Final FRCA Written examination
About the Written
The Final FRCA Written examination assesses factual knowledge and the ability to make judgements and prioritise information. It forms a gateway to the Final FRCA SOE, which assesses application of this knowledge.
The Final FRCA written examination is delivered online with remote invigilation by our supplier, TestReach. Please refer to our detailed guidance on sitting your examination online.
The exam is mapped to the stage 2 UK anaesthetic training curriculum and informed by important developments in anaesthesia. It is approved by the General Medical Council for meeting the required standards of assessment for this level of training.
This exam has two parts, which are sat on different days - the Final FRCA Constructed Response Question (CRQ) examination and the Final FRCA Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) examination.
Structure of the Final Written examination
The Final FRCA CRQ
A three-hour examination with a structured format in which candidates provide a written response to 12 constructed response questions.
The CRQ examination assesses the mandatory areas of the UK training curriculum. These areas may appear as stand-alone questions or as part of a question, for example pain management within a perioperative case.
In addition to specific knowledge-based competences, examination material may be developed from guidance or recommendations published by healthcare organisations such as the RCoA, AAGBI, NCEPOD, NICE, SIGN, NPSA, CEMACH.
CRQ questions are designed to assess a candidate's ability to think critically and prioritise information. This is assessed in the way the questions are answered and marked.
Candidates must attempt all 12 questions.
- Candidates should take care in the way they answer the questions. Marks for each question element are clearly stated and there is a line per question element in which to place your answer. For example, if a question element requires 5 answers, there will be 5 lines numbered from 1 to 5. You should write each answer on each line. If you need to change an answer, clearly cross it out and write the new answer on the same line.
- Candidates should read the question instructions carefully and only give the information that is asked. For example, where a CRQ question asks for a specific number of responses e.g. 'List 4 factors contributing to X', only the first distinct answer per line will be awarded marks. Any additional answers on that same line will not be considered.
How it is marked
All 12 questions must be attempted. Each question is marked out of 20 with the pass mark for each question being determined by the examiners collectively before the examination using a modified Angoff standard setting method.
Examiners mark two questions each therefore each exam paper has a total of six separate examiners marking using strict marking guides. Before the marking process begins, all examiners attend a standard setting meeting which ensures the accuracy and consistency of marking is of a high standard. The pass marks for the 12 questions are summed to give a total mark for the whole paper.
The Final FRCA MCQ
The Final FRCA MCQ examination is a 3-hour exam comprising 90 Single Best Answer (SBA) questions. The whole syllabus is tested in the Final FRCA. Those parts tested by the MCQ are detailed in the document entitled 'CCT in Anaesthetics, Annex C, Intermediate Level Training'. Relevant key capabilities from the 2021 curriculum will also be referenced. The SBA questions will broadly, but not exclusively, comprise:
- 45 questions in general anaesthesia
- 10 questions in perioperative medicine
- 10 questions in regional anaesthesia
- 25 questions in other curriculum domains
Each section can include questions related to applied basic sciences.
Each SBA question has a stem or vignette, a lead in question and five plausible options. Candidates must decide which of the five options is the best answer.
Candidates are reminded that MCQ questions may be selected from any of the curriculum codes highlighted as being tested in the Final MCQ. Candidates should refer to the 'Blueprint of the Final FRCA examination within the document 'CCT in Anaesthetics, Annex C, Intermediate Level Training'. for more information.
How it is marked
One mark will be awarded for each correct answer with a maximum mark obtainable of 90 marks. Negative marking is not used.
The pass mark is provisionally set by examiners using a modified Angoff method. The core group reserve the right to remove questions from the overall marks where error or ambiguity is found. Candidates will not be disadvantaged where this occurs.
Exam delivery
Taking the written exams online - guidance
Taking the written exams online - demos
A quick eligibility check is set out below. You must:
| Final Written - maximum six attempts - valid for three years |
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| Registered with the GMC (UK) AND |
Either:
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To be eligible to sit the Final FRCA, candidates no longer need to be in receipt of the UK Core Level Training Certificate (CLTC) or Stage 1 certificate. Candidates must have passed the Primary FRCA examination, exempting qualification or NHS appraisal for non-UK trainee or sponsored under MTI. AND |
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Has not exceeded the number of attempts allowed (six) If failed at the fifth attempt must have submitted an Additional Educational Training form (AET1) at least three months before the exam applied for. Paragraph 8, Appendix 8 of the Examination Regulations refers. |
The full eligibility for this exam is listed at Section 7 Paragraph 17 of the Examination Regulations.
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Final Written Examination Calendar; 2024 - 2025 |
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Application opening date |
Monday, 3 June 2024 |
Monday, 25 November 2024 |
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Application closing date |
Monday, 15 July 2024 |
Monday, 6 January 2025 |
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Examination date |
Tuesday, then Friday, 13 September 2024 - |
Tuesday, then Thursday, 27 February 2025 - |
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Examination fees |
£590 |
£590 |
APPLICATIONS CLOSED
The online application process will be open for each exam from 0900 on the exam opening date to 1700 on the exam closing date (see dates and fees in the section above). Applications are not accepted outside the application window.
Reasonable adjustments
Any applicant who has a physical or mental disability or ongoing or fluctuating medical condition may be entitled to reasonable adjustments. To apply for reasonable adjustments, please complete the relevant section on the online examination application form. Applicants requiring reasonable adjustments should book as early as possible to ensure that there is sufficient time to put in place any specific requirements.
For applications to examinations running in 2025, the process for applying for reasonable adjustments has changed. For these exams, please complete the Reasonable Adjustment form within the specified window for requesting an adjustment stated on the Examinations Calendar.
For more information, please refer to the Reasonable Adjustment policy.
Withdrawals
If withdrawing an application for admission to an examination before the closing date for applications, you may receive back the full amount of the fee paid, providing the withdrawal request is within 14 days of booking the exam.
If greater than 14 days or after the booking window has closed, the refund is subject to an administration fee (the 14-day rule).
If withdrawing in any other circumstances within 7 working days of an exam date, including non-issue of entry visas (with the exception of those described in Section 9, Special Arrangements), you will not be entitled to any refund of fee. This rule also applies to candidates who do not appear for an exam on the exam day.
Fees cannot be deferred from one exam to another and candidates must prove their eligibility for each exam sitting they apply for.
Tax deductibility
The College and faculties are aware that trainees who sit examinations as part of a training programme can claim tax relief on their exam fees. Whilst in a training programme trainees can also claim tax relief on membership fees. Please visit HMRC for further information on how to claim.
Results from the September 2024 Final Written exam will be released by email by 5pm on Thursday, 17 October 2024.
No results will be given or confirmed by telephone.
Feedback
All candidates who pass or fail FRCA exam components will receive the same feedback, which will be sent out with the result letters.
A full list of the type of feedback provided for each exam component is set out in the Primary and Final FRCA examinations regulations - feedback policy.
Candidates sitting the Final FRCA Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) exam are provided with a comprehensive breakdown of their question performance against the areas of the curriculum tested in the exam. This allows candidates and trainers to identify shortfalls of knowledge in the relevant areas of the syllabus so that focussed preparation can be put in place before the next attempt. Where a pass result is achieved, it will provide candidates with important information on which to base further continuing professional development.
Around 30 calendar days after the publication of the pass/fail list, the Chair of the CRQ exam will release a comprehensive report summarising question performance on the exam.
Guidance interviews
A candidate who has failed any of the following examination components more than once may request a guidance interview. Guidance is limited to one interview per examination component:
- Final CRQ
- Final SOE
Guidance is not provided for the Final MCQ. Candidates seeking advice on the MCQ component should contact their college tutor.
Candidates are not required to attend guidance interviews up to the fifth attempt for each examination component but at the sixth attempt, guidance interviews are mandatory.
Please note that no special consideration will be given in respect of refunds following guidance interviews.
Interviews are usually arranged locally but where this is not possible or if local trainers and examiners are not available, interviews can be arranged at the College. To arrange a guidance interview, please contact the examinations department exams@rcoa.ac.uk
Final FRCA MCQ Examination
SBAs are used in UK undergraduate and postgraduate medical assessments and are widely used by medical colleges, faculties, and the GMC. From September 2023, Multiple True False (MTF) questions were removed from this examination and the paper now comprises 90 Single Best Answer questions sat in 3 hours. The change did not affect the examination blueprint for the MCQ and the College will continue to test the same areas of the curriculum across the exam overall.
Future changes
With the release of the examination reviews in 2023, changes in line with the recommendations in these reports are scheduled to take place in 2027 - further information will be released in the academic year 2024-2025.
Candidate resources are a consolidation of the various example questions, chair reports and guides, any of which may guide a candidate in their preparation for the various FRCA examination components.