Otolaryngology (FRCS ORL-HNS oral)
Sit your FRCS ORL-HNS viva after rehearsing every answer out loud
Rehearse FRCS ORL-HNS ENT viva scenarios out loud against a senior examiner who probes your reasoning. Get instant, examiner-style feedback on every answer — as many times as it takes to sound fluent.
What is the FRCS ORL-HNS viva, and how do you practise for it?
The FRCS ORL-HNS viva is an oral exam where you defend your clinical reasoning out loud to a senior examiner. The most effective preparation is repeated spoken rehearsal — with MedMock you practise viva-style questioning against an AI examiner and get instant, examiner-style feedback on every answer.
Last reviewed June 2026
You can know the medicine and still freeze in the room
The FRCS ORL-HNS viva rewards fluency under pressure. It is not enough to know the answer — you must articulate it clearly and in a structured way, while a senior examiner interrupts and probes further.
That ability comes only from rehearsing out loud against someone who challenges you. Yet willing seniors are scarce, mock vivas are rare, and rehearsing silently develops none of the fluency you need on the day.
FRCS ORL-HNS viva practice, on demand
JCIE FRCS ORL-HNS sub-specialty oral — one actor-led history-taking and communication station plus four examiner-led vivas covering otology / neuro-otology, head & neck surgery, paediatric otolaryngology and rhinology & facial plastics. Each viva probes basic sciences, clinical presentation and progression, investigations, management policy, and operative techniques (including reconstruction).
MedMock gives you a senior examiner who probes your reasoning, available 24/7. Pick a question, have a genuine spoken conversation, and get instant, examiner-style feedback the moment you finish — scored against what genuinely matters in the FRCS ORL-HNS. No rota conflicts, no study partner, no waiting your turn. Simply practise whenever you have ten minutes.
How it works
Choose a question
Pick from the real FRCS ORL-HNS questions — all 5 of them, 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.
Why candidates practise with MedMock
Practise out loud, any time
No study partner, no booking, no rota clash. Open MedMock at 6am or midnight and run a full question in minutes.
All 5 questions, endless variations
You will never simply memorise answers. Each run is different, so you build the real skill — adapting in the moment.
Examiner-level feedback in seconds
Know exactly where you lost marks and how to address it, instead of guessing why a mock session went poorly.
Turn nerves into muscle memory
By the time you sit the FRCS ORL-HNS, the format feels familiar — because you have already done it dozens of times.
A fraction of the cost of courses
Avoid the hundreds of pounds you would spend on a one-off exam course, and practise unlimited scenarios instead.
Practise anywhere, from your phone
On a break, during the commute, between jobs on the ward — your preparation goes wherever you do.
Practise every station
MedMock covers the questions you will face in the FRCS ORL-HNS viva. Rehearse each one until it feels routine.
History Taking & Communication Skills
20-min actor-led OSCE-style history-taking and communication encounter on a focused ENT presentation (hoarse voice / unilateral neck lump / suspected head & neck cancer / hearing loss). NICE NG12 two-week-wait pathway, BAHNO MDT framing, ICE-driven counselling and explicit safety-netting.
Otology including Neuro‐Otology
30-min examiner-led oral on otology and neuro-otology — applied temporal-bone anatomy, audiological and vestibular assessment, NICE NG98 hearing-loss pathway, BCIG/BACIA cochlear-implant candidacy, vestibular schwannoma surveillance and management (British Skull Base Society / Koos grading), middle-ear and skull-base operative principles.
Head & Neck Surgery
30-min examiner-led oral on head & neck surgical oncology and salivary / thyroid pathology — NICE NG12 / NG72 head-and-neck cancer pathway, TNM-8 HPV-stratified staging, BAHNO MDT structure, Robbins neck-level anatomy, selective and modified-radical neck dissection principles, free-flap reconstruction.
Paediatric Otolaryngology
30-min examiner-led oral on paediatric ENT — applied airway and middle-ear anatomy, Cotton-Myer subglottic stenosis grading, airway emergencies, paediatric OSA / adenotonsillar pathway, hearing screening (NHSP), cleft and craniofacial principles, NICE / RCPCH safeguarding awareness.
Rhinology & Facial Plastics
30-min examiner-led oral on rhinology and facial plastics — applied nasal and sinus anatomy, EPOS / NICE NG183 chronic rhinosinusitis, endoscopic sinus and skull-base surgery, ENT UK / BSH 2024 anticoagulant-anchored epistaxis pathway, septorhinoplasty principles (internal nasal valve, preservation rhinoplasty, dorsal hump reduction), and facial-flap reconstruction.
Example scenarios
A sample of the scenarios you will practise — each plays out as a live, spoken conversation, not a script to read.
“Take a focused history from Mr Doyle, a 58-year-old 30-pack-year smoker with 6 weeks of hoarseness and right-sided referred otalgia. He is anxious about cancer and wants to know what happens next.”
“A 38-year-old woman with 14 months of progressive right-sided SNHL and intermittent imbalance has an MRI showing a 1.8 cm right CPA lesion. Walk me through the CPA anatomy, Koos grading, and your decision between surveillance, radiosurgery and microsurgery.”
“A 62-year-old man with a 4-week right level II neck node 2.5 cm, FNAC poorly-differentiated SCC. Walk me through your unknown-primary workup, the Robbins anatomy of level II, the principles of selective neck dissection and adjuvant decisions.”
“A 3-year-old boy with biphasic stridor since 18 months and two prior croup admissions. MLB shows Cotton-Myer III subglottic stenosis. Talk me through the developmental anatomy, grading, and your decision between endoscopic intervention, LTR and cricotracheal resection.”
“A 56-year-old man on warfarin (INR 3.2) with intractable left posterior epistaxis after 90 minutes of bedside packing. Walk me through nasal vascular anatomy, warfarin reversal, the operative steps of endoscopic sphenopalatine artery ligation and briefly the principles of dorsal hump reduction.”
FRCS ORL-HNS practice — your questions answered
How realistic is MedMock's FRCS ORL-HNS practice?
Every scenario is built around the real FRCS ORL-HNS viva format and the domains examiners assess. You speak out loud and the AI examiner probes your reasoning, so it feels far closer to the day than reading notes or rehearsing silently.
How does the feedback work?
As soon as you finish a question, MedMock gives you instant, examiner-style feedback and a score — highlighting what you did well, what cost you marks, and exactly what to work on next.
Can I practise specific FRCS ORL-HNS questions?
Yes. You can pick any of the 5 questions to drill a weak area, or run a mixed set to simulate the real exam.
Do I need a study partner or a fixed time slot?
No. That is the point — MedMock is available 24/7 and you practise alone, out loud, whenever it suits you. No coordinating diaries, no waiting for a course date.
Is MedMock right for me if I am sitting the FRCS ORL-HNS?
If your FRCS ORL-HNS exam involves speaking — defending your reasoning to an examiner — then spoken rehearsal is exactly what MedMock is built for.
How much does it cost?
Far less than a one-off exam course, with unlimited practice. Everyone starts with a free trial — no card required — so you can see how it works before paying. See current options on our pricing page.
Disclaimer: National medical recruitment formats and Royal College examination criteria are subject to change annually. While Medmock strives for absolute accuracy based on the latest HEE/NHS England cycles, always consult your official applicant handbook or Royal College website for the definitive, up-to-date station requirements for your specific cohort.
Ready for your FRCS ORL-HNS viva?
Rehearse real FRCS ORL-HNS scenarios out loud and get instant, examiner-style feedback.
- Instant, personalised feedback
- Real voice-to-voice conversation
- Unlimited attempts, endless variations
Be ready for your FRCS ORL-HNS viva before you walk in
Start rehearsing FRCS ORL-HNS viva scenarios out loud today, get instant feedback, and turn exam-day nerves into something you have already done a hundred times.
Practise the FRCS ORL-HNS viva