Plan your sitting
MRCS Part A exam dates
Three sittings a year, one application deadline each, and a test-centre seat you have to claim separately. Here is the published timetable and what happens between the deadline and exam day.
- Sittings each year
- 3
- To results
- ~4 weeks
- For both papers
- 1 day
Dates & deadlines
MRCS Part A is offered in three sittings a year, usually January, April and September. It is an intercollegiate exam: you apply through one of the four surgical colleges — England, Edinburgh, Glasgow or Ireland — and everyone sits the same paper. Each sitting has one application deadline, and the exam itself is a single day: both papers, taken together at a Pearson VUE test centre.
| Sitting | Application deadline | Exam date |
|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | Applications closed | 9 September 2026 |
| January 2027 | 29 October 2026 | 13 January 2027 |
| April 2027 | 25 February 2027 | 29 April 2027 |
| September 2027 | 1 July 2027 | 1 September 2027 |
Applications must reach the college no later than 5pm on the closing date. As at 1 November 2026 the January 2027 deadline had passed, so April 2027 was the next sitting open to applications. The September 2026 sitting had already taken place, with results released on 21 October 2026.
Check before you book. Deadlines move, and each college runs its own application page — closing dates can differ by a day, as they do for April 2027. Use the official sources below for the definitive position on the college you apply through.
- September 2026 — Results released 21 October 2026.
- January 2027 — Three sittings are held each year, usually in January, April and September.
- April 2027 — All candidates sit the same paper on the same day, worldwide.
- September 2027 — The final sitting of 2027.
From application to exam seat
Applying and being entered for the exam are not the same thing as holding a seat at a test centre. Three separate stages sit between the two.
- 1
Apply before the deadline
Apply online through one of the four surgical colleges. Applications must reach the college no later than 5pm on the closing date, and the name you book under must exactly match the photo ID you bring on exam day. First-time applicants send proof of their medical degree within five days of booking.
- 2
The college checks your eligibility
The college you applied through verifies your qualification and training, then confirms your place — usually at least six weeks before the exam. Your details then pass to the test-centre provider.
- 3
Book your seat at a test centre
You then hear from Pearson VUE, at least four weeks before the exam, with the dates of the window in which you can book, reschedule or cancel a seat. Book as soon as that window opens: centres and slots are limited.
If you need reasonable adjustments for a learning difference or a disability, supporting evidence has to go in when you apply — not after your seat is booked.
Results
Results arrive in about four weeks
Results are emailed roughly four weeks after the exam date, with a breakdown of your performance in your online college account. The September 2026 sitting, held on 9 September, had results released on 21 October 2026.
One day decides the result
Both papers are taken on the same day: 180 questions in three hours, then 120 questions in two hours. Candidates worldwide sit the same paper at the same time.
Official resources
Every date above comes from the examining colleges. Apply through the college you are registered with — Ireland, England, Edinburgh or Glasgow — and their pages are the definitive source for eligibility, reasonable adjustments and the current application status of any sitting.
Sources checked: 1 November 2026. Exam dates and deadlines are published by the colleges and can change; your sitting-specific instructions take precedence over anything on this page.
Incisive is an independent revision resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Royal Colleges of Surgeons.
Start revising for the date you pick.
Free questions to begin with, every option explained.