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FRCS Section 1 General Surgery Exam: Eligibility, Format & Tips

The Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS) is a coveted qualification, a symbol of surgical mastery in the UK and Ireland. Conferred through an intercollegiate collaboration, this prestigious qualification is bestowed by four esteemed institutions: the Royal College of Surgeons England, Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, and Royal College of Surgeons Ireland.

This intercollegiate partnership ensures the FRCS maintains consistently high standards, recognized globally as a hallmark of surgical expertise. These exams are conducted under the guidance of two primary bodies: the Joint Committee on Intercollegiate Examinations (JCIE) and the Joint Surgical Colleges Fellowship Examination (JSCFE).

Format of FRCS Section 1 General Surgery

The FRCS exam is a multi-stage process, and Section 1 General Surgery represents the crucial written component you must conquer before progressing further. This exam is designed to assess the candidate’s theoretical knowledge and understanding of general surgery.

Number of papers: Two papers

Mode of examination:  Computer based test

Exam format: Single Best Answer (SBAs) questions

Number of Questions:  120 questions for each part

Exam duration: 2 hours & 15 minutes for each paper

FRCS Section 1 General Surgery Exam Eligibility

To be eligible for the FRCS Section 1 General Surgery exam, candidates must meet the following criteria:

Medical qualification: The applicant must hold a medical qualification recognised for registration by the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom or the Medical Council of Ireland. The applicant must have been qualified for at least six years.

Clinical competence: The applicant must provide evidence of having reached the standard of clinical competence defined in the Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum. This is either for the award of the Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) by the General Medical Council Postgraduate Board or for the award of Certificate of Specialist Doctor (CSD) by the Irish Surgical Postgraduate Training Committee (ISPTC). The required standard may have been achieved through training, qualifications, and experience considered together. Passing the Intercollegiate Specialty Examination alone does not imply automatic award of the CCT, CSD (Ireland), or placement on the Specialist Register; the examination is part of the evidence required.

Structured references: Evidence must consist of three structured references in the format prescribed by the Joint Committee on Intercollegiate Examinations (JCIE). These references must be completed by appropriate senior colleagues with direct experience of the applicant’s current clinical practice in the relevant specialty.

Examination attempts:

Section 1: Candidates have a two-year period from their first attempt to pass, with a maximum of four attempts and no re-entry.

Section 2: Candidates have a maximum of four attempts to pass, with no re-entry allowed.

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