Using the App

IBMS Registration Training Portfolio (v5)

The IBMS Registration Training Portfolio is the route most trainees use to qualify for HCPC registration as a Biomedical Scientist. The current version is v5, which the IBMS published in 2022 and updated in 2024.

Portfolio tracking is built into PathologyLabTraining at /portfolio.

Who needs this

You need the Registration Training Portfolio if:

If your degree is not IBMS-accredited, you typically need top-up modules first; check the IBMS site for the current route.

Fees (2026)

Always check ibms.org for the latest fees — these can change at short notice.

Structure

The v5 portfolio has the following sections:

  1. Pre-analytical — specimen handling, identification, integrity
  2. Analytical — testing methods, QC, equipment operation
  3. Post-analytical — result reporting, authorisation, communication
  4. Health, safety, and security — COSHH, ACDP, infection control
  5. Quality assurance and governance — IQC, EQA, audit, incidents
  6. Professional practice — confidentiality, CPD, professional conduct

Each section contains a set of required evidence items with witness sign-off boxes in the official IBMS portfolio; sign-off happens there, not on this platform.

How to use the tracker

  1. Open /portfolio (My training → IBMS portfolio). The page is titled IBMS portfolio assistant.
  2. Choose the discipline card that matches your training route (Haematology & Transfusion Science, Clinical Chemistry, Medical Microbiology, Cellular Pathology, Immunology, or Genetics & Genomics). The selected card shows its competency list.
  3. The page has five tabs: Learning Path, Evidence Library, AI Assistant, Progress and How v5.0 works.
  4. In Evidence Library, write an evidence entry against each competency. Evidence is text; you cannot upload files.
  5. Learning Path tracks completion across the v5 modules; Progress shows your overall and per-section progress.
  6. AI Assistant drafts and checks reflective writing. Select Registration as the portfolio type inside that tab.

There is currently no separate "Start V4" / "Start V5" button — the tracker is built around the current V5 framework. If you are still completing a legacy V4 portfolio (which expires 31 August 2026), use the same screens but mark V4-only evidence in your reflection notes so the verifier can recognise it.

Linking simulator results

Simulator and training results are not attached automatically. Cite them in your evidence entries, and use the CPD log, which records your training activity and exports an HCPC-style record.

Verification

When you are ready, request IBMS verification through the IBMS website. The verifier visits your laboratory (or completes a remote review where applicable) and signs off the portfolio. After successful verification, you receive your Certificate of Competence and can apply to HCPC.

Timeline expectations

Most trainees complete the portfolio in 12-24 months alongside their pre-registration training role. Faster than 12 months usually means insufficient evidence depth; longer than 24 months can mean the portfolio is fragmenting and a verifier may ask for refresh.

Exporting

The Progress tab downloads your analytics as a JSON file and the AI Assistant saves its answers as a text file. There is no PDF or zipped portfolio export; paste your drafted text into the official IBMS portfolio.

Standards alignment

The portfolio is aligned with: