# Practising for Anaesthetics (Primary FRCA OSCE) with MedMock

Canonical page: https://medmock.com/exams/anaesthetics-primary-frca-osce

## What is the Primary FRCA OSCE, and how do you practise for it?

The Royal College of Anaesthetists' Primary FRCA OSCE, sat alongside the Primary FRCA SOE by Stage 1 anaesthesia, ACCS and ICM trainees who have passed the Primary MCQ and hold the Initial Assessment of Competence. The real circuit contains up to 16 five-minute stations across nine RCoA syllabus domains. MedMock practises the six domains that work as a spoken or screen-based station: four practised in full (History Taking, Communication, Interpreting Images and Monitoring, and Anaesthetic Hazards and Safety) and two practised partly using on-screen images and diagrams rather than physical specimens or apparatus (Anatomy and Anaesthetic Equipment, where you answer questions about pictures without handling bones or equipment). Resuscitation, Technical Skills and Physical Examination require manikins or hands-on examination and are not simulated. The RCoA plans to replace the Primary OSCE and SOE with the new Primary FRCA CASE examination from July 2027, subject to GMC approval. MedMock lets you practise it out loud against an AI patient, with examiner-style feedback on any station you finish.

An illustrative example station, written by MedMock with example feedback, is at https://medmock.com/exams/anaesthetics-primary-frca-osce/example

## What happens in the real Primary FRCA OSCE (checked against the official source on 2026-10-24)

The Primary FRCA Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is the 16-station circuit of the Royal College of Anaesthetists’ Primary FRCA, sat in person alongside the Primary SOE after passing the Primary MCQ. Candidates complete up to 16 live five-minute stations in succession, each preceded by one minute of reading time outside the cubicle. Each station is marked out of 20 and the pass mark is set by modified Angoff referencing.

- **History taking** (5 minutes): A five-minute station after one minute of reading time with a simulated patient played by an actor, taking a focused pre-operative anaesthetic history. Half of the marks are awarded for the clinical content elicited and half for communication skills.
- **Communication** (5 minutes): A five-minute station after one minute of reading time interacting with a patient or relative played by an actor on an anaesthetic consent, risk, complication or peri-operative explanation scenario, marked equally for clinical content and communication skills.
- **Measurement, monitoring and clinical data interpretation** (5 minutes): Five-minute stations after one minute of reading time in which an examiner asks structured questions on peri-operative investigations, radiographs, ECGs, arterial blood gases, capnography, spirometry and monitoring waveforms.
- **Anaesthetic hazards and safety** (5 minutes): Five-minute stations after one minute of reading time testing recognition and management of theatre hazards, electrical and laser safety, drug errors, blood transfusion compatibility, scavenging and environmental safety.
- **Anatomy and anaesthetic equipment** (5 minutes): Five-minute stations after one minute of reading time testing applied anatomy relevant to regional blocks, airway and vascular access, and checking, explaining and troubleshooting core anaesthetic and airway equipment.
- **Interactive resuscitation, simulation and technical skills** (5 minutes): Five-minute practical stations after one minute of reading time testing interactive resuscitation, critical-incident simulation, physical examination and technical procedures.

Marking: Each live OSCE station is marked out of 20 against a structured RCoA marksheet. In History Taking and Communication stations, half of the marks are allocated to the clinical content covered and half to communication skills. Up to two additional test stations may be included in the circuit to trial new material and do not count towards the final score.

Passing: Before the examination, the examiners determine a pass mark out of 20 for each station using modified Angoff referencing, and the station pass marks are summed across the live stations to set the overall OSCE pass mark. Candidates must pass both the Primary OSCE and the Primary SOE to be awarded the Primary FRCA.

Sources: https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/examinations/primary-frca-examination/primary-frca-osce https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/examinations/primary-frca-examination https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/documents/examination-regulations-april-2026/3-structure-rcoa-delivered-examinations https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/documents/examination-regulations-april-2026/10-marking-criteria-standards https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/media/51666 https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/examinations/2027-launch-new-frca-exams https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/examinations/2027-launch-new-frca-exams/primary-frca-exam-pathways
Full format page: https://medmock.com/exams/anaesthetics-primary-frca-osce/format

## How to prepare for the Primary FRCA OSCE (facts checked against official sources on 2026-10-24)

The Primary FRCA OSCE is a circuit of up to 16 five-minute stations at the Royal College of Anaesthetists, each after one minute of reading time and marked out of 20. Prepare against the Stage 1 syllabus, practise five-minute pre-operative histories and anaesthetic explanations aloud, and drill anatomy, equipment, hazards and monitoring data.

1. **Check your sitting dates and the 2027 CASE transition** — You need a Primary FRCA MCQ pass within the last three years and the Initial Assessment of Competence in Anaesthesia. The 2026-27 OSCE/SOE weeks are 16 November 2026, 1 February 2027 and 17 May 2027; from July 2027 the Primary OSCE and SOE are replaced by the Primary FRCA CASE unless you hold a valid partial pass.
2. **Practise to the exact one-minute read and five-minute station clock** — Outside every cubicle you have one minute to read the station guidance before the bell sounds for a five-minute station, marked out of 20. Practise moving briskly and resetting mentally between stations: examiners stress that a poor performance in one station does not mean you will fail the circuit.
3. **Balance clinical content and communication in actor stations** — In History Taking and Communication stations, the College notes that half of the marks are awarded for the clinical content you elicit or explain and half for your communication skills. Practise focused pre-operative anaesthetic histories and clear explanations of regional blocks, epidural analgesia, peri-operative risks and complications.
4. **Revise applied anatomy and theatre equipment systematically** — The College’s examiners report that anatomy stations are commonly poorly answered. Revise curriculum-based anatomy for airway innervation, brachial and lumbar plexus blocks, neuraxial spaces and central venous access, and be inquisitive in theatre about how every piece of anaesthetic equipment works, its safety features and its pre-use checks.
5. **Drill monitoring waveforms, imaging and theatre hazards** — Practise rapid interpretation of capnography, arterial and central venous pressure traces, spirometry loops, 12-lead ECGs, chest radiographs and blood gases alongside theatre safety topics such as laser airway fires, diathermy, scavenging, blood compatibility and electrical safety.

Official resources:

- Primary FRCA OSCE — RCoA (https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/examinations/primary-frca-examination/primary-frca-osce): The Royal College of Anaesthetists page covering OSCE circuit structure, marking, eligibility and dates.
- Primary OSCE Video Series — RCoA (https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/examinations/primary-frca-examinations/primary-frca-osce-examination/primary-osce-video-series): Run-through videos plus six spotlight videos showing satisfactory and unsatisfactory performance across OSCE station types.
- RCoA Examination Syllabus Stage 1 (https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/documents/examination-syllabus-stage-1): The Stage 1 curriculum syllabus setting out what Primary FRCA questions and stations may cover.
- Annual Report: Primary and Final FRCA Examination 2024-2025 (https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/media/51666): Examiners’ report highlighting common candidate strengths and pitfalls across the Primary OSCE and SOE.

Common mistakes examiners report:

- Neglecting anatomy: examiners report that anatomy stations are commonly poorly answered and advise revising anatomy systematically against the Stage 1 curriculum. (source: https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/media/51666)
- Focusing only on checklist facts in History Taking and Communication stations, where half of the marks are allocated to communication skills. (source: https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/media/51666)
- Allowing one difficult five-minute station to unsettle your performance in the stations that follow. (source: https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/media/51666)

Sources: https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/examinations/primary-frca-examination/primary-frca-osce https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/examinations/primary-frca-examinations/primary-frca-osce-examination/primary-osce-video-series https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/documents/examination-syllabus-stage-1 https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/media/51666 https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/examinations/2027-launch-new-frca-exams https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/examinations/2027-launch-new-frca-exams/primary-frca-exam-pathways
Full guide: https://medmock.com/exams/anaesthetics-primary-frca-osce/prepare

Upcoming sittings: Week commencing 16 November 2026; Week commencing 1 February 2027; Week commencing 17 May 2027 (source: Royal College of Anaesthetists, checked 2026-10-20).
All Primary FRCA OSCE dates: https://medmock.com/exams/anaesthetics-primary-frca-osce#dates

## Stations you can practise

- **History Taking** — 5-minute simulated-patient station: take a focused pre-operative anaesthetic history covering surgical indication, airway and reflux history, cardiorespiratory reserve, comorbidities, medications, allergies, previous anaesthetic problems and fasting status.
- **Communication** — 5-minute simulated-patient or relative station: explain anaesthetic options and risks (general vs regional anaesthesia, epidural analgesia, nerve blocks), manage post-dural puncture headache or accidental awareness, or discuss peri-operative risk and consent.
- **Interpreting Images & Monitoring** — 5-minute examiner-led data and image station: interpret an on-screen 12-lead ECG, chest or cervical-spine radiograph, CT head, arterial blood gas, capnography trace, spirometry loop or rotational thromboelastometry trace in a peri-operative vignette.
- **Anaesthetic Hazards & Safety** — 5-minute examiner-led viva on theatre and anaesthetic hazards: electrical safety, diathermy, surgical fires, laser safety, scavenging, pipeline and cylinder gas supply, wrong-route drug errors, local anaesthetic toxicity, malignant hyperthermia and anaphylaxis.
- **Anatomy (Image-Based)** — 5-minute examiner-led station using on-screen anatomical diagrams and cross-sectional images: larynx and airway innervation, brachial, lumbar and sacral plexuses, neuraxial anatomy, antecubital fossa, femoral triangle, thoracic inlet and diaphragm. Questions are asked over images; physical bones and prosections are not handled.
- **Anaesthetic Equipment (Image-Based)** — 5-minute examiner-led station using on-screen images and schematics of anaesthetic apparatus: Mapleson breathing systems, circle system and soda lime, vaporisers, supraglottic and tracheal airways, laryngoscopes, filters, gas cylinders and scavenging. Questions are asked over images; physical assembly and machine checking are not simulated.

## Sample Primary FRCA OSCE questions

- *History Taking:* Take a focused pre-operative anaesthetic history from a 64-year-old woman listed for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy who has rheumatoid arthritis and obstructive sleep apnoea.
- *Anaesthetic Hazards & Safety:* During laser microlaryngoscopy a flash is seen at the tracheal tube and smoke appears in the airway. Walk the examiner through your immediate management of an airway fire and the preventive precautions for laser airway surgery.

## Example scenarios

- *History Taking:* Take a focused pre-operative anaesthetic history from a 64-year-old woman listed for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy who has rheumatoid arthritis and obstructive sleep apnoea.
- *Interpreting Images & Monitoring:* A 58-year-old man develops sudden hypotension and a fall in end-tidal CO₂ during cemented hemiarthroplasty. Interpret the capnograph, ECG and arterial blood gas shown on screen and outline your immediate management.
- *Anaesthetic Hazards & Safety:* During laser microlaryngoscopy a flash is seen at the tracheal tube and smoke appears in the airway. Walk the examiner through your immediate management of an airway fire and the preventive precautions for laser airway surgery.

## How a practice session works

1. **Choose a station** — Pick from 6 station types drawn from the real Primary FRCA OSCE curriculum, or run a full mock that takes you through them as a circuit.
2. **Have the conversation** — Speak naturally, out loud. The AI patient or examiner responds in real time — with follow-up questions, emotions, cues and unexpected turns, just like the real stations.
3. **Get instant feedback** — The moment you finish, you get specific, examiner-style feedback and a score — what you did well, what cost you marks, and precisely what to fix before the next attempt.

## Price

Start with a one-off £5 taster: 30 credits (30 minutes of speaking practice), not a subscription. After that, or instead, £69 per month for 350 credits. One credit is one minute of spoken practice, or two typed exchanges, and where the examiner or patient speaks first, that opening line is free. Examiner scorecards, mark schemes and model answers for finished sessions are included at no extra credit cost. Cancel at any time. Full details: https://medmock.com/pricing

## Frequently asked questions

### How does the feedback work?

When you finish a station you can have it marked, and the scorecard comes back in seconds — what you did well, what cost you marks, and exactly what to work on next. Scorecards, mark schemes and model answers are included at no extra credit cost.

### Can I practise specific Primary FRCA OSCE stations?

Yes. You can pick any of the 6 station types to drill a weak area, or run a full mock circuit to simulate the real exam.

### How much does it cost?

You can start with a one-off £5 taster: 30 credits, which is 30 minutes of speaking practice, with no subscription. After that, or at any time, you can choose a monthly plan, which includes a monthly credit allowance. Current prices are on the pricing page.

## About MedMock

MedMock is a web app for practising the spoken parts of UK medical and dental exams and interviews out loud. The candidate talks; an AI patient, examiner or interview panel answers in real time by voice; and when the station ends MedMock marks the performance against that exam's assessment domains and shows the model answer.

It covers 104 spoken exams and interviews — OSCEs, vivas, structured oral exams, simulated consultations, and specialty-training and consultant interviews. It does not cover written or multiple-choice papers, and it is not a question bank.

It was founded by Mr Sam Nahas, MBBS BSc MEd FRCS (Tr & Orth), a practising consultant orthopaedic surgeon in the UK, with co-founder and CTO Arjan Jandu. It is operated by VirtualPatients Ltd (company no. 16303492).

Pricing: a one-off £5 taster of 30 credits to try it (not a subscription, one per account), and a monthly subscription from £20 to £129 depending on the exam (student exams cost least, fellowship exit exams and consultant interviews most), or £199 to £275 for the Intensive plans, which carry more credits. One credit is one minute of spoken practice, or two typed exchanges, and where the examiner or patient speaks first, that opening line is free. Examiner scorecards, mark schemes and model answers for finished sessions are included at no extra credit cost. Subscriptions can be cancelled at any time.

It runs in a web browser on a laptop or phone; spoken practice needs a microphone. There is no public demo: practice needs an account with credits, usually from the taster or a monthly plan.

MedMock is for adults aged 18 or over. Sign-up asks every new account to confirm it.

MedMock is a revision tool. The patients, examiners and cases are fictional and AI-generated; it is not clinical guidance and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any Royal College, the GMC, the GDC or any examining body.

Start with the £5 taster: https://medmock.com/auth/signup