Answers to frequently asked questions about the MRCOG Part 1, the first stage of the RCOG's membership exam
Applying for the MRCOG Part 1 exam is a 2-stage process: eligibility and booking.
You must first have your eligibility application processed and approved, before you can book your exam place online.
For full details about applying for eligibility, see How to book the MRCOG Part 1 exam.
Resit candidates are already eligible and can proceed directly to booking.
If you’re applying for the MRCOG Part 1 for the first time or resitting, you’ll be able to pay online.
Online payment is made when you book your place on the exam, after confirming you are eligible to sit the exam.
When creating your RCOG account, please have your government issued ID ready. Enter your first name and surname exactly how this appears in your ID documents which will be used on entry to the exam.
- An original or an attested photocopy of your primary medical degree certificate
- An original or an attested photocopy of your medical registration certificate, provided it states your primary medical degree and university
All photocopied documents must be certified. We can only accept attested copies if all the following criteria apply:
- The documents are legible;
- The copy is taken from the original document (we cannot accept copies of photocopies)
- The person certifying confirms (in English) by signing and dating the document that it is a true copy of the original;
- The person certifying is either a Notary Public, Commissioner of Oaths, Justice of the Peace or another person entitled to practise law, or an authorised officer of an embassy or consulate;
- The name, signature and address of the person certifying is shown on the copy
- The person certifying is not a relative of yours.
The applicant cannot certify documents themselves.
You’ll need to submit an authorised translation of your degree certificate or medical registration certificate.
There are many online free-to-use PDF merge tools that combine multiple files into one document.
Please do not email separate documents to the Examinations Department. You should combine all your necessary eligibility files into one document.
If the name on your primary medical degree (PMD) is not the same as your government issued photographic ID you would need to email:
- an attested photocopy of your government issued photographic ID
- a re-issued degree certificate or certificate of medical registration stating your new/married name
- a copy of your marriage certificate/affidavit showing both your former and your new name
Note: Sending a marriage certificate/affidavit alone is not sufficient.
No. Resit candidates are already eligibile to book the exam. We need to see your degree certificate or attested copy once only.
Once you have completed your test centre booking you will receive an automated email directly from Pearson Vue confirming your test centre booking and instructions of identification requirements.
The College cannot advise you on this matter. Please contact the relevant consulate for information about any visa requirements before applying for the exam. If you need a letter from the Examination Department confirming your attendance at the exam, please inform us when applying for the exam, and ensure that you apply in good time.
The regulations state that candidates who withdraw their application for a particular exam after the closing date, or who fail to appear, shall forfeit the exam fee. The application forms include a reminder of this regulation. This means the college cannot refund your entry fee after an exam’s closing date and your candidature for the exam will remain. The College cannot make changes or transfers of centres after the closing date. If you fail to attend the exam, your entry will not be counted as an attempt.
In certain prescribed circumstances the College does consider refund the entry fee. If you wish to apply for this, please refer to our Exams Extenuating Circumstances Policy.
Once you have successfully completed your exam, the details of your award from the College, including date, are regarded as ‘public’ information. For candidates in the UK specialty training programme, results will be made available to LETBs/deaneries as well as the GMC. They may also be released to bona fide third-party enquirers (for example, other educational bodies or prospective employers). No information is supplied via the telephone.
If you‘re registered or anticipate being registered with the General Medical Council (GMC), your personal data, including data about your exam results, will be passed to the GMC for quality assurance and for research purposes, and to facilitate the award of Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT).
The exemption scheme closed in 2006. The Part 1 syllabus and examination structure has changed markedly since then and the content is now mapped, alongside the Part 2 and Part 3 examinations, according to a 'blueprint' of the UK curriculum. This means that the Part 1 examination no longer resembles the examinations in other countries and candidates must pass all three O&G examinations to demonstrate knowledge in all parts of the MRCOG curriculum.
Candidates intending to be entered on to the UK Specialist Register, now or in the future, are permitted no more than 6 attempts at the MRCOG Part 1. There is no limit on attempts for candidates not in wishing to enter the UK Specialist Register. Candidates wishing to apply for the MRCOG Part 1 who have failed on 6 or more previous occasions need to provide supporting documentation from their Head of School outlining the exceptional reasons for permitting a further attempt at the exam.
For more information, read the regulations on exam currency and number of attempts.
No, but the College does require you to have attempted the Part 2 at least once within 7 years of passing the Part 1. You do not have to pass the Part 2 within 7 years, but if you do not even attempt it you will have to pass the Part 1 again. For more information, read the regulations on exam currency and number of attempts.
The only courses the RCOG can wholeheartedly recommend are those run by the College itself. Visit the College’s courses and events pages for more details.
For online learning we strongly recommend the College’s RCOG Learning platform. This structured training resource is continuously updated, uses innovative tools and includes interactive assessments with instant, detailed feedback. RCOG Learning is available free of charge to members of the RCOG Trainees’ Register. Other exam candidates can pay to access this useful resource.
No. As the MRCOG is a three-part exam, certificates are only issued on completion of Part 3. Please retain your Part 1 pass letter as this is the only certification you’ll receive.
Please don’t use ‘MRCOG Part 1’ on letterheads, business cards, nameplates etc.