# Practising for Emergency Medicine (FRCEM OSCE) with MedMock

Canonical page: https://medmock.com/exams/emergency-medicine-frcem-osce

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

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine Final FRCEM OSCE: a circuit of sixteen 8-minute stations, each preceded by 1 minute of reading time, set at the standard required of a newly appointed Emergency Medicine consultant. MedMock practises the 13 stations of the 16-station circuit that work as a spoken assessment, grouped into seven station types: four non-physical station types practised in full (Running the Department, Supervision and Teaching, Management, and Research and Critical Appraisal) and three clinical station types practised for history taking, clinical reasoning and explanation with the examiner supplying examination findings on request (Complex Stable Patient, Injured Patient, and Paediatric Emergency, where a parent or carer always takes the role-player part because MedMock never voices a child). Physical examination, practical procedures and the three Resuscitation simulation stations are not simulated. 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/emergency-medicine-frcem-osce/example

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

The FRCEM Final Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is the exit clinical examination for Fellowship of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, mapped to the Specialty Learning Outcomes (SLOs) of the 2021 Emergency Medicine curriculum. The circuit comprises 16 eight-minute stations with one minute of reading time before each station and two eight-minute rest stations. Examiners use domain-based marking to score each station out of 10 (maximum 160), and the pass mark is set by borderline regression plus one standard error of measurement.

- **Complex stable patient (SLO1)** (8 minutes): Eight-minute stations after one minute of reading time assessing consultant-level history, focused assessment, diagnostic reasoning and shared management of complex adult emergency presentations.
- **Support the ED team — answer questions and supervise & teach (SLO2 & SLO10)** (8 minutes): Eight-minute stations after one minute of reading time assessing supervision, real-time clinical advice and teaching for junior doctors and allied health professionals in the emergency department.
- **Resuscitation and procedural skills (SLO3 & SLO6)** (8 minutes): Eight-minute stations after one minute of reading time assessing leadership of adult or paediatric resuscitation, critical care stabilisation and emergency procedural skills.
- **Paediatric emergency medicine (SLO4)** (8 minutes): Eight-minute station after one minute of reading time assessing emergency management of the seriously ill or injured child, neonatal emergencies, safeguarding and communication with parents or carers.
- **Injured patient (SLO5)** (8 minutes): Eight-minute stations after one minute of reading time assessing trauma assessment, imaging interpretation, decision-making and disposition for injured patients.
- **Complex challenging situations and Running the Department (SLO7 & SLO8)** (8 minutes): Eight-minute stations after one minute of reading time assessing consultant leadership of the emergency department floor, crowding, ambulance offload delays, capacity escalation, major incidents and complex communication or ethical challenges.
- **Research, critical appraisal and quality improvement (SLO9 & SLO12)** (8 minutes): Eight-minute station after one minute of reading time assessing critical appraisal of emergency medicine literature, study methodology, statistics, clinical audit and quality improvement.
- **Management and clinical governance (SLO11)** (8 minutes): Eight-minute station after one minute of reading time assessing emergency department management, patient safety incident response, statutory Duty of Candour, complaints, risk management and service governance.

Marking: Each of the 16 stations assesses one to four weighted RCEM OSCE domains (clinical reasoning/decision making, communication skills including conflict, history taking/information gathering, clinical examination skills, practical/pinnacle skills, teaching skills, and organisation/prioritisation). Examiners judge competence in each domain from well below to well above minimum competence, converted into a station score from 0 to 10 (maximum 160 marks across the 16 stations).

Passing: The FRCEM OSCE is standard set conjunctively using the borderline regression method to set daily cut scores, with one standard error of measurement (+1 SEM) added to the borderline regression cut score to calculate the pass mark.

Sources: https://rcem.ac.uk/frcem-exams/ https://rcem.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Domain_Based_Marking.pdf https://rcem.ac.uk/osce-exams-faqs/ https://rcem.ac.uk/exam-regulations-policies/ https://rcem.ac.uk/exam-calendar-fees/
Full format page: https://medmock.com/exams/emergency-medicine-frcem-osce/format

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

The FRCEM Final OSCE is a 16-station circuit of eight-minute stations, each after one minute of reading time, mapped to the RCEM 2021 curriculum Specialty Learning Outcomes. Prepare at consultant emergency physician level by rehearsing ED board-round leadership, clinical governance, supervision and teaching, critical appraisal and complex clinical consultations.

1. **Map your revision to the RCEM 2021 Specialty Learning Outcomes** — The FRCEM Final OSCE assesses readiness for consultant practice across the RCEM 2021 curriculum SLOs: complex stable patients, answering team questions, resuscitation, injured patients, paediatric emergencies, procedural skills, complex challenging situations, running the department, supervision and teaching, research and critical appraisal, management and quality improvement.
2. **Understand RCEM domain-based marking** — Each station tests between one and four weighted RCEM OSCE domains: clinical reasoning and decision making, communication skills including conflict, history taking and information gathering, clinical examination skills, practical and pinnacle skills, teaching skills, and organisation and prioritisation. Each station is scored out of 10, for a total of 160 across the 16 stations.
3. **Practise Running the Department and ED board rounds aloud** — In Running the Department stations you act as the consultant in charge managing crowding, ambulance offload delays, resuscitation capacity, staffing pressures and safety escalation. Practise scanning a multi-patient board during the one-minute reading window and presenting a structured, prioritised plan.
4. **Rehearse consultant management, governance and critical appraisal** — Prepare for consultant-level stations on patient safety incident response, statutory Duty of Candour, complaints, rota governance and colleague performance, alongside critical appraisal of emergency medicine trial abstracts and quality improvement methodology.
5. **Pace yourself to an eight-minute station without a countdown timer** — RCEM does not display a digital countdown timer during OSCE stations; an analogue clock is visible in each room and there are no double stations. Practise managing your own eight-minute timing so you leave time for shared decision-making, disposition and safety-netting.

Official resources:

- RCEM: FRCEM Exams (https://rcem.ac.uk/frcem-exams/): Official RCEM overview of the FRCEM examination components, format and curriculum mapping.
- RCEM: Domain Based Marking (https://rcem.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Domain_Based_Marking.pdf): RCEM guidance explaining the seven OSCE marking domains, domain weighting and 0 to 10 station scoring.
- RCEM: OSCE Exams & FAQs (https://rcem.ac.uk/osce-exams-faqs/): Frequently asked questions on station timing, clocks, rest stations and SLO coverage.
- RCEM: Exam Regulations & Policies (https://rcem.ac.uk/exam-regulations-policies/): Official regulations covering eligibility, attempts, standard setting and examination conduct.

Common mistakes examiners report:

- Answering Running the Department or Management stations as a junior doctor treating one patient rather than as the consultant in charge leading the whole department. (source: https://rcem.ac.uk/frcem-exams/)
- Losing track of time in an eight-minute station because you expected a countdown timer rather than pacing yourself against an analogue clock. (source: https://rcem.ac.uk/osce-exams-faqs/)

Sources: https://rcem.ac.uk/frcem-exams/ https://rcem.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Domain_Based_Marking.pdf https://rcem.ac.uk/osce-exams-faqs/ https://rcem.ac.uk/exam-regulations-policies/
Full guide: https://medmock.com/exams/emergency-medicine-frcem-osce/prepare

Dates: The Final FRCEM OSCE runs in multiple UK and international sittings across the RCEM examination year; check the Royal College of Emergency Medicine exam calendar for the current application windows and OSCE sitting dates. (source: RCEM).
All FRCEM dates: https://medmock.com/exams/emergency-medicine-frcem-osce#dates

## Stations you can practise

- **Running the Department** — RCEM SLO8, consultant-in-charge ED board round and situational awareness (two stations in the real 16-station circuit). Eight minutes after 1 minute of reading time: prioritise multiple concurrent patients, manage crowding, ambulance offload delays, staffing allocation, escalation and patient flow.
- **Supervision & Teaching** — RCEM SLO10, supervising or teaching a junior doctor or allied health professional in the Emergency Department (one station in the real circuit). Eight minutes after 1 minute of reading time: support clinical decision-making, debrief an acute encounter or teach a focused emergency medicine topic.
- **Management** — RCEM SLO11, Emergency Department leadership and clinical governance (two stations in the real circuit). Eight minutes after 1 minute of reading time: handle complaints, serious incident investigation, Duty of Candour, inter-specialty conflict, colleague performance or service governance.
- **Research & Critical Appraisal** — RCEM SLO9 and SLO11, critical appraisal of a provided journal abstract or quality-improvement and research governance discussion (up to two stations in the real circuit). Eight minutes after 1 minute of reading time: appraise study design, bias, statistical results and applicability to ED practice.
- **Complex Stable Patient** — RCEM SLO1, complex stable adult patient in the Emergency Department (three stations in the real circuit). Eight minutes after 1 minute of reading time: take a focused history, request examination findings from the examiner, reason through the differential diagnosis and agree a management plan. Physical examination and practical skills are not simulated.
- **Injured Patient** — RCEM SLO5, adult trauma and injury assessment (two stations in the real circuit). Eight minutes after 1 minute of reading time: take a focused mechanism and trauma history, request examination and imaging findings from the examiner, and explain your management and disposition plan. Physical examination and practical skills are not simulated.
- **Paediatric Emergency** — RCEM SLO4, paediatric emergency presentation (one station in the real circuit). Eight minutes after 1 minute of reading time: take a focused history from the parent or carer, request examination findings from the examiner, address safeguarding and explain the management plan. MedMock never voices a child, so a parent or carer always takes the part, and physical examination is not simulated.

## Sample FRCEM questions

- *Running the Department:* You are the consultant in charge of the Emergency Department at 17:00 on a Monday. Resus is full, six ambulances are waiting to offload, and ITU cannot take an intubated patient for two hours. Walk the examiner through how you prioritise and manage the department.
- *Management:* A foundation doctor administered ten times the intended dose of intravenous morphine to an older patient with renal impairment, who then required a naloxone infusion and HDU admission. Discuss your immediate actions, Duty of Candour and governance response.

## Example scenarios

- *Running the Department:* You are the consultant in charge of the ED at 17:00 on a Monday. Resus is full, six ambulances are waiting to offload, an ST3 asks for help with a sedated agitated patient in Majors, and ITU cannot take an intubated patient for two hours. Walk the examiner through how you prioritise and manage the department.
- *Management:* An FY2 doctor administered ten times the intended dose of intravenous morphine to an elderly patient with renal impairment. The patient required naloxone infusion and HDU admission. Discuss your immediate actions, Duty of Candour and governance response.
- *Complex Stable Patient:* A 68-year-old man with atrial fibrillation on apixaban presents after two episodes of transient right-arm weakness and slurred speech that resolved thirty minutes ago. Take a focused history, request the examination findings you need, and explain your management plan.

## How a practice session works

1. **Choose a station** — Pick from 7 station types drawn from the real FRCEM 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, £119 per month for 600 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 FRCEM stations?

Yes. You can pick any of the 7 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