The Membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (MRCOG), is not a hurdle race, but a marathon. Each milestone is to be covered with good planning and preparation and should not be attempted in spurts of energy.

It is a good plan to take the MRCOG Part I exam after having started your Post graduate training in Obstetrics and Gynecology, for at least one year. A preparatory period of six months must be anticipated. This is an examination that seeks to assess your knowledge of basic sciences as applied to OBSTETRICS & Gynecology.

The examinations are held in March and September each year. It consists of two multiple choice question papers covering 300 questions and lasting for 2 hours. The examination covers all subjects that are part of the undergraduate training. It can be attempted at any time after passing the M.B.B.S and the number of attempts that one can take is unlimited. Exemption from the MRCOG Part I examination was applicable to Medical graduates of some countries. This exemption is no longer applicable from January 1, 2007.

All candidates, who wish to appear for the MRCOG Part II examination, must pass the MRCOG Part I examination. Please go through the syllabus carefully, identify the recommended books in each subject and read as many as possible, as there is no single book that covers all the subjects. It is a good idea to use the books which you have read as an undergraduate and are likely to be familiar with the language and style. Familiarity saves time. Use the latest editions as the information must be up to date and factually correct. Any list of topics is only a general guide to the information upon which the questions will be based. The list is not intended to be comprehensive and therefore questions will be asked, the answers to which require applied knowledge as relevant to the practice of OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY. Give yourselves three months to read through all the basic sciences, studying for four to six hours daily. The next three months are spent reading the text book of basic sciences in OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY by De Swiet and Timchard. These books will cover all the required subjects from the point of view of the Gynecologists. For e.g. in Pharmacology, Cardiac drugs may not be relevant, though anaesthetics may be important.

Multiple Choice Questions

Multiple choice questions in MRCOG Part I follow a format wherein there is a basic (root statement) and five stems for each questions. Each time, read the root statement separately with each stem. Together they form a separate question and the stems are not related to each other. Similarly one statement does not follow from the other. Take your time to read each question carefully, try and understand the entire statement and do not be in a hurry to mark your answer. Multiple choice questions are an accurate judge of a candidate's knowledge of a topic. They test not only facts but also understanding and reasoning ability. It is important to know your subject thoroughly. Reading small comprehensive texts are better than exhaustive textbooks on a particular subject. Read as many MCQs as possible to understand the nuances of the English language. The statement may contain absolute negatives such as never, or absolute positives such as always, which are seldom true in medicine. Such questions should be read carefully as they are usually false.

Pairs of words such as “Not uncommon” means “Common” or “Not unlikely” actually means “Likely to happen”. These can be confusing and hence careful attention to the wording of the statement is important. There is no negative marking in the paper. Hence all questions must be attempted. Even if you do not know the answer, logical guess work will give you 50% chance of success. If you do not answer any question however, it will definitely fetch you no marks at all. Having solved a particular set of MCQs, now is the time to re-read certain relevant topics. The student gets an idea about the important and frequently asked questions in each subject and can concentrate on these during revision. The College publication of past papers contains a question bank without answers. These must be discussed with other candidates attempting the exam. Such discussions help build confidence and arrive at consensus statements. It helps one to identify your weak areas and take necessary steps to overcome the same.

The standard of the examination is high. There is no limit to the attempts one can take to pass the exam. Most candidates do not pass the exam in the first attempt. However, there is no disgrace in failure. If a candidate is unsuccessful, they will receive an analysis of their paper and marks obtained in each section from the Royal College. This helps them to identify problem areas and take remedial measures.

“The secret of passing the exam is wanting to pass the exam.” One must make it a goal to be achieved within a time frame of six months. It is not a difficult examination, but involves a lot of preparation, precise knowledge of facts and figures is required. At the same time, a broad base of reading is necessary to deal with questions that can be multidisciplinary. The MRCOG examination appears to be more popular than ever. There are several reasons for this, but the bottom line appears to be that it is still highly regarded world wide as a relevant test of clinical competence and a bench mark even in countries having their own examination board and systems.

The numbers sitting both part I and part II of the examinations have increased by around 50% in the last ten years. Asian students and especially Indians do rather well in the MRCOG Part I examination. Willingness to concentrate, hard work and perseverance are major factors in achieving success in this examination.

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