MRCS, or Membership of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons, is an internationally recognised postgraduate surgical qualification. It assesses the knowledge, skills, and professional attributes expected of doctors entering higher surgical training.
Four Royal Colleges award it jointly:
You apply through one of these colleges, but the MRCS Part A exam itself is identical no matter which one you choose. Passing Part A and Part B shows you've reached the standard required to move into higher surgical training in the UK.
One of the best things about MRCS is that international medical graduates can sit Part A right after finishing MBBS, as long as they hold a recognised primary medical qualification.
That said, most candidates prefer to get a few months of surgical experience under their belt first. It makes the clinical concepts click faster, and that hands-on exposure becomes especially useful later when preparing for Part B.
Among international candidates, two colleges are the clear favourites:
Both offer straightforward administrative support and accessible exam centres for candidates from India and neighbouring countries.
The exam runs three times a year, usually in January, April, and September. It's now held exclusively as an in-person, computer-based test at authorised Pearson VUE centres worldwide.
Registration typically opens several weeks before each sitting, and seats fill up on a first-come, first-served basis. Popular centres get booked out fast, so it's worth registering as early as you can.
MRCS Part A is made up of 300 Single Best Answer (SBA) questions, split across two papers on the same day.
Anatomy carries the heaviest weight of all these subjects, which makes it the single most important area to get right.
Trauma management, peri-operative care, and surgical decision-making show up again and again, so give these extra attention.
There's no negative marking across all 300 questions, and every question follows the Single Best Answer format. The pass mark isn't fixed. It's set using standard-setting methods and can shift slightly from one sitting to the next. As a general benchmark, aim to score 75% or above in your practice tests to stay comfortably ahead of the expected passing standard. Recent exams have been tougher and students who have scored > 60% have also passed.
To apply, you'll generally need:
The whole process runs online, which keeps it simple even if you're applying from outside the UK.
If you're booking your MRCS Part A exam in India, budget for more than just the base fee. Since 1 July 2025, an additional 18% tax applies to examination fees for candidates sitting MRCS Part A (and Part B) in India. This isn't a charge set by the Royal Colleges. It comes from Indian tax regulations that require GST to be applied to exam services delivered within the country. For RCS England, this works out to a total of £737.50 in India (£625 plus 18% tax).
The exam covers a wide spread of subjects considered essential for safe surgical practice, including:
Memorising isolated facts won't get you far here. The exam rewards candidates who understand how to apply concepts clinically and make decisions under realistic scenarios.
This depends a lot on your clinical background and how comfortable you already are with basic sciences. Most candidates do well with 2 to 3 months of focused preparation, putting in 2 to 3 hours of study a day. If anatomy and physiology feel shaky, it's worth building in extra time for those specifically.
A preparation plan that tends to work well looks something like this:
Showing up daily and putting in steady, focused hours will get you further than the occasional long study binge.
Mortimer Green - The best app for MRCS preparation
Textbooks alone rarely cut it for MRCS Part A. You need practice that mirrors the actual exam, and that's the gap the Mortimer Green app is built to fill.
Here's what it offers:
Rather than just testing recall, the question bank is built to develop the clinical reasoning you'll actually need on exam day.
Studying alone can leave gaps, even when you're being thorough. Mortimer Green's Live Test & Discussion sessions let you interact directly with experienced faculty, including Dr. Rohan Khandelwal and Dr. Vinayak Rengan, to work through tricky concepts and high-yield questions in real time.
These sessions are particularly useful for clarifying difficult topics, discussing exam strategy, and understanding patterns from previous sittings. That kind of back-and-forth tends to stick better than reading through notes on your own. To know more about T&Ds click here
A couple of rules worth knowing before you plan your attempts:
Planning your preparation properly upfront can save you from burning through attempts unnecessarily.
If you're aiming for an international surgical career, yes. MRCS is recognised across the UK, the UAE, and India, among other countries, and it adds real weight to your academic profile.
It can open doors to higher surgical training, NHS employment, international fellowships, and academic positions, while also strengthening your case for career progression more broadly. Beyond the certificate itself, the knowledge you build while preparing for MRCS forms a solid foundation for the rest of your surgical career.
A structured study plan, steady MCQ practice, and regular revision are what get most candidates across the line in MRCS Part A. The Mortimer Green app brings together an updated question bank, expert guidance, and interactive sessions to help you prepare efficiently and walk into the exam with confidence.
Download the Mortimer Green app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store to get started.
For enquiries: WhatsApp: +91 81900 01359 Or email us at: info@mortimergreen.org
Study consistently. Practice smart. Crack MRCS Part A with confidence.