About MRCPI Obstetrics and Gynaecology Part II OSCE/Clinical

The Part II OSCE/Clinical examination consists of an OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) and a clinical exam.

The OSCE has seven ten-minute stations and at least one rest station. The OSCE stations test your knowledge and understanding of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, as well as problem-solving, diagnosis, investigation, treatment, clinical and communication skills. There's no patient at the rest station; it's a short break and an opportunity to prepare for the next station.

At the clinical exam, you will see one long clinical case in either Obstetrics or Gynaecology. You have 25 minutes fully observed with two examiners to take a history and examine the patient before discussing the case with the examiners.

The MRCPI Obstetrics & Gynaecology Part II OSCE/Clinical Examination has changed

The changes, which came into effect in November 2019 are:

• The Clinical case is now fully observed
• The Clinical case will now be 25 minutes in total by the beside

The revised format allows for a much greater level of communication between candidates, the patients and examiners: and face-to-face examining time has increased.

There is no change to the OSCE component.

For the May 2021 diet of this examination the examination remains the same, however, due to current social distancing restrictions we have introduced some adjustments:

• The clinical component will be simulated, this component will not be based in a hospital and will not have patient interaction.
• This clinical exam has a duration of 20 minutes in which you will be examined by a pair of examiners on a simulated clinical case using model equipment in either Obstetrics or Gynaecology. You may also be expected to interact with a roleplayer.
• There will be no change to the format of the OSCE part of the examination apart from following social distancing protocols, hand sanitising, mask wearing, reduced numbers and the removal of rest stations. We will closely monitor all movements at the examination centre to limit close contacts.

Application fee

The fee to sit Part II OSCE/Clinical Exam is

• €780 in Ireland
• €1,360 if you are taking the exam outside Ireland

The method of payment is credit or debit card, taken at the end of the online application process.

Don't forget, if you're in Ireland you can claim a refund of €450 under the HSE Clinical Course and Examination Refund Scheme

If you require a visa

If you require a visa to sit an exam, it is your responsibility to ensure the visa application is made in sufficient time before the examination date. We have no role in granting or refusing visas. A refund will not be given if you are unable to attend the examination as a result of a visa-related problem.

How to prepare

It's important to prepare for MRCPI exams and not to underestimate how long it takes to get ready to sit your first exam. Having an understanding of how each exam is formatted and how questions are constructed will help you prepare and develop good answering strategies.

When you're preparing your study plan, make sure to refer to the curriculum for Basic Specialist Training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, as the MRCPI in Obstetrics and Gynaecology is based on this curriculum. It serves as a 'blueprint' for the exam.

COVID-19: Impact on RCPI exams

Clock here for the latest information on the COVID-19 impact across all exams.

Apply for this exam

Applications for the MRCPI O&G OSCE/Clinical Exam on Monday, 31 May 2021 in Ireland are now closed as of Wednesday 31 March at 5pm.

* Given travel and quarantine restrictions together with limited capacity available, all Clinical and OSCE examinations in Ireland at present will not be open to international candidates.  The College is fully committed to providing clinical examinations for international candidates and we are working to deliver these later in 2021.

** Candidates applying for this exam must be living and working in Ireland **

IMPORTANT: Places in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Part II OSCE/Clinical Examination are limited, therefore you may not get a place in this exam when you first apply. You will not be asked to pay the exam fee upon first application, if you are successful in your application you will receive an email after closing date for applications with a link for payment and confirmation of your place in the exam.

Cancellation policy and exam regulations

Before you apply, please read the following documents

Cancellation policy

MRCPI Obstetrics and Gynaecology examination regulations

Contact us

We have a dedicated examinations support team in our Dublin headquarters. They are there to guide you through your full exam journey, from application to MRCPI conferring. They are present at every exam and always happy to answer your questions.