OVERVIEW
To become a consultant radiologist in the United Kingdom, a candidate must pass the Fellowship of the Royal College of Radiologists (FRCR) examinations. These exams are administered by the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) and aim to assess the knowledge of the candidate and the competence required to practice as a clinical radiologist. All radiology trainees within the United Kingdom are required to take these examinations during their 5 year training programme, and passing the FRCR examination in a timely manner is a requirement for obtaining fellowship status with the Royal College of Radiologists. The examination is also recognised internationally and is taken by many radiologists from other countries seeking certification or professional development.

FRCR Part 1

This exam is normally taken during the ST1 year.

  • • Objective: To assess the candidate's understanding of the fundamental principles of clinical radiology and physics
  • • Components: This part consists of two modules:
  • • Physics module: Covers the basic sciences underpinning radiology
  • • Anatomy module: Tests the candidate's knowledge of human anatomy.

FRCR Part 2A

This exam is normally taken during the ST1 year.

  • • Objective: To test the candidate's knowledge of clinical radiology and the application of imaging in various medical conditions.
  • • Components: This part includes two multiple-choice papers covering musculoskeletal, thoracic, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and neuroradiology.

FRCR Part 2B

  • • Objective: To assess the candidate's ability to interpret and report on imaging studies and to make clinical decisions based on imaging findings.
  • • Components: This part is divided into three sections:
  • • Long reporting session: Candidates are given a series of radiological cases to interpret and report within a set time
  • • Rapid Reporting session: Focuses on the candidate's ability to quickly and accurately interpret a series of radiographs
  • • Oral examination (viva): Candidates discuss clinical cases with examiners, demonstrating their reasoning and knowledge over an hour.

FRCR Part 1 / First FRCR Examination

The FRCR Part 1 is the first examination and is usually taken as an ST1 approximately 6 months after training begins.
  • • Requirements: Candidates must hold a formal clinical radiology training post. No minimum radiological or clinical experience is needed, but approval from the Training Programme Director (TPD) is required prior to applying.
  • • Dates: The exams occur 3 times a year in March, June and September.
  • • Venues: UK venues include Belfast, Bridgend, Wales, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Manchester, and Plymouth. Global venues include Egypt, Hong Kong, India (Hyderabad), Pakistan, and Singapore.
  • • Content: The exam consists of a Physics and Anatomy module. Both modules can be taken at the same or different sittings and, therefore, do not need to be passed at the same sitting.

FRCR Anatomy Module

The FRCR anatomy module aims to evaluate the candidate's knowledge of normal human anatomy and their ability to identify anatomical structures and their variants on various imaging modalities.  
The imaging modalities used in the exam include ultrasound (US), radiographs, angiography, fluoroscopy,  computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

  • • Exam length:  90 minutes
  • • Number of questions: 100
  • • Total Marks: 200 (each question is worth 2 marks)

Each question is given a mark of 0, 1 or 2, depending on the answer given

  • • 0 marks: Incorrect
  • • 1 mark: Partially correct ( IE Left instead of right given)
  • • 2 marks: An accurate and complete answer

FRCR Physics Module

The First FRCR physics exam focuses on testing the knowledge and understanding of medical physics and radiation protection, which are crucial for safe and effective practice in radiology.

  • • Exam length:  120 minutes
  • • Number of questions: 40 questions with 5 stems
  • • Total Marks: 200 (each question is worth 1 mark)  

Each question contains 5 stems, each of which can be either true or false. Each correct answer is marked as 1, and each incorrect answer is marked as 0

The following topics will be covered in the following distribution

  1. 1. Matter and Radiation (3 questions)
  2. 2. Radiography & Fluoroscopy (6 questions)
  3. 3. Radionuclide Imaging (6 questions)
  4. 4. Radiation Safety (6 questions)
  5. 5. Computed Tomography (6 questions)
  6. 6. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (6 questions)
  7. 7. Ultrasound (6 questions)
  8. 8. Other: (1 questions)

FRCR 2A

The FRCR 2A exam, otherwise known as the Final FRCR (Part A) examination, consists of two single-best-answer (SBA) question papers. Each paper contains 120 SBA questions and lasts over three hours. This exam is widely considered to be the most challenging during radiology training.   The exam is normally taken during the ST3 and it is necessary to pass to enter ST4.   The exam takes place twice a year. Once in April and the other in November.

  • • Exam length:180 minutes
  • • Number of questions:20 questions 
  • • Total Marks: 120 (each question is worth 1 mark) 

The questions are usually short, consisting of 1 or 2 sentences with 5 options (A to E)

  The following topics are covered:

  1. 1. Cardiothoracic and Vascular
  2. 2. Musculoskeletal
  3. 3. Gastro-intestinal
  4. 4. Genito-urinary, Adrenal, Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Breast
  5. 5. Paediatric
  6. 6. Central Nervous and Head & Neck

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