What is the MRCS Part B?

The MRCS Part B exam is the second and final step toward becoming a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS). This exam is an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) designed to assess a candidate’s clinical skills, procedural knowledge, communication abilities, and applied surgical knowledge.

Exam Structure

In 2025, the MRCS Part B consists of 17 OSCE stations, divided into two key domains:

Occasionally, an extra pilot station is included for testing new scenarios, but it does not contribute to the final score. However, candidates are not informed which station is the pilot.

Passing Criteria

To pass MRCS Part B, candidates must pass both the Clinical Knowledge and Clinical Skills domains separately. A high score in one section will not compensate for failure in the other. The pass mark varies for each exam sitting and is determined individually by the Royal Colleges.

Passing the exam is essential for full membership to one of the four Royal Colleges of Surgeons:

• Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
• Royal College of Surgeons of England
• Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
• Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

These colleges jointly administer the intercollegiate MRCS exam, ensuring a standardised assessment across institutions.

For those pursuing a surgical career in the UK or Ireland, passing this exam is a requirement before advancing to ST3 training or becoming a surgical registrar. For international medical graduates (IMGs), obtaining MRCS provides an alternative pathway to GMC registration, eliminating the need to take the PLAB or the new UKMLA.

The MRCS Part B exam is conducted three times a year in the UK and Ireland:

• February
•  May
• October

For international candidates, the exam is available year-round in various global locations, including:

• Cairo
• Abu Dhabi
• Bahrain
• Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi, Chennai
• Lahore
• Penang, Kuching, Kuala Lumpur
• And many more

Eligibility

To be eligible for the MRCS Part B exam, candidates must have passed MRCS Part A within the last seven years. Each candidate is allowed a maximum of four attempts, though in exceptional cases, an additional attempt may be granted at the discretion of the Royal College.

Upon passing MRCS Part B, the candidate officially becomes a member of the Royal College of Surgeons. Membership is granted by the college where Part B is taken, regardless of where Part A was completed. For example, suppose a candidate passes Part A with the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland but takes Part B with the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. In that case, they will be admitted as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh upon passing.

Exam Format

Here’s what to expect on the day:

Make sure you arrive early! There will be a briefing just before the exam begins

It consists of 2 circuits with 17 stations in total

• Knowledge (8 stations)
• Skills (9 stations)

Each station is worth 20 marks

Each station lasts 10 minutes in total with:

• 1 minute outside the station to read the instructions
• 9 minutes outside the station to complete the task

A bell will sound at 6 minutes to help manage your time.

Knowledge Stations

The Knowledge Stations consist of:

• 3 Surgical Anatomy stations
• 2 Surgical Pathology stations
• 3 Critical Care stations

During these stations, examiners will ask questions based on specific clinical scenarios outlined in the instructions. As expected, these stations focus on core surgical principles.

In Anatomy stations, candidates may encounter cadaveric specimens, bones, or printed/digital images as part of the assessment. Unlike skills stations, the 6-minute bell holds little significance in knowledge stations.

Clinical Skills Stations

The Skills Stations include:

• 3 Clinical Examination stations
• 2 History Taking stations
• 2 Communication stations
• 2 Procedure stations

Most of these stations involve simulated patients, where candidates must demonstrate clinical skills. The 6-minute bell signals the end of the practical task (e.g., examination or history taking). The remaining 3 minutes are reserved for follow-up questions from the examiner, based on the clinical scenario. Since tasks must be completed within 6 minutes, time management is crucial, and many candidates find this to be one of the biggest challenges.

How to Prepare for the MRCS Part B

Preparing for the exam requires a comprehensive approach, and there is no single best way to do it. A wide range of surgical textbooks and MRCS Part B-specific resources are available to help candidates succeed.

Recommended Textbooks

Anatomy and Pathology

• Grant’s Atlas of Anatomy (13th ed.)
• Gray’s Anatomy (2023)
• Netter’s Atlas of Human Anatomy (8th ed.)
• Abrahams' and McMinn's Clinical Atlas of Human Anatomy (8th ed.)
• Last’s Anatomy: Regional and Applied (12th ed.)
• Robbins Basic Pathology (10th ed.)
• Robbins & Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease (10th ed.)

Surgical Textbooks

• Bailey & Love's Short Practice of Surgery (27th ed.)
• Schwartz's Principles of Surgery (11th ed.)
• Sabiston Textbook of Surgery (21st ed.)

General MRCS Part B Preparation

• Intercollegiate MRCS: An Aid to the MRCS OSCE  
• OSCEs for MRCS Part B: A Bailey & Love Revision Guide
• MRCS Part B OSCE: Anatomy
• Essential Revision Notes for Intercollegiate MRCS
• Surgical Critical Care: For the MRCS OSCE
• DrExam™ Part B MRCS OSCE Revision Guide Book 1 and Book 2
• Get Through Anatomy for MRCS
• Oxford Specialty Training: How to pass the MRCS OSCE: Volume 1 and Volume 2

Covering all the available MRCS Part B resources is nearly impossible. The exam is constantly evolving to align with the latest medical guidelines and advancements in diagnostic and therapeutic practices, and textbooks cannot keep up with this.

Take, for example, monoclonal antibody therapies. These were not widely used a few years ago, but are now a crucial part of cancer treatment. Many textbooks fail to include such updates because they are typically revised only every several years.

Why Getting It Right the First Time Matters

With a registration fee exceeding £1,100—not to mention the months spent preparing—failing the exam can be costly. That’s why it’s crucial to follow a well-structured study plan and use the most up-to-date resources to maximise your chances of success on the first attempt.