Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons Part B OSCE

Registration process

Step 1: You complete an online booking

Choose your exam and complete the online booking form.

The name you use when you book must exactly match the name on the government‑issued photo ID you present on the exam day.

Reasonable adjustment requests

Submit evidence for your reasonable adjustment request to ra_exams@rcseng.ac.uk if you are applying for it for the first time. Read more about reasonable adjustments.

Step 2: We complete eligibility checks

We will use the eligibility checks from your MRCS Part A application to verify your eligibility to sit the exam.

Step 3: Admission letter sent by email

At least eight weeks before the exam, we will email you a letter of admission to the exam including information about:

• the exam venue
• the time and date of your exam
• what to bring
• the date you will receive your results

You will need to show this admission letter to enter the exam.

Applying for reasonable adjustments

If you have learning differences or permanent or temporary disabilities, you may be eligible for a reasonable adjustment to the way your exam is delivered.

If you think you require a reasonable adjustment you'll need to provide supporting evidence when you apply. Please send all documentation and queries related to reasonable adjustments to ra_exams@rcseng.ac.uk.

If you have previously been approved a reasonable adjustment in an earlier MRCS sitting, you do not need to submit your supporting evidence again. Your approved adjustment will automatically be carried forward to your upcoming exam.

For more information, please refer to the ICBSE Reasonable Adjustments Policy.

Next steps after booking

Letter of support for visa application

If you require a letter to support your visa application, we can provide this for you. The letter will cover the exam period in the country where the exam is being held. 

To request a letter, email surgicalexams@rcseng.ac.uk. We require 14 days to provide a letter.

Prepare for your exam

We offer a range of support resources and facilities to help you prepare. Explore ways to prepare for taking the MRCS.

Results

If you are sitting this exam in the UK, we will email your results to you approximately four weeks after the exam date. 

If you are sitting this exam in an international centre, we will email your results to you up to nine weeks after the exam date.

The exact date of your results will be in your admission letter.

On the scheduled results day, you will receive an email containing your results information. This includes your:

• Overall exam result (pass/fail);
• ‘Knowledge’ score and result (pass/fail);
• ‘Skills’ score and result (pass/fail).

A copy of your results will be available in your online account alongside a further breakdown of your scores, which includes:

• Structured mark sheet: marks are awarded for each domain using generic descriptors to guide examiners. There is a standardised distribution of marks across the broad content areas.
• Overall judgement: a judgement is made on your overall performance at the station (pass, borderline, or fail).

For each station, you will receive a mark out of 20 and an overall judgement of your performance.

The highest-scoring candidate will be awarded the Barry Prize at their Diplomate Ceremony.

Syllabus

Read the MRCS Part B syllabus.

Exam regulations

Intercollegiate MRCS exam regulations apply to all candidates. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these ahead of your exam.

Withdrawing from an exam

If you need to withdraw from the exam, you may be entitled to a full or partial refund based on your circumstances. More information can be found in our refund policy.

We cannot postpone your exam to a later sitting. You will need to withdraw from the exam and re-apply for the exam you wish to sit.

Exam attempts

You can attempt the MRCS Part B four times. This includes all sittings at any of the four surgical royal Colleges.

If you fail on your fourth attempt, you may apply for one additional attempt, following the additional attempt policy.

Complaints and appeals

To make a complaint about your exam experience, please follow the ICBSE Complaints Procedure.

If you wish to appeal your result, you should consult the ICBSE appeals regulations.

All complaints and appeals should be emailed to surgicalexams@rcseng.ac.uk.