The College sets the standard for the postgraduate pathology examinations in the UK.
Has a number of Part 1 overseas examination centres to meet the demand from international medical graduates who aspire to become Fellows of the College.
The College develops and delivers the FRCPath, Diploma and Certificate examinations which are offered across 17 pathology specialties, relying on the ongoing support of our Fellows.
FRCPath exam format
FRCPath part 1
FRCPathpart 1 takes the form of two 3-hour long (more academically focussed) exams taken on the same day.
As a student undertaking the exams you’ll not only want to be prepared for the entire curriculum but also the structure of the exam questions.
The first is an essay exam comprising of questions as per the modules
The second is a multiple choice question (MCQ) exam containing 50 questions offering five different answers and 75 questions under an ‘extended matching’ (EMQ) format.
FRCPath part 2
The final stage of the FRCPath process is the oral examination on the final day of the part two.
Structured as two back to back 30 minute examinations with two pairs of examiners.
The last stage is predominately focussed on assessing your communication, ability to troubleshoot problems and provide good clinical judgements.
Upon completing and passing part two, you have demonstrated your competence and been awarded an FRCPath.
FRCPath exams by specialty
The College offers examinations across 20 pathology specialties. Information about each of these specialties and the content and format of the examinations is available on these pages.
Candidates should note that this information is intended as guidance only and must also read and agree to the general and specialty specific Regulations and Guidelines before applying for an examination.
FRCPath International exam centres: The FRCPath examinations are open to overseas candidates and the College has several overseas examination centres. Diploma and Part I written exams (including MCQs and EMQs) can be arranged in the following areas:
Cairo (Egypt)
Dubai (UAE) has FRCPath Part II Haematology exam only
Hong Kong
Irbil (Iraq)
Irbid (Jordan) has FRCPath Part II Histopathology exam only
Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)
Khartoum (Sudan)
Kuwait
Delhi (India)
Rawalpindi (Pakistan)
Singapore
Please note that the Diploma practical, Part 1 Practical, Part 1 Oral and Part 2 exams (with the exception of Histopathology and Haematology) can only be sat in the UK.
All information about the examinations is available on the examinations section of the website.
The College is aware that there is some confusion about the equivalence of qualifications awarded in different countries.
Each country has evolved its own training schemes and methods of assessment of those who have undergone that training.
Please visit the examinations section for more information on the status of the FRCPath.
Important FRCPath exam-related links
How to apply? For guidance on how to apply and pay for the exam, please visit the Examinations section of the website.
Past & Sample papers: We aim to make as many past and sample papers available as we can. Those that we are able to publish can be found on the relevant examinations specialty page.
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