Blog

Successful completion of the MRCS Part A exam allows aspirants the passage to the MRCS Part B OSCE, which is your final step to becoming a member of one of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons. The MRCS OSCE is a truly dynamic exam that demands your expertise in surgical science and art, as well as your skill and integrity. Here we will go deeply into all about MRCS Part B OSCE exam.

MRCS Part B Exam Structure

The MRCS Part B Examination is an Objective Structured Clinical Examination. It is a 3½ hour ‘circuit course’ comprising 18 examined stations each of a 9 minutes’ duration. These stations are divided into broad content areas (BCAs):

Applied knowledge (Eight stations= 160 marks)

• Anatomy and surgical pathology (five stations)
• Applied surgical science and critical care (three stations)

Applied Skills (10 stations = 200 marks)

• Clinical and procedural skills (six stations)
• Communication skills (four stations)
• Giving and receiving information
• History taking

In addition, there may be one or more preparation stations and one station that is being pre-tested. Candidates will not be informed which station is being pretested.
Each of the 18 examined stations is ‘manned’. Some stations will have two examiners and some have only one. In stations with two examiners, each will examine different aspects of your performance.
In addition to the four broad content areas mentioned above, four domains have been identified to encompass the knowledge, skills, competencies and professional attributes of a competent surgeon. These domains represent the General Medical Council’s (GMC) good medical practice and are assessed as follows:

• Clinical knowledge and its application
• Clinical and technical skill
• Communication
• Professionalism
  

These four domains are assessed throughout the 18 stations of the MRCS Part B OSCE.

Each station will have detailed instructions on the outside of the test area about the task to be performed. One minute is allocated for reading the instructions. In stations that involve a task followed by interaction with the examiner, there will be 6 minutes for the task and 3 minutes for the examiner interaction. A bell will be sounded at this point and the examiner will start questioning.

A candidate has 9 minutes to complete each station. You will be moved on promptly to the next station, even if you are in the middle of your answer.

Each station is marked out of a total of 20 points. The entire exam is marked out of a total of 360 points.

Each station is further awarded a global rating for competence marked as

• Fail
• Borderline
• Pass
  

To pass the examination, you must obtain a pass mark in the two BCAs. A mark will be calculated out of 160 for knowledge and 200 for skills. Note that, you must pass EACH of the BCAs in the same sitting.