# Practising for Ophthalmology (FRCOphth Part 2 OSCE & viva) with MedMock

Canonical page: https://medmock.com/exams/ophthalmology-frcophth-part-2-osce-and-viva

## What is the FRCOphth viva, and how do you practise for it?

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists' Part 2 FRCOphth Oral tests safe, independent consultant-level ophthalmic practice. Both parts must be passed: a Structured Viva of five 10-minute stations, and an OSCE of six stations (five 20-minute clinical stations with patients or video, plus a 10-minute Communication Skills station). MedMock practises four of the viva stations and the Communication Skills station. The patient investigations and data interpretation viva and the five clinical OSCE stations are not simulated. MedMock's feedback and percentages are practice estimates, not College results or pass marks. MedMock lets you practise it out loud against an AI examiner, with examiner-style feedback on any question you finish.

## What happens in the real FRCOphth (checked against the official source on 2026-09-27)

The Part 2 FRCOphth Oral is the final exam on the route to Fellowship of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, taken after Part 1, the Refraction Certificate and the Part 2 Written exam. It has two parts and you must pass both: a Structured Viva of five 10-minute stations, each with two consultant ophthalmologist examiners, and an OSCE of five 20-minute clinical stations using real patients and/or video excerpts, plus a 10-minute Communication Skills station with a simulated patient. Every marking section or element is scored 0 to 3, giving maximum totals of 120 for the viva and 198 for the OSCE, and each part has its own pass mark, set by the borderline candidate method (or the Hofstee method for smaller cohorts).

- **Structured Viva 1: patient investigations and data interpretation** (10 minutes): Case-based interpretation of investigations and data, which may include biometry, ocular and neuro-imaging, Hess charts, electrophysiology and working with uncertainty.
- **Structured Viva 2 and 3: patient management 1 and 2** (10 minutes): Two separate stations of case-based patient management, including complex and less common presentations. Topics may include endophthalmitis, ocular trauma, intraocular and orbital neoplasia, emergency presentations (neurological, ophthalmic and those needing medical referral) and complex cases.
- **Structured Viva 4: attitudes, ethics and responsibilities** (10 minutes): Case-based discussion of professional judgement, ethics, duties and responsibilities, which may include suspected child abuse, consent, confidentiality, duties of a doctor, appraisal and revalidation, complaints, critical incident reporting and poor performance in a colleague.
- **Structured Viva 5: audit, research and evidence-based practice; health promotion and disease prevention** (10 minutes): Case-based discussion which may include the principles of audit and research, use of published evidence and clinical guidelines, screening for eye disease, prevention of cross infection, hospital-acquired infection and drug side effects.
- **OSCE stations 1-5: clinical stations** (20 minutes): Five 20-minute stations of short cases: anterior segment; glaucoma and lid; posterior segment; strabismus and orbit; neuro-ophthalmology. Each uses real patients and/or video excerpts: one examiner gives a brief scenario and asks you to examine the patient or watch the video, you describe your findings, and a short discussion of investigation and management follows; the second examiner then presents the next patient or video.
- **OSCE station 6: Communication Skills** (10 minutes): Held alongside the Structured Viva. You read a GP letter or case scenario first and may take your notes in, then have a 10-minute consultation with a simulated patient, which may involve history taking, consent for surgery, counselling or advising. An ophthalmologist and a trained lay examiner assess you, and you are told when one minute remains.

Marking: In the Structured Viva, examiners follow pre-agreed questions, and each station is divided into four marking sections scored 0 to 3 (0 is poor, 3 is good), so each of the two examiners gives up to 12 marks per station and the viva total is out of 120. In the OSCE, both examiners score every element 0 to 3 independently: in the clinical stations they judge examination, and diagnosis and management, for up to 18 marks per examiner per station; in Communication Skills the lay examiner judges rapport and information gathering, understanding of information given and patient input on overall communication skills, and the ophthalmologist judges rapport and information gathering, information delivery, and appropriateness of advice and accuracy of information, for up to 9 marks each. The OSCE total is out of 198. Examiners can raise a red flag for unsafe practice or inappropriate behaviour.

Passing: The Structured Viva and the OSCE have separate pass marks and you must pass both. At each station you also receive a global score of pass, borderline or fail, which is used only to set the pass marks by the borderline candidate method (Hofstee is preferred for smaller cohorts, such as overseas sittings). In the College's report on the November 2025 York sitting, one standard error of measurement was added to the borderline figure, giving pass marks of 75 out of 120 for the viva and 128 out of 198 for the OSCE. If you pass the OSCE and reach the combined pass mark but fail the viva by no more than one standard error of measurement, you still pass; a poor OSCE result cannot be made up by a good viva.

Sources: https://www.rcophth.ac.uk/exams/rcophth-exams/part-2-frcophth-oral-exam/ https://www.rcophth.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Part-2-Oral-FRCOphth-Exam-Information-pack-June-2026.pdf https://www.rcophth.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/FINAL-Report-RCOphth-Part-2-Oral-YORK-NOV-2025-.pdf https://www.rcophth.ac.uk/exams/pass-lists-and-exam-reports/
Full format page: https://medmock.com/exams/ophthalmology-frcophth-part-2-osce-and-viva/format

Upcoming sittings: 23–25 November 2026 (Cairo); 15–16 January 2027 (Singapore) (source: Royal College of Ophthalmologists, checked 2026-09-23).
All FRCOphth dates: https://medmock.com/exams/ophthalmology-frcophth-part-2-osce-and-viva#dates

## Stations you can practise

- **Patient management 1** — Examiner-led case-based discussion covering ocular emergencies and complex cases — endophthalmitis, ocular trauma, intraocular and orbital neoplasia, neurological-ophthalmic emergencies.
- **Patient management 2** — Second case-based discussion in the same format as Patient management 1, drawing from a different case-mix in the same emergency / complex-case syllabus.
- **Attitudes, ethics and responsibilities** — Examiner-led ethics viva — suspected child abuse, medical ethics, consent, confidentiality, duties of a doctor, appraisal and revalidation, management of complaints, critical-incident reporting, poor performance in a colleague.
- **Audit, research and evidence-based practice, and health promotion and disease prevention** — Examiner-led viva on audit methodology, use of published evidence, published clinical guidelines, screening for ophthalmic disease, prevention of cross-infection, hospital-acquired infection, and drug side effects.
- **Communication Skills (OSCE Station 6)** — You read a GP letter or case scenario (sometimes an optometrist's report) and may take your notes into the station, then have a 10-minute consultation with a simulated patient: explaining a diagnosis or treatment, consent, or breaking bad news. The real station has an ophthalmologist and a lay examiner.

## Sample FRCOphth questions

- *Audit, research and evidence-based practice, and health promotion and disease prevention:* Discuss design of audit on intravitreal injection adverse events.
- *Communication Skills (OSCE Station 6):* A 65-year-old considering cataract surgery and consent. Counsel on procedure and risks.

## Example scenarios

- *Patient management 2:* Discuss the management of a 28-year-old metalwork apprentice with an open-globe injury and a teardrop pupil — globe-protective examination, imaging, antibiotics, surgical pathway.
- *Communication Skills (OSCE Station 6):* Take an anxious 72-year-old through Montgomery-grade consent for right cataract surgery after a complicated left eye that suffered posterior capsule rupture eighteen months ago.

## How a practice session works

1. **Choose a question** — Pick from the FRCOphth questions — all 5 that MedMock runs, or let MedMock surprise you the way exam day will.
2. **Have the conversation** — Speak naturally, out loud. The AI examiner listens, follows up and probes further, exactly like the viva.
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 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 FRCOphth questions?

Yes. You can pick any of the 5 questions to drill a weak area, or run a Full Mock that takes you through the questions MedMock practises, back to back.

### 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