The assessment of surgical skills and a simple knot-tying exercise

Basic surgical skills courses are mandatory for all surgical trainees takin g the MRCS examination. An important aspect of these courses is the level o f practical skill achieved by junior surgeons attending them. We present a simple knot-tying exercise, which may be used to assess the baseline skill level of trainees at the outset of the course and against which their progr ess can be judged after tuition and practice.