Final FRCR Examination: Syllabus

INTRODUCTION

• The Final FRCR Examination is in two parts - Part A and Part B.
  Part A: six multiple choice question papers
  Part B: reporting session, rapid reporting session and two oral examinations

EXAMINATION REGULATIONS

• Candidates must have passed the First FRCR Examination before entering the Final Part A Examination and must have passed the Final FRCR Part A Examination before entering the Final FRCR Part B Examination.
• Candidates are not permitted to enter both parts of the Final FRCR Examination at the same sitting.
• There is no limit on the number of times that a candidate may enter either part of the Final FRCR Examination.

Final Part A Examination

• Candidates who hold a formal clinical radiology training post, in which they are actively receiving clinical radiology training, (or who have held such a post in the past) are permitted to enter the Final FRCR Part A Examination once they have passed the First FRCR Examination. There is no limit on the number of modules that may be attempted at any one sitting.
• Candidates who enter the examination on the basis of UK training require the signature of the head of their training scheme on the application form at each attempt to confirm that the number of modules to be attempted is appropriate. There is no requirement for confirmation that formal training or lecture course attendance in the modules entered has been undertaken.

Final FRCR Part B Examination

• Candidates are required to have passed all six modules of the Final FRCR Part A Examination (or the previous format Final FRCR Part A Examination) prior to entering the Final FRCR Part B Examination.
• Candidates are permitted to enter the Final FRCR Part B Examination once three years of clinical radiology training have been completed.
• Candidates who enter the examination on the basis of UK training require the signature of the head of their training scheme on the application form to confirm the completion of the appropriate duration of training and the receipt of instruction covering the examination syllabus. Those who have trained outside the UK are required to provide an equivalent supporting letter.

EXAMINATION STRUCTURE

Final FRCR Part A Examination

• The examination is divided into six modules:
  Module 1: Cardiothoracic and Vascular including lungs, mediastinum, pleura, heart, peripheral and visceral vasculature
  Module 2: Musculoskeletal and Trauma including soft tissues
  Module 3: Gastro-intestinal including liver, biliary, pancreas and spleen
  Module 4: Genito-urinary, Adrenal, Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Breast
  Module 5: Paediatrics
  Module 6: Central Nervous and Head & Neck including spine, eyes, ENT, salivary glands and dental
• Some diseases, due to their nature or radiological manifestations, cannot be categorised into a single module, eg haematological disease or infections such as tuberculosis. Candidates should expect a few multiple choice questions relating to these sorts of conditions to contain parts referring to other modules. For example, a question on rheumatoid disease in Module 2 (Musculoskeletal) might contain a part or parts relating to pulmonary disease (Module 1). Questions on multisystem disorders may appear in any module.
• Where appropriate, questions on similar topics may appear in more than one module, eg paediatric musculoskeletal questions may appear in Module 2 and/or Module 5.
• 15-20% of the question parts will address the basic sciences of physics, anatomy and techniques. The physics questions will not always relate directly to the anatomical system being examined by a particular module. Questions on particular diagnostic modalities, eg CT, MRI, may appear in any module and may refer to their role in other body systems.
• Each module is examined by multiple choice questions (MCQs) only. The duration of each module's question paper and the number of MCQs in each is as shown below.

  Module 1	40 MCQs	2 hours
  Module 2	30 MCQs	1½ hours
  Module 3	40 MCQs	2 hours
  Module 4	30 MCQs	1½ hours
  Module 5	30 MCQs	1½ hours
  Module 6	30 MCQs	1½ hours

• The six question papers are scheduled over two consecutive days as shown below.

  Day 1
  9.15 am - 10.45 am	Module 2
  11.30 am - 1.00 pm	Module 4
  2.15 pm - 4.15 pm	Module 1

  Day 2
  9.15 am - 10.45 am	Module 5
  11.30 am - 1.00 pm	Module 6
  2.15 pm - 4.15 pm	Module 3

• The examination is held twice a year - normally in the last week of March and September.
• Candidates are able to sit the examination at five UK venues (Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, London and Manchester) and two non-UK venues (Hong Kong and Singapore).

Part B of the Final Examination for the Fellowship

• The examination comprises:
  
• Reporting session: 6 cases to be reviewed in 45 minutes with a written report being required for each case.
  Rapid reporting session: 30 cases to be reviewed in 30 minutes. Candidates are required to distinguish between normal and abnormal cases and to identify the pathology demonstrated.
  Oral examinations: two oral examinations each with a pair of examiners and of 30 minutes' duration. Candidates are required to demonstrate their powers of observation and deduction over a wide range of conditions and investigations.
• The examination is held twice a year - normally in the second or third week of April and October.
• Candidates may only sit the examination in London.
• Once a year, usually at the Autumn sitting, a Joint Examination for the Fellowship of the Royal College of Radiologists and Hong Kong College of Radiologists is organised by the latter and held in Hong Kong. Candidates are not permitted to enter both the London and the Hong Kong examination at the same sitting.

SUMMARY OF EXAMINATION SYLLABUS

The content of the three components of the syllabus is summarised below.

Clinical Radiology

• In both parts of the Final Examination for the Fellowship, candidates will be examined in all aspects of clinical radiology (see Structured Training in Clinical Radiology). The Final FRCR Part A Examination also addresses the basic sciences of physics, anatomy and techniques.
• Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a sound knowledge of those common aspects of clinical radiology that comprise the routine general work in most hospitals.
• A detailed knowledge of highly specialised radiology will not be required. However, candidates will be expected to exhibit an appreciation of the role and scope of all available techniques in relation to the management of clinical problems.
• The main emphasis of the examination is the imaging of disease. However, candidates will be expected to demonstrate a knowledge of the following:
  • Clinical conditions in which radiology has a role in diagnosis or management
  • Applied pathology where it contributes to better understanding of radiological signs and methods of investigation
  • Those aspects of clinical medicine and pathology that are essential to the safe and effective conduct of interventional procedures, either diagnostic or therapeutic
  • The definition and meaning of the basic statistical terms that are necessary for understanding and evaluating statistical claims in published papers
  • Current trends and recent advances in all fields of clinical radiology
  • Normal variants and normal features of x-ray examinations

Physics

• Candidates will be expected to demonstrate, in the modalities of MRI, ultrasound, computed tomography, radionuclide radiology and digital imaging, a background knowledge of physics relating to function, operation, image artefacts and optimisation of factors relevant to image quality and patient dose.
• Candidates should have sufficient knowledge in these modalities of factors relevant to image quality in order to be able to discuss these subjects with radiographers and clinicians.
• Candidates should be able to recognise image artefacts and how such artefacts may be removed or their impact on image quality reduced.
• Detailed Physics Syllabus

Anatomy and Techniques

• Candidates should have a detailed knowledge of anatomy and anatomical variants relevant to radiological examinations. In addition, candidates should have a clear knowledge of topographical anatomy as demonstrated by modern imaging techniques.
• Candidates are expected to have a detailed knowledge of techniques routinely used in a teaching/training hospital environment, including principal indications and contraindications, patient preparation, equipment, contrast media, technique variations for specific indications and principal complications and their management.
• Candidates should have knowledge of the commonly used contrast media, including those used in ultrasound and MR imaging, modes of administration and clinical uses, routes of elimination, contraindications, side effects, reactions and their management.
• Detailed Anatomy and Techniques Syllabus