by you as a result of your decision to transmit information to us by such means.

Transfers of your information outside the European Economic Area

Your information may be transferred and stored outside the European Economic Area (EEA) in the circumstances set out earlier in this policy.

We will also transfer your information outside the EEA or to an international organisation in order to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject (compliance with a court order, for example). Where we are required to do so, we will ensure appropriate safeguards and protections are in place.

Your rights in relation to your information

Subject to certain limitations on certain rights, you have the following rights in relation to your information, which you can exercise by writing to the data controller using the details provided at the top of this policy.

  • to request access to your information and information related to our use and processing of your information;
  • to request the correction or deletion of your information;
  • to request that we restrict our use of your information;
  • to receive information which you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format (e.g. a CSV file) and the right to have that information transferred to another data controller (including a third-party data controller);
  • to object to the processing of your information for certain purposes (for further information, see the section below entitled Your right to object to the processing of your information for certain purposes); and
  • to withdraw your consent to our use of your information at any time where we rely on your consent to use or process that information. Please note that if you withdraw your consent, this will not affect the lawfulness of our use and processing of your information on the basis of your consent before the point in time when you withdraw your consent.

In accordance with Article 77 of the General Data Protection Regulation, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work or of an alleged infringement of the General Data Protection Regulation.

Further information on your rights in relation to your personal data as an individual

You can find out further information about your rights, as well as information on any limitations which apply to those rights, by reading the underlying legislation contained in Articles 12 to 22 and 34 of the General Data Protection Regulation, which is available here:http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/reform/files/regulation_oj_en.pdf

Verifying your identity where you request access to your information

Where you request access to your information, we are required by law to use all reasonable measures to verify your identity before doing so.

These measures are designed to protect your information and to reduce the risk of identity fraud, identity theft or general unauthorised access to your information.

How we verify your identity

Where we possess appropriate information about you on file, we will attempt to verify your identity using that information.

If it is not possible to identity you from such information, or if we have insufficient information about you, we may require original or certified copies of certain documentation in order to be able to verify your identity before we are able to provide you with access to your information.

We will be able to confirm the precise information we require to verify your identity in your specific circumstances if and when you make such a request.

Your right to object

You have the following rights in relation to your information, which you may exercise in the same way as you may exercise by writing to the data controller using the details provided at the top of this policy.

  • to object to us using or processing your information where we use or process it in order
  • to carry out a task in the public interest or for our legitimate interests, including ‘profiling’ (i.e. analysing or predicting your behaviour based on your information) based on any of these purposes; and
  • to object to us using or processing your information for direct marketing purposes(including any profiling we engage in that is related to such direct marketing).

You may also exercise your right to object to us using or processing your information for direct marketing purposes by:

  • clicking the unsubscribe link contained at the bottom of any marketing email we send to you and following the instructions which appear in your browser following your clicking on that link;
  • sending an email to info@thesavvyimg.co.uk, asking that we stop sending you marketing communications or by including the words “OPT OUT”.

Sensitive Personal Information

‘Sensitive personal information’ is information about an individual that reveals their racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, genetic information, biometric information for the purpose of uniquely identifying an individual, information concerning health or information concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation.

Our website does not allow you to register any ‘Sensitive Information’, however if we ask for this, you will be considered to have explicitly consented to us processing that sensitive personal information under Article 9(2)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation.

Changes to our Privacy Policy

We update and amend our Privacy Policy from time to time.

Minor changes to our Privacy Policy

Where we make minor changes to our Privacy Policy, we will update our Privacy Policy with a new effective date stated at the beginning of it. Our processing of your information will be governed by the practices set out in that new version of the Privacy Policy from its effective date onwards.

Major changes to our Privacy Policy or the purposes for which we process your information

Where we make major changes to our Privacy Policy or intend to use your information for a new purpose or a different purpose than the purposes for which we originally collected it, we will notify you by email (where possible) or by posting a notice on our website.

We will provide you with the information about the change in question and the purpose and any other relevant information before we use your information for that new purpose.

Wherever required, we will obtain your prior consent before using your information for a purpose that is different from the purposes for which we originally collected it.

Children’s Privacy

Because we care about the safety and privacy of children online, we comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA). COPPA and its accompanying regulations protect the privacy of children using the internet. We do not knowingly contact or collect information from persons under the age of 18. The website is not intended to solicit information of any kind from persons under the age of 18.

It is possible that we could receive information pertaining to persons under the age of 18 by the fraud or deception of a third party. If we are notified of this, as soon as we verify the information, we will, where required by law to do so, immediately obtain the appropriate parental consent to use that information or, if we are unable to obtain such parental consent, we will delete the information from our servers. If you would like to notify us of our receipt of information about persons under the age of 18, please do so by contacting us by using the details at the top of this policy.