This page provides some example single best answer questions (SBAs) to help candidates preparing for the Part 1 MRCOG.
For each question, select the single most appropriate answer from the 5 options listed.
Question 1
A 24-year-old woman has a miscarriage at 9 weeks of gestation. The next day she has a full blood count done and the results are tabulated below. Her blood pressure is 84/40 and pulse 95 beats per minute.
Which management option is most appropriate?
A. Blood transfusion with 2 units of blood
B. Colloid infusion
C. Iron tablets 200 mg daily for 1 month
D. Iron tablets 200–300 mg 2–3 daily for 2 months
E. Parenteral iron infusion
Answer: A
Question 2
A 24-year-old presents at 27 weeks into her second pregnancy feeling unwell, with backache, fever and rigors. She has a temperature of 39.5°C. Urinalysis shows leucocytes and protein +++. Her blood pressure is 80/50. Which action is most appropriate?
A. Admit to ICU/HDU for intravenous antibiotics and supportive care
B. Arrange ultrasound of renal tract
C. Commence 7-day course of oral antibiotics
D. Give intramuscular steroids to promote fetal lung maturity
E. Make referral for physicians to review
Answer: A
Question 3
Where in the body is angiotensin I converted to angiotensin II under the influence of angiontensin-converting enzyme?
A. Adrenal cortex
B. Blood vessel wall
C. Kidney
D. Liver
E. Lung
Answer: E
Question 4
Which chromosome contains the gene that codes for the alpha globin chain (a constituent component of haemoglobin)?
A. Chromosome 5
B. Chromosome 11
C. Chromosome 16
D. Chromosome 18
E. Chromosome 21
Answer: C
Question 5
Regarding CTG analysis, what is the accepted normal range for variability?
A. 1–5 beats per minute
B. 1–15 beats per minute
C. 5–15 beats per minute
D. 10–20 beats per minute
E. Greater than 15 beats per minute
Answer: C
Question 6
A woman presents with a short history of vaginal spotting and cramping abdominal pain after 7 weeks of amenorrhoea. A few days earlier she had a positive result on a home pregnancy test. The cervix is closed on examination. An ultrasound scan shows an intrauterine gestational sac. A fetal pole with cardiac activity is seen.
What is the most likely diagnosis?
A. Complete miscarriage
B. Incomplete miscarriage
C. Inevitable miscarriage
D. Septic miscarriage
E. Threatened miscarriage
Answer: E
Question 7
In a trial where the null hypothesis is false (i.e. there is a real difference present) but a small trial does not find a statistically significant difference, what error is most likely to have occurred?
A. Confidence interval error
B. External validity error
C. P value error
D. Type I error
E. Type II error
Answer: E
Question 8
You receive the following result from a pregnant woman at 20 weeks who complained of vaginal discharge:
- High vaginal swab
- N. gonorrhoea: heavy growth
- Ceftriaxone: sensitive
- Penicillin: resistant
- Ciprofloxacin: sensitive
- Azithromycin: sensitive
- Tetracycline: sensitive
What is the most appropriate course of action?
A. Azithromycin 2 g PO single dose
B. Ceftriaxone 500 mg IM plus 1 g oral azithromycin as single doses
C. Ciprofloxacin 500 mg twice daily for 3 days
D. Ciprofloxacin 500 mg twice daily and doxycycline 100 mg twice daily for 7 days
E. Doxycycline 100 mg twice daily for 7 days
Answer: B