Part 1 Frcophth Candidate Tips

Part 1 FRCOphth Candidate tips
What is the Part 1 FRCOphth?

 Written examination (taken electronically)
 No previous experience in ophthalmology required
 Must pass before entering OST year 3
 Maximum 6 attempts
 Based on learning outcomes from the curriculum for the first 2 years of OST including basic
sciences, theoretical optics and pathology
When and where can I sit the exam?
 Three sittings per year – usually January/May/October(Examinations Calendar)
From October 2020, the Part 1 FRCOphth examination will be taken as an Online Proctored
Examination, where the candidate will sit the exam at their home or their workplace, without the
need to travel to a testing centre or examination venue. The examination will be taken online by
being delivered over the internet to the candidate’s computer at a pre-agreed examination date
and time.
Both Paper 1 (MCQ) and Paper 2 (CRQ) will take place on the same day with a one-hour lunch
break in-between.
Please click here for an online demo video of how the Online Proctored Examination works and
the set-up that is required.
Candidate Application Process Steps:
Candidates will apply for the Part 1 FRCOphth examination via the RCOphth website.
Once the closing date for entries has passed, the candidate will receive a confirmation email
from the College which will contain the following information:
 Confirmation of their exam place

 Their candidate ID number
 Their exam date and time slot based on their location in the world
 ID requirements and computer requirements in order to take the exam
 A link to practice questions on the RCOphth exams website
 Notes on what candidates can expect on the examination day
 The examination rules and regulations
One week prior to the examination, another email will be sent to candidates with a link to
complete a computer system check, as well as re-iterate the information from the previous
confirmation email. The system check link will ensure a candidate’s audio and video work
sufficiently, as well as making sure that their computer is suitable to run the software.
Up to 24 hours before the examination, candidates will be sent exam login details, this will
include a keycode, which will be ready to use when the candidate logs in for the exam.
The exam will be available to the candidate, for as long as the available time specified.
Structure
Two papers:
 3 hour, 120 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ). Single best answer out of four.
 2 hour, 12 question Constructed Response Questions (CRQ)
What to expect on the day
Log in for your online exam at least 30 minutes before with photographic ID. Registration, ID and
system check will begin 30 minutes in advance of the scheduled examination start time. There is
an hour break between each paper.
Resources Available
In February 2016, the Examinations Committee agreed to release sample MCQ questions from
both the Part 1 and Part 2 FRCOphth question banks:
Part 1 FRCOphth – Sample MCQs

Questions selected from across the examination blueprint.
Books
 Basic Sciences in Ophthalmology. Ferris J.John Wiley & Sons 1998.
 Clinical Anatomy of the Eye. Snell RS, Lemp MA. Blackwell Scientific Publications 1998.
 The Eye: Basic Sciences and Practice. Forrester JV, Dick AD, McMenamin P, Lee WR. WB
Saunders 2003.
 Clinical optics. Elkington AR, Frank HJ and Greaney MJ. Blackwell Science.
Practice Questions
 FRCOphth Part 1: 400 SBAs and CRQs. Hall N, Peden R. JP Medical Ltd 2016.
 MCQs for FRCOphth and ICO Basic Sciences Examinations. Trikha S, de Silva S, Mehta H,
Keightley S. CRC press 2012.
 MCQ companion to the Eye. Basic Sciences in Practice. Galloway PH, Forrester JV, Dick AD,
Lee WR. WB Saunders 2001.
Online Resources
 Success in MRCOphth; Professor N.Chua http://www.mrcophth.com offers some of the old
style T/F MCQs for Part 1, alongside other valuable revision sections. It also has some
examples of old CRQ questions.
 https://www.eyedocs.co.uk this offers a large bank of SBA style questions which are valuable
when preparing for the MCQ section of the exam.
 http://www.eophtha.com/#
 http://www.medrounds.org/optics-review/
Revision courses
Institute of Ophthalmology Revision Course – this is an annual 4-day course run by the Institute
of Ophthalmology which aims to cover all the major topics in the exam.
Advice from previous candidates

 Don’t sit the exam too early, clinical experience is very helpful for the CRQ.
 Give yourself at least 3-4 months of focused revision time.
 Speak to fellow ophthalmologists who have sat the exam – they will be able to share their own
experiences.
 Review exam reports on the RCOphth website, as they give valuable information on the areas
that candidates perform less well in.
 Try to find some previous CRQ past answer sheets that are issued back to candidates after
the exam, as they give a great insight into how the questions are structured.
 Practising exam questions is essential to become familiar with the layout of the Part 1 exam.
 Book study leave!
Pass mark,pass rate, reliability etc. statistics available in the RCOphth Examination Reports
found at https://www.rcophth.ac.uk/examinations/examination-reports/)
This page has been published to offer advice to candidates from candidates. Provision of the
above guidance and resources does not constitute RCOphth endorsement. The RCOphth
accepts no responsibility for the content in any resources listed above.

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Part 1 FRCOphth Candidate tips

What is the Part 1 FRCOphth?

 Confirmation of their exam place

Part 1 FRCOphth – Sample MCQs

Advice from previous candidates

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