About the exam
MRCOG Part 1 Exam structure
An independent study guide aligned to the current RCOG MRCOG syllabus and the two-paper Part 1 assessment of basic and applied sciences relevant to obstetrics and gynaecology.
Issuer and path
MRCOG Part 1 Study Guide is administered through Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Check official resources before booking, retesting, or relying on a stale requirement.
MRCOG Part 1
200 scored + 0 pretest
Two equally weighted 150-minute computer-based papers, each containing 100 Single Best Answer questions on basic and applied sciences relevant to obstetrics and gynaecology.
Before applying and sitting
Complete the eligibility stage before the booking stage, then verify the current application window, fee, Pearson VUE appointment, matching photographic ID, reasonable-adjustment process and admission-document instructions. Do not share or reconstruct protected examination content.
How to use this guide
How to prepare for MRCOG Part 1
Build mechanisms first, then apply anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, evidence and data interpretation to obstetric and gynaecological decisions.
1. Identify the Knowledge Area
Locate the obstetric, gynaecological, research or surgical context and the exact point in the pathway.
2. Name the scientific domain
Decide whether the decisive evidence concerns cell function, human structure, measurement and manipulation, illness, or an overlap.
3. Reconstruct the mechanism
Link anatomy, physiology, pathology, microbiology, pharmacology or statistics to the finding in the stem.
4. Check timing and safety
Use gestation, life stage, onset, trend, contraindications and immediate maternal or fetal risk to remove plausible distractors.
5. Select the single best answer
Choose the option that most precisely follows from the mechanism and stated task; flag genuine uncertainty and move on.
Official cross-cutting platform
Apply four scientific lenses across every module
RCOG does not publish separate numerical weights for cell function, human structure, measurement and manipulation, or illness.
Clinical Skills
Symptoms, risk factors, physical signs, clinical investigation and interpretation of results.
Choose a topic to open below
Teaching and Research
Screening, study design, statistics, evidence, research governance, safe prescribing and test performance.
Choose a topic to open below
Core Surgical Skills
Consent, common operations, instruments, procedures, safe surgery, complications, teamwork and risk reduction.
Choose a topic to open below
Postoperative Care
Fluids, nutrition, infection, perioperative medicines, histopathology and classification after surgery.
Choose a topic to open below
Antenatal Care
Maternal adaptation, fetal and placental development, genetics, screening, ultrasound and perinatal epidemiology.
Choose a topic to open below
Maternal Medicine
Maternal disease, infection, pharmacology, complications and imaging during pregnancy.
Choose a topic to open below
Management of Labour
Parturition, myometrial activity, uterine medicines, fetal physiology and intrapartum assessment.
Choose a topic to open below
Management of Delivery
Mechanisms of birth, operative delivery, third stage, fetal acid-base physiology and perineal principles.
Choose a topic to open below
Postpartum Problems
Neonatal transition, lactation, involution, puerperal infection, mental health, contraception and medicines.
Choose a topic to open below
Gynaecological Problems
Reproductive anatomy, endocrinology, benign disease, infection, investigation and management.
Choose a topic to open below
Subfertility
Male and female reproductive development and function, epidemiology, investigation and treatment principles.
Choose a topic to open below
Sexual and Reproductive Health
Contraception, sexually transmitted infection, termination of pregnancy and relevant ethical principles.
Choose a topic to open below
Early Pregnancy Care
Early pregnancy physiology, loss, ectopic pregnancy, trophoblastic disease, ultrasound and treatment.
Choose a topic to open below
Gynaecological Oncology
Cancer biology, anatomy, genetics, screening, classification, treatment principles and pain pathways.
Choose a topic to open below
Urogynaecology and Pelvic Floor Problems
Pelvic floor and bladder structure, continence, micturition, pelvic support and treatment principles.
Choose a topic to open below
Current syllabus map
Keep all 15 Knowledge Areas in scope
The internal 601-item allocation is near-even because RCOG does not publish module weights or paper-specific distributions.
Clinical Skills
Symptoms, risk factors, physical signs, clinical investigation and interpretation of results.
Choose a topic to open below
Teaching and Research
Screening, study design, statistics, evidence, research governance, safe prescribing and test performance.
Choose a topic to open below
Core Surgical Skills
Consent, common operations, instruments, procedures, safe surgery, complications, teamwork and risk reduction.
Choose a topic to open below
Postoperative Care
Fluids, nutrition, infection, perioperative medicines, histopathology and classification after surgery.
Choose a topic to open below
Antenatal Care
Maternal adaptation, fetal and placental development, genetics, screening, ultrasound and perinatal epidemiology.
Choose a topic to open below
Maternal Medicine
Maternal disease, infection, pharmacology, complications and imaging during pregnancy.
Choose a topic to open below
Management of Labour
Parturition, myometrial activity, uterine medicines, fetal physiology and intrapartum assessment.
Choose a topic to open below
Management of Delivery
Mechanisms of birth, operative delivery, third stage, fetal acid-base physiology and perineal principles.
Choose a topic to open below
Postpartum Problems
Neonatal transition, lactation, involution, puerperal infection, mental health, contraception and medicines.
Choose a topic to open below
Gynaecological Problems
Reproductive anatomy, endocrinology, benign disease, infection, investigation and management.
Choose a topic to open below
Subfertility
Male and female reproductive development and function, epidemiology, investigation and treatment principles.
Choose a topic to open below
Sexual and Reproductive Health
Contraception, sexually transmitted infection, termination of pregnancy and relevant ethical principles.
Choose a topic to open below
Early Pregnancy Care
Early pregnancy physiology, loss, ectopic pregnancy, trophoblastic disease, ultrasound and treatment.
Choose a topic to open below
Gynaecological Oncology
Cancer biology, anatomy, genetics, screening, classification, treatment principles and pain pathways.
Choose a topic to open below
Urogynaecology and Pelvic Floor Problems
Pelvic floor and bladder structure, continence, micturition, pelvic support and treatment principles.
Choose a topic to open below
Symptoms, Risk and Clinical Investigation
Connect symptom patterns and risk factors to proportionate investigation.
Key rules
Rule 1
Symptom patterns, epidemiological risk, clinical probability, selection and sequencing of investigations.
Exam cue: Name the Knowledge Area and the scientific mechanism before reviewing the options.
Rule 2
Identify the physiological or pathological mechanism that makes one investigation most informative at the stated point.
Exam cue: Use gestation, life stage, anatomy, timing and trend to distinguish plausible answers.
Rule 3
Recognise instability, serious pathology and time-critical escalation before routine diagnostic refinement.
Exam cue: Choose the safest evidence-based answer that fits the exact point in the clinical pathway.
Rule 4
Connect anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology and evidence to clinical obstetrics and gynaecology rather than revising each science in isolation.
Exam cue: Trace the relevant structure, relation, blood supply, innervation and likely route of injury or spread.
Common traps
Selecting a familiar test without considering pre-test probability, urgency or the decision it must change.
Prevention: Do not select an isolated fact when the SBA asks for the scientific explanation or clinical consequence that best fits the whole stem.
Recalling a basic-science fact without applying it to the obstetric or gynaecological context.
Prevention: Do not select an isolated fact when the SBA asks for the scientific explanation or clinical consequence that best fits the whole stem.
Inventing a paper-specific or module-specific weighting that RCOG has not published.
Prevention: RCOG publishes no numerical module weights or Paper 1 versus Paper 2 syllabus allocation; revise the complete map.
Memory anchors
Symptoms, Risk and Clinical Investigation: scope
Symptom patterns, epidemiological risk, clinical probability, selection and sequencing of investigations.
Symptoms, Risk and Clinical Investigation: applied-science lens
Identify the physiological or pathological mechanism that makes one investigation most informative at the stated point.
Symptoms, Risk and Clinical Investigation: safety boundary
Recognise instability, serious pathology and time-critical escalation before routine diagnostic refinement.
Symptoms, Risk and Clinical Investigation: common trap
Selecting a familiar test without considering pre-test probability, urgency or the decision it must change.
Symptoms, Risk and Clinical Investigation: Part 1 sequence
Identify the mechanism, connect it to the clinical finding or investigation, check the safety boundary, then choose the single best answer.
Next best moves
Quick check-up
Use a short quiz to confirm the rule pattern is actually sticking.
Check-up Questions
A woman at 7 weeks has unilateral pelvic pain, spotting, shoulder-tip pain and syncope. Which diagnosis must be assumed until excluded?
A 62-year-old reports one episode of bleeding eight years after menopause. What is the most appropriate diagnostic approach?
Answer all questions to submit.
Next step personalized recommendations
Open another topic next
Official resources
Verify the details with the official sources
Use these links for eligibility, scheduling, handbook rules, and issuer updates. Our guide helps you study; official sources tell you what the testing partner currently requires.
MRCOG Part 1 exam format
Current official confirmation of computer delivery, two 100-question SBA papers, 150 minutes per paper, equal contribution and the approximate lunch break.
Single Best Answer questions (SBAs)
Official Part 1 example showing selection of the single most appropriate answer from five options.
MRCOG Part 1 syllabus
The Part 1-specific RCOG hub describing basic and applied science scope and directly linking the 2019 curriculum document.
MRCOG Syllabus & Core Knowledge Requirements
The April 2024 version 1.0 syllabus currently published in RCOG's Core Curriculum resources, containing all 15 Knowledge Areas and Core Knowledge Requirements.
MRCOG Syllabus Curriculum 2019
The curriculum PDF still directly linked from the Part 1 syllabus page; it defines the four-domain Scientific Platform for Clinical Practice and the same 15 Knowledge Areas.
Core Curriculum 2024 definitive document
The current GMC-approved O&G Core Curriculum, implemented from August 2024, linking Part 1 basic and applied science assessment to CiP 6.
Core Curriculum resources
The current RCOG resource index that publishes the 2024 Core Curriculum and MRCOG Syllabus and Core Knowledge Requirements.
MRCOG pass mark
Official explanation of the Ebel standard-setting method, diet-specific pass marks and absence of a fixed pass quota.
DRCOG and MRCOG exam regulations
Current eligibility, application, attempt, currency, identification, conduct and examination-content rules.
MRCOG Part 1 FAQs
Official answers on eligibility, booking, attempts, progression timing, results and retention of the Part 1 pass letter.
MRCOG Part 1 key dates and fees
Current diet, application and fee information; RCOG describes Part 1 as normally held twice yearly in January and June or July.
FAQ
Common MRCOG Part 1 questions
Is this an official RCOG resource?
No. This is an independent study guide. The current RCOG website, syllabus, regulations, admission documents and direct candidate communications remain authoritative.
What is the current MRCOG Part 1 structure?
Part 1 is a computer-based examination with two papers. Each paper contains 100 Single Best Answer questions and lasts 150 minutes. The two papers contribute equally, with an approximate one-hour lunch break between them.
How does an SBA work?
The official RCOG Part 1 example asks candidates to select the single most appropriate answer from five options. The options may all appear plausible, so the task is to identify the best answer for the precise scientific and clinical context.
What does Part 1 assess?
RCOG describes Part 1 as assessing the basic and applied sciences relevant to clinical practice in obstetrics and gynaecology. The 2024 Core Curriculum places its summative focus on CiP 6: understanding and applying basic science principles.
What are the four scientific domains?
Understanding Cell Function (Physiology, Endocrinology, Biochemistry); Understanding Human Structure (Anatomy, Embryology, Genetics); Understanding Measurement and Manipulation (Biophysics, Epidemiology and statistics, Data interpretation, Pharmacology); Understanding Illness (Immunology, Microbiology, Pathology, Clinical management). They overlap across Knowledge Areas rather than forming four separately weighted papers.
How many official Knowledge Areas are there?
The current MRCOG Syllabus and Core Knowledge Requirements contains 15 core Knowledge Areas: Clinical Skills; Teaching and Research; Core Surgical Skills; Postoperative Care; Antenatal Care; Maternal Medicine; Management of Labour; Management of Delivery; Postpartum Problems; Gynaecological Problems; Subfertility; Sexual and Reproductive Health; Early Pregnancy Care; Gynaecological Oncology; and Urogynaecology and Pelvic Floor Problems.
Does RCOG publish module weights?
No. The current public RCOG resources do not publish numerical percentages or live-item counts for the 15 Knowledge Areas or the four scientific domains. They also do not divide modules between Paper 1 and Paper 2. This guide therefore avoids unsupported official weights.
Why does the Part 1 syllabus page link a 2019 document?
The Part 1 syllabus page still links the MRCOG Syllabus Curriculum 2019. RCOG's current Core Curriculum resources also publish the April 2024 version 1.0 MRCOG Syllabus and Core Knowledge Requirements. The 15 Knowledge Areas and the Part 1 scientific platform align across them; this guide uses the current 2024 resource and keeps the directly linked 2019 document as a Part 1 cross-check.
Are the sciences separate from clinical topics?
No. The syllabus says the scientific domains overlap across Knowledge Areas and requirements, and not every scientific domain applies to every requirement. Effective preparation connects each mechanism to relevant clinical findings, investigations and management principles.
How is the Part 1 pass mark set?
RCOG uses Ebel's method for Part 1. Standard setters classify questions by difficulty and relevance, then estimate the proportion of borderline candidates expected to answer correctly. The resulting pass mark can vary by examination diet, and there is no fixed quota of candidates who pass.
Does Part 1 have a published negative-marking rule?
The current public Part 1 format and SBA pages reviewed for this guide do not state a separate negative-marking rule. Candidates should follow the current admission document and on-screen instructions for their diet rather than importing rules from another MRCOG part.
When can a candidate take Part 1?
RCOG regulations state that Part 1 may be attempted before entry to UK specialty training. The current curriculum expects UK trainees to have completed it for progression to ST3, while application eligibility and booking remain separate stages.
How many attempts are allowed?
For candidates intending to enter the UK Specialist Register, RCOG regulations ordinarily permit a maximum of six attempts at Part 1, with a documented exceptional route for a further attempt. Candidates not intending to enter the UK Specialist Register are not subject to that attempt limit. Always check the current regulation applying to your route.
Does passing Part 1 award the MRCOG?
No. RCOG states that there is no certificate for Part 1 alone, so candidates should retain their pass letter. MRCOG requires completion of all three parts and the applicable eligibility requirements.
Are the 601 practice questions an official RCOG allocation?
No. The live examination contains 200 questions. The 601-item total is internal practice coverage, spread near-evenly across the 15 unweighted Knowledge Areas because RCOG publishes no numerical module distribution.