MRCS, prepared for the surgeon you're becoming.
MRCS is the Royal College of Surgeons' membership exam — the gold-standard credential for a surgical career in the UK. This page covers what MRCS is, how its two parts work, and the preparation we offer at Empower Academy.
What MRCS is, and why it matters.
MRCS — Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons — is the postgraduate examination awarded jointly by the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of England, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Ireland. It's the required qualification for entry to UK Core Surgical Training (CST), and the gold-standard credential for a surgical career internationally.
Passing MRCS Part A and Part B qualifies you for full GMC registration directly — you do not need to sit PLAB separately. This makes MRCS a genuine alternative pathway, not just an add-on qualification, for doctors who already know they want a surgical career.
The exam is built in two parts: Part A (applied basic sciences and principles of surgery) and Part B (a clinical OSCE). Part A can be sat from India; Part B currently requires travel to a UK or Ireland centre.
Both routes grant full GMC registration. PLAB tests general FY2-level knowledge and suits any fresh graduate; MRCS tests surgical-specific knowledge and is the required step for UK surgical training specifically.
If you're set on a surgical career, MRCS is the more efficient investment — you graduate with both a licence to practise and a specialty credential in one process.
Part A, Part B — what each one tests.
Two computer-based SBA papers on the same day — applied basic sciences (anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology) and principles of surgery-in-general.
An OSCE across two circuits, assessing anatomy and surgical pathology knowledge, clinical and procedural skills, communication, and applied surgical knowledge.
Exam fees, current sitting dates and application windows are published by the Royal College of Surgeons. Please confirm against the official RCS portal before applying.
Two parts, two focused courses.
Each Empower programme is built for the part it prepares you for. Every batch is led by UK-based surgical consultants.
Online self-study material plus live web lectures with UK-based surgical faculty, covering applied basic sciences and principles of surgery.
Online self-study material and live web lectures, plus a 2-day face-to-face mock practice held in the exam city just days before your actual Part B.
Who our MRCS courses are for
Planning a surgical career via the UK
Some clinical or surgical postings completed
Faculty who've sat the exam, and now teach how it's marked.
Every Empower MRCS batch is led by doctors who currently practise surgery in the UK and who hold MRCS themselves. No outsourced lecturers, no generic content.
Faculty currently practising surgery in the NHS — teaching from the clinical front line, not a textbook.
Our faculty hold MRCS themselves — they've taken the exact seats they're now teaching you to take.
Especially for in-person Part B prep, we cap seats to protect faculty-to-candidate ratio and real feedback.
Guidance on Core Surgical Training applications and next steps — not just passing the test.
Frequently asked questions
Yes — Part B can only be attempted after Part A has been passed.
No — passing MRCS Part A and Part B qualifies you for full GMC registration on its own. MRCS directly replaces the PLAB route.
No formal postgraduate surgical experience is strictly required for Part A, though clinical exposure is strongly beneficial — and you don't need UK GMC registration to sit it from India.
At UK and Ireland centres — Edinburgh, London and Dublin. Our in-person prep is held in India, but the actual Part B exam requires travel.
MRCS Part A has a significantly heavier basic-science component than PLAB 1, and the overall process takes longer — but it also grants a specialty credential PLAB doesn't. It suits doctors already committed to surgery, not a general "easier vs harder" comparison.
Ready to start?
Talk to us before you commit to a pathway or a course.
Whether you're weighing MRCS against PLAB, or deciding when to start Part A preparation, a short call clears it up. No sales pitch — just a doctor's perspective on your specific situation.
Our team of experienced doctors, who have successfully navigated these international exams and are now practicing clinicians, are here to guide you through every step of your journey.
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