Cookie Policy

1. About Pass the MSRA

Pass the MSRA is an online medical education platform established in London, United Kingdom.

In this Policy:

• “Pass the MSRA”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to the operator of passthemsra.com;
• “website” means passthemsra.com and its associated pages;
• “you” and “your” refer to a visitor, registered user or customer;
• “device” includes a computer, tablet, mobile phone or another internet-connected device.

Questions about this Policy may be sent to:

passthemsra@gmail.com

2. What are cookies?

Cookies are small files or pieces of information stored on your device when you visit a website.

They may enable a website to:

• recognise a browser or device;
• maintain a login session;
• remember preferences;
• support registration or checkout;
• protect the website against fraud or misuse;
• understand how visitors use the website;
• measure advertising performance.

Some cookies expire when you close your browser. Others remain on your device for a defined period or until they are deleted.

3. Similar technologies

We may also use technologies that store information on, or access information from, your device without using a traditional browser cookie.

These may include:

• browser local storage;
• session storage;
• tracking pixels;
• tags;
• scripts;
• device identifiers.

The same privacy rules may apply to these technologies. The ICO’s guidance covers cookies and other technologies that store or access information on a user’s device. (ICO)

References to “cookies” in this Policy include similar storage and access technologies where appropriate.

4. When consent is required

We must provide clear information about the technologies we use.

We must obtain prior consent before using non-essential cookies or similar technologies unless a specific legal exception applies. Consent must be given through an active and informed choice; continued browsing alone is not consent. (ICO)

Strictly necessary technologies may be used without consent where they are genuinely required to provide a service requested by the user or to operate essential security and website functions.

Advertising-related storage and access technologies are not treated as strictly necessary and require consent. (ICO)

5. Categories of technologies we use

5.1 Strictly necessary

These technologies support the essential operation of the website.

They may be used to:

• maintain website security;
• support user authentication;
• process registration or checkout;
• remember cookie-consent choices;
• protect forms and accounts;
• determine whether a browser supports essential website features.

Strictly necessary technologies cannot normally be disabled using our cookie-preference tool.

5.2 Analytics

Analytics cookies help us understand how people use the website.

They may collect information such as:

• pages viewed;
• approximate visit duration;
• navigation through the website;
• referral source;
• browser or device type;
• general usage patterns.

We use this information to understand website performance and improve content and navigation.

Our current Google Analytics cookies require consent and should remain inactive until analytics consent is given.

5.3 Marketing and advertising

Marketing and advertising technologies may be used to:

• measure whether an advertisement led to a website visit or purchase;
• attribute conversions to advertising campaigns;
• assess campaign effectiveness;
• store information associated with an advertising click.

These technologies are optional and must not be activated until the user has consented to marketing or advertising technologies.

5.4 Preference and functionality technologies

Preference technologies may remember optional choices, such as:

• display settings;
• theme preferences;
• accessibility choices;
• other website customisations.

The website may not currently set a separate preference cookie for every setting. For example, a preference may sometimes be stored in browser local storage rather than as a traditional cookie.

6. Cookies and technologies currently identified

A scan of the public website identified the following technologies:

Google confirms that its Conversion Linker can store advertising-click information in browser local storage under the key _gcl_ls. (Google Help)

Important scope of this inventory

This list reflects the cookies and storage technologies identified during the supplied scan. It may not include technologies triggered only when a user:

• logs in;
• registers or checks out;
• makes a payment;
• opens LearnDash content;
• watches an embedded video;
• interacts with an external podcast player;
• uses a restricted dashboard;
• accepts additional cookie categories.

The website should therefore be rescanned periodically and after major plugin, analytics, advertising or checkout changes.

7. Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors interact with the website.

Google Analytics may collect information such as:

• page views;
• session activity;
• approximate location derived from an IP address;
• device and browser information;
• referral source;
• interactions with website pages.

The identified Google Analytics cookies are _ga and _ga_*.

These analytics technologies should not be activated until the visitor accepts analytics cookies.

Rejecting analytics cookies should not prevent users from accessing the website, registering or using paid content.

8. Google advertising and conversion measurement

The website uses Google advertising or conversion-measurement technologies, including _gcl_au and _gcl_ls.

These may be used to determine whether an advertising interaction resulted in:

• a visit to the website;
• registration;
• a purchase;
• another measured conversion.

_gcl_ls is stored in browser local storage rather than as a traditional cookie. Google describes it as storing advertising-click information used by its Conversion Linker. (Google Help)

These technologies must be treated as marketing and advertising technologies and should remain blocked until the user provides the relevant consent.

9. WordPress browser-support technology

WordPress uses wpEmojiSettingsSupports during a browser session to determine whether the browser can display emoji correctly.

This supports the appropriate display of website content and does not appear to be used for analytics or targeted advertising.

It is therefore categorised as strictly necessary or essential functionality.

10. First-party and third-party technologies

First-party technologies

A first-party cookie is set through the passthemsra.com domain.

Some Google technologies in the table appear under the Pass the MSRA domain but are still associated with Google’s analytics or advertising services.

Third-party providers

Third-party providers may receive or process information collected through their technologies.

The currently identified third-party provider is Google, through:

• Google Analytics;
• Google advertising or conversion measurement;
• Google Tag Manager or Google tag technology.

The provider’s own privacy practices and policies may also apply.

11. Cookie consent controls

When you first visit the website, the cookie banner should allow you to:

• Accept all optional technologies;
• Reject non-essential technologies;
• Manage preferences by category.

Non-essential technologies must not be activated before a valid choice is recorded.

The banner must not treat:

• scrolling;
• continued browsing;
• inactivity;
• closing the banner without choosing;

as consent.

12. Rejecting optional cookies

You may reject analytics and marketing technologies.

Rejecting them should not prevent access to:

• public website content;
• registration;
• checkout;
• account access;
• paid courses and educational resources.

Some optional embedded content or non-essential functions may be unavailable where they rely on a rejected third-party technology.

The option to reject non-essential cookies should be as clear and accessible as the option to accept them.

13. Changing or withdrawing consent

You may change or withdraw your consent at any time through the website’s Cookie settings control.

A permanent Cookie settings link should be available in the footer or another consistently accessible location.

Changing your settings should prevent future use of the rejected categories. It may not automatically remove information already stored on your device.

You can delete previously stored cookies and local-storage data using your browser settings.

Withdrawal of consent should be as easy as giving consent.

14. Browser controls

Most browsers allow you to:

• inspect stored cookies;
• delete individual or all cookies;
• clear local storage;
• block third-party cookies;
• block all cookies;
• clear stored data when the browser closes.

Blocking all cookies may affect essential website functions, including:

• login;
• account security;
• registration;
• checkout;
• saved sessions;
• cookie-consent preferences.

Browser controls may need to be used separately to remove _gcl_ls, because it is stored in browser local storage rather than as a traditional cookie.

15. Personal information collected through these technologies

Depending on your choices and the technology involved, collected information may include:

• IP address;
• browser and device details;
• general location derived from an IP address;
• pages visited;
• visit dates and times;
• referral source;
• advertising-click information;
• website interactions;
• analytics identifiers;
• conversion events.

Some of this information may constitute personal data.

Further information about how personal data is used, retained and shared is provided in our Privacy Policy.

16. Retention

The approximate storage periods identified by the current scan are shown in the table above.

The reported periods are:

• _ga: approximately 1 year, 1 month and 4 days;
• _ga_*: approximately 1 year, 1 month and 4 days;
• _gcl_au: approximately 3 months;
• wpEmojiSettingsSupports: the browser session;
• _gcl_ls: no fixed expiry identified because it is browser local storage rather than a conventional cookie.

Actual persistence may be affected by:

• browser settings;
• private-browsing mode;
• manual deletion;
• consent withdrawal;
• updates by the relevant provider;
• storage being refreshed or replaced.

We should not retain information derived from these technologies for longer than reasonably necessary for its stated purpose.

17. International processing

Google and other technology providers may process information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal data is transferred internationally, it should be handled using an appropriate lawful transfer mechanism and safeguards as explained in our Privacy Policy.

Users should also consult the relevant provider’s privacy information.

18. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect information collected through the website.

However, no browser, website or internet transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Further information is available in our Security Policy.

19. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy to reflect:

• changes to the cookies or technologies used;
• changes to analytics or advertising services;
• new website functions;
• changes to third-party providers;
• legal or regulatory developments;
• changes to our consent-management platform.

The current version will be published with an updated date.

Where purposes or providers change materially, users may be asked to make a new consent choice.

20. Contact

Questions about this Cookie Policy may be sent to:

Pass the MSRA

London, United Kingdom

Email: passthemsra@gmail.com

You may also use the website’s Cookie settings control to review or change your preferences.