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STEP 6 OF 9 · EVERYONE

Surgical training

Core Surgical Training, MRCS, ST3 competition and FRCS.

  • ⏱ 6 min read
  • Everyone
  • Step 6 of 9
  • Reviewed 24 October 2026
  • Core Surgical Training (CST) lasts two years and covers several surgical specialties.
  • You must pass MRCS Parts A and B to progress to higher training.
  • Competition for ST3 posts is intense in most surgical specialties, with scoring based on portfolio, logbook and interview.
  • Higher training lasts about six years and ends with an intercollegiate FRCS exam in your specialty.
  • Some specialties, such as neurosurgery, use run-through entry.

How selection works

  • Core surgical training selection looks at your portfolio and an interview or assessment; offers depend on score and preference.
  • ST3 selection is competitive and usually weights a structured portfolio, an interview and the MRCS.
  • Keep a logbook (for example in an e-logbook) from the start: operative experience counts.

The exams

MRCS Part A is a computer-based knowledge test; Part B is a clinical OSCE. After higher training, the intercollegiate FRCS exit exam, run under the Joint Committee on Intercollegiate Examinations, is the main summative assessment in each surgical specialty.

This page is general education, reviewed 24 October 2026. Rules, fees and dates change: always confirm with the official sources below. It is not medical, legal or immigration advice.