FRCOphth Part 1: The Complete Guide

Part 1 tests the basic sciences that underpin clinical ophthalmology: anatomy, physiology, optics, pharmacology, pathology and more. Trainees usually sit it in the first two years of Ophthalmic Specialist Training (OST) and must pass it before progressing into Year 3. Because it rewards breadth of recall and reasoning rather than clinical experience (you do not need any ophthalmology experience to sit it), it is very learnable with structured, syllabus-mapped question practice.

Question format

Two 2-hour papers of 90 single best answer (SBA) multiple-choice questions each, 180 questions in total, both sat on the same day. Part 1 has been SBA-only since January 2021.

Papers

Two MCQ papers of 90 questions each (180 questions in total).

Duration

2 hours per paper (4 hours in total), both papers on the same day, with a one-hour break in between.

Delivery

Sat online under live remote proctoring, from home or work, with no need to travel to a test centre.

Marking

Each question is worth one mark; your raw score out of 180 is measured against that diet's pass mark.

Pass mark

There is no fixed pass mark. It is set for each sitting using the Ebel standard-setting method and has recently been around 62 to 65 percent (for example, 115 out of 179, or 64.2%, in January 2026).

These domains are grouped for revision and map onto the RCOphth Part 1 Basic & Clinical Sciences and Patient Investigation curriculum.

Who can sit it

Open to any medically qualified doctor holding a qualification approved by the GMC (UK) or the Irish Medical Council for registration. No ophthalmology experience or full GMC registration is required, and overseas candidates are eligible. Candidates are allowed a maximum of six attempts.

Applying

First-time and overseas candidates apply through the RCOphth online Part 1 application form; existing members book via their College account. Booking usually opens around three months before each sitting and closes about nine weeks before.

Sittings

In 2026 the exam runs three times, all online: 21 January, 15 April and 14 October. Confirm 2027 dates on the RCOphth examinations calendar.

Fee

£725 for 2026 (a single flat fee). The College reviews fees annually, so check the current amount before applying.

The pass rate varies markedly between sittings. It was 41.2% in January 2026, and it has ranged roughly between 30% and 70% across recent diets. Check the RCOphth examination reports for the latest figure.

Give yourself a realistic run-up and revise by domain, not at random. Start with a diagnostic to find your weakest areas, cover the whole syllabus systematically, then spend your final weeks drilling exam-style questions and consolidating the topics you score lowest on. Little-and-often beats occasional marathons, and active recall beats re-reading.

Follow the full FRCOphth Part 1 study plan.

Pair one core basic-science reference with the current RCOphth Part 1 curriculum document, and make active question practice the backbone of your revision. Practising recall under exam conditions is what raises your score. Free resources such as the RCOphth curriculum and past-paper guidance are worth reading early so you know exactly what is examinable. AuroPrep is the practice component: syllabus-mapped SBAs with referenced explanations and a grounded AI tutor.

Make active recall the backbone with a FRCOphth Part 1 question bank.

• Reading passively instead of testing yourself. Active recall with questions is far more efficient than re-reading notes.
• Neglecting optics because it feels intimidating; it is predictable and high-yield once you drill the calculations.
• Leaving weak domains until last. Find them early with a diagnostic and keep returning to them.
• Cramming in the final week. Spread practice out so spaced repetition can do its work.
• Ignoring the reasoning behind an answer. Always review why the distractors were wrong, not just why the key was right.

Reading gets you only so far. The fastest way to lift your Part 1 mark is to practise Part 1 SBAs with explanations under exam conditions, then review every mistake until the principle sticks.