Fellowship of the Royal College of Anaesthetists
The FRCA examination is an integral part of the College's programme of assessment.
The FRCA examination tests the knowledge, skills, behaviours and attitudes as defined by the anaesthetic training curriculum.
Our examination remains internationally recognised for its fairness and high standards. It has evolved to reflect contemporary best educational and assessment practice and developments in anaesthesia, intensive care and pain medicine.
Missed the CASE or FCPE webinars?
Catch up now on the Resource Hub. Recordings of both sessions are available to help candidates and trainers prepare for the new clinical exam formats.
Changes to How You Receive Your Examination Results
As part of our commitment to improving the candidate experience for those sitting RCoA examinations (FRCA, FFICM, FFPMRCA), we have updated the way examination results are delivered.
Candidates will now receive their examination results exclusively through My RCoA, our secure membership portal.
Emailed result letters will no longer be sent.
Find out more about accessing your results and using My RCoA here
The FRCA examination
The FRCA examination provides anaesthetists in training with the opportunity to demonstrate the required outcomes of the curriculum and determine satisfactory progression at each critical progression point within their training programme. The FRCA examination is also open to anaesthetic doctors who are not in an approved training programme (conditions apply).
As an exam candidate, you will sit the FRCA in two parts:
- the Primary examinations, which are aligned to stage 1 of the training curriculum, followed by;
- the Final examinations which are aligned to stage 2 of the training curriculum.
Each part of the FRCA examination tests different outcomes and competencies using validated assessment methods to test a broad-spectrum of knowledge, understanding, skills, behaviours and attitudes. The exam is approved by the General Medical Council (GMC) for UK postgraduate medical training and follows the UK curricula and guidelines.
On successful completion of both the Primary and Final elements of the FRCA examination, you will become a fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists by examination and can use the letters FRCA after your name.
Fellowship is also a valued professional distinction for the many international students who come to the UK to sit the FRCA exam.
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