Cardiothoracic Surgery (FRCS oral)
Sit your FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery viva after rehearsing every answer out loud
Rehearse FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery Cardiothoracic Surgery viva scenarios out loud against a senior examiner who probes your reasoning. Get examiner-style feedback on any station you finish, in seconds.
What is the FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery viva, and how do you practise for it?
The Intercollegiate Specialty Examination in Cardiothoracic Surgery (FRCS CTh) Section 2, set by the JCIE for surgeons completing UK cardiothoracic training. Section 2 is a clinical and oral examination: a cardiac and a thoracic intermediate case session with volunteer patients, cardiac and thoracic instruments and imaging/investigations, orals on cardiac and on thoracic critical conditions, intensive care and trauma, and an oral in the sub-specialty you choose at application. MedMock runs every session as spoken practice, without physical examination. MedMock lets you practise it out loud against an AI examiner, with examiner-style feedback on any question you finish.
Last updated 29 October 2026
FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery viva practice, on demand
MedMock gives you a senior examiner who probes your reasoning, available 24/7. Pick a question, have a spoken conversation, and ask for examiner-style feedback when you finish, scored against what genuinely matters in the FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery.
How it works
Choose a question
Pick from the FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery questions — all 8 that MedMock runs, or let MedMock surprise you the way exam day will.
Have the conversation
Speak naturally, out loud. The AI examiner listens, follows up and probes further, exactly like the viva.
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.
Practise every station
MedMock covers the questions you will face in the FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery viva. Rehearse each one until it feels routine.
Cardiac Surgery – Intermediate Case
45 minutes with three volunteer patients who have had, or are living with, cardiac surgical conditions. Take a focused history from each; the examiner gives the examination findings you ask for, then discusses investigations and management.
Thoracic Surgery – Intermediate Case
45 minutes with three volunteer patients with thoracic surgical conditions. Take a focused history from each; the examiner gives the examination findings you ask for, then discusses investigations and management.
Cardiac Surgery – Instruments and Imaging/Investigations
30 minutes, six 5-minute scenarios: three on cardiac surgical instruments and devices, then three on images or investigation results. On MedMock the examiner names each instrument.
Thoracic Surgery – Instruments and Imaging/Investigations
30 minutes, six 5-minute scenarios: three on thoracic surgical instruments and devices, then three on images or investigation results. On MedMock the examiner names each instrument.
Cardiac Surgery – Critical Conditions/ICU/Trauma
30-minute oral on cardiac critical conditions, intensive care and trauma. The examiners take you through several scenarios.
Thoracic Surgery – Critical Conditions/ICU/Trauma
30-minute oral on thoracic critical conditions, intensive care and trauma. The examiners take you through several scenarios.
Sub-specialty – Cardiac Surgery
30-minute oral for candidates who chose cardiac surgery as their sub-specialty at application. The examiners take you through several scenarios.
Sub-specialty – Thoracic Surgery
30-minute oral for candidates who chose thoracic surgery as their sub-specialty at application. The examiners take you through several scenarios.
Sample FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery questions
Two questions from the topics that come up most in MedMock's FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery bank.
“How would you select and manage temporary mechanical circulatory support, including Impella and TandemHeart, as a bridge to recovery in post-cardiotomy cardiogenic shock?”
“A 59-year-old woman develops a rapidly rising transaminase level, jaundice and a rising INR after several days of low cardiac output following cardiac surgery. Which mechanisms and differential diagnoses would you consider?”
Example scenarios
A sample of the FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery scenarios you can practise, each as a spoken conversation.
“This 71-year-old man had coronary artery bypass grafting three years ago and has come to talk to you today. Please take a focused history.”
“This 58-year-old woman had a right upper lobectomy for lung cancer last year and has come to talk to you today. Please take a focused history.”
“This is an intra-aortic balloon pump. How does it work, and how do you time it?”
“A 67-year-old man is being assessed for a lobectomy. Here are his lung function results. Talk me through them.”
“A 65-year-old man is four hours after coronary artery bypass grafting. His drains have suddenly stopped, his central venous pressure is rising and his blood pressure is falling. What do you do?”
“A 34-year-old man arrives after a stab wound to the right chest. He is hypotensive and 1,800 ml of blood drains when a chest drain is inserted. How do you manage him?”
“A 76-year-old woman with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis is discussed at the heart team meeting. How do you decide between surgical and transcatheter valve replacement?”
“A 62-year-old woman has a 1.8 cm peripheral adenocarcinoma of the right upper lobe with no nodal disease on staging. What operation would you offer, and why?”
FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery dates 2026–27
The next FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery sitting we hold is: from 19 May 2027 (Sheffield). Checked against JCIE (the four surgical Royal Colleges) on 23 September 2026.
Time until from 19 May 2027 (Sheffield)
— d — h — m — sJCIE publishes the first day of each Cardiothoracic Surgery Section 2 diet; the oral exam runs over several days from that date. Application deadlines fall three to five months earlier.
Exam dates change. MedMock is not affiliated with JCIE (the four surgical Royal Colleges); confirm every date, application window and venue on the official site before you book. JCIE (the four surgical Royal Colleges)
FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery practice — your questions answered
How does the feedback work?
When you finish a question 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 FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery questions?
Yes. You can pick any of the 8 questions to drill a weak area, or run a mixed set 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.
Formats change from year to year: check the official candidate guidance or applicant handbook from the body that runs your exam or interview (the Royal Colleges, NHS England, the GMC and others) for your sitting.
Ready for your FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery viva?
Rehearse real FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery scenarios out loud and get instant, examiner-style feedback.
- Instant, personalised feedback
- Real voice-to-voice conversation
- Repeatable attempts, a different run every time
Be ready for your FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery viva before you walk in
Start with the £5 taster, a one-off payment for 30 credits: practise FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery viva scenarios out loud and get any of them marked when you are ready.
Practise the FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery viva