Assessment and exams

Resources for students and recently qualified doctors who are considering a career in obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G). We hope you find the information useful and inspiring.

Induction and appraisal

At the beginning of each training post, you’ll have an induction to set out your learning objectives in that post. You’ll then have regular appraisals to assess your progress.

Find out more about the induction and appraisal process.

Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP)

Assessment of training relies on the achievement of defined competencies at specific levels within the specialty training grades. Your progress will be assessed via a range of workplace-based assessments.

At the end of each year, there’s an interview with your Educational Supervisor and your regional deanery Specialty Training Committee – the Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP). The purpose of the ARCP is to:

Review your progress
Make sure you’re competent to progress to the next stage of training
Identify which areas of training you need to focus on in your next year of training

Exams

As part of your specialty training, you’ll need to pass the RCOG’s membership exam (MRCOG), which has two parts.

Part 1 MRCOG

The Part 1 MRCOG is a written exam in the basic and clinical sciences relevant to O&G. You can sit the Part 1 MRCOG at any time after graduating with a medical degree. Specialty trainees in O&G must pass the Part 1 MRCOG to pass from ST2 to ST3.

Find out more about the Part 1 MRCOG.

Part 2 MRCOG

The Part 2 MRCOG is a written and oral exam that assesses the application of knowledge. Specialty trainees must pass the Part 2 MRCOG to pass from ST5 to ST6.

Find out more about the Part 2 MRCOG.

Download the O&G careers prospectus

Discover the opportunities offered by a career in obstetrics and gynaecology.