The 6-Month MRCOG Part 1 Study Plan: Week-by-Week Breakdown

Six months is the sweet spot for MRCOG Part 1 preparation. It gives you enough time to cover all 15 knowledge areas systematically without the burnout that comes from studying for longer. Here is a week-by-week breakdown that has been refined through the experience of candidates who passed on their first attempt.

Before You Start: Set Up Your Tools

Primary question bank: choose one with spaced repetition and topic tracking
Core textbooks: you do not need many. One for each major domain is sufficient
Study schedule: block 2-3 hours daily, same time each day for consistency
Tracking system: log your daily question count, scores, and topics covered

Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1-8)

Cover two knowledge areas per week. Read the corresponding textbook chapter, then immediately practise 20-30 questions on that topic.

Weeks 1-2: Anatomy + Surgical Anatomy (highest yield, up to 40 questions on the exam)
Weeks 3-4: Physiology + Endocrinology (second highest yield, heavily tested)
Weeks 5-6: Pathology + Clinical Management (practical, scenario-based questions)
Weeks 7-8: Pharmacology + Statistics/Data Interpretation

Phase 2: Expansion (Weeks 9-16)

Cover the remaining knowledge areas and begin systematic question practice.

Weeks 9-10: Embryology + Genetics
Weeks 11-12: Biochemistry + Immunology
Weeks 13-14: Microbiology + Biophysics
Weeks 15-16: Mixed topic revision, filling gaps identified by your question bank analytics

By week 16, you should have attempted at least 500 questions. Your spaced repetition queue should be well established, with cards coming due daily.

Phase 3: Intensification (Weeks 17-22)

This is where you shift from learning to performance optimisation.

Daily routine: 30 minutes spaced repetition reviews + 1 hour focused question practice on your weakest topics
Weekly mock exams: take one timed mock (100 questions, 2.5 hours) every Saturday
Mock analysis: spend Sunday reviewing every wrong answer from your mock, noting the specific fact or concept you missed
Target: 1,000 total questions attempted by week 22, with accuracy trending above 65% on mocks

Phase 4: Exam Readiness (Weeks 23-26)

Weeks 23-24: two full mock exams (200 questions each, timed with lunch break). Analyse both thoroughly.
Week 25: final targeted revision of your 3-4 weakest knowledge areas based on mock performance
Week 26: light revision only: daily spaced repetition, review your analysis notes, rest and prepare mentally

Daily Time Allocation

Weekdays (2-3 hours): 30 min spaced repetition + 90 min topic study or question practice
Weekends (4-5 hours): mock exam or intensive topic deep-dive
Total weekly commitment: 15-20 hours

The key principle: consistency beats intensity. Two hours every day for 6 months beats 10 hours every weekend for 3 months. Your brain needs time to consolidate knowledge between study sessions, which is exactly what spaced repetition optimises.