Is MRCOG Hard? What the Pass Rates Actually Tell You

Search "is MRCOG hard" and you will find a lot of opinion and not much data. Here is what the actual pass rates say and, more usefully, what they mean for how you should prepare.

The Numbers

  • Part 1: pass rate typically 30-40%
  • Part 2: pass rate typically 40-50%
  • Part 3: RCOG delivered a record 2,783 Part 3 attempts in the most recent reporting year, with the largest single sitting reaching roughly 900 candidates

By comparison, most UK postgraduate medical exams with negative-marking-free SBA formats and Angoff-determined pass marks sit somewhere in the 40-60% range. MRCOG Part 1 in particular is genuinely at the harder end of that spectrum.

Why the Pass Rate Is Where It Is

It is not primarily about question difficulty in isolation. It is about breadth. Part 1 covers 15 knowledge areas across basic sciences that most candidates have not revisited in depth since medical school: anatomy, biochemistry, statistics, pharmacology, immunology, and more, all tested through a clinical-pregnancy lens rather than as abstract science. Candidates who treat it like a clinical exam and skip the underlying science tend to underperform relative to their actual clinical competence.

Part 2 shifts to clinical application (SBAs and EMQs across 15 modules), and the pass rate reflects a different challenge: applying knowledge under time pressure across a huge range of clinical scenarios, not recalling isolated facts.

What the Resit Rate Actually Means

With Part 1 pass rates around 30-40%, a majority of candidates in any given sitting do not pass on the first attempt. This is the actual, unglamorous reality of the exam, and it is worth knowing going in, because candidates who expect a first-attempt pass rate closer to other exams they have sat sometimes under-prepare relative to what Part 1 actually demands.

A resit is not evidence you are unsuited to O&G. It is evidence the exam is hard and the preparation needs to match that. See our guide on what to do after a failed attempt if you are in that position.

What This Means for Your Preparation

  • Give yourself real time. A 6-month structured plan for Part 1 is the realistic minimum for most candidates working full clinical hours. See our week-by-week 6-month plan.
  • Cover the full breadth, not just the high-yield topics. Lower-yield areas like biophysics and immunology still account for real marks collectively.
  • Use active recall, not passive reading. Question-based practice with spaced repetition consistently outperforms re-reading textbooks for exams at this pass-rate level.
  • Sit enough mock exams. Timed, full-length mocks are the only way to know if your knowledge holds up under real exam conditions before it matters.

Final Thoughts

MRCOG Part 1 is hard by the numbers, and that is simply true, not motivational framing. The pass rate reflects genuine breadth and depth, not an exam designed to be unreasonable. Prepare with that reality in mind (enough time, full syllabus coverage, active recall and real mock exam practice) and the numbers stop being intimidating and start being just a fact about the exam you plan around.