Fellowship of RANZCOG (FRANZCOG) Written and Oral Examinations

RANZCOG’s specialist training program includes the FRANZCOG Written Examination and the FRANZCOG Oral Examination. Successful completion of the written examination is required before applying for the oral examination.

In the 2026 arrangements, the written examination is computer-based at examination centers and the oral examination is face-to-face at ALEC in Melbourne. RANZCOG has announced that both examinations will take place over two days in 2027: the written examination is planned to use remote proctoring, while the oral examination will remain at ALEC. Treat the 2027 arrangements as announced and check later College instructions for delivery details.

FRANZCOG Written Examination

The written examination combines Short Answer Questions (SAQ) and Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ). The published format is:

From 2026, candidates must pass both components for an overall written pass. Candidates whose failed examination was in 2025 or earlier must sit both components at their next attempt from 2026 onward. For an examination sat in 2026 or later, candidates re-sit only the failed component or components.

FRANZCOG Oral Examination

From 2026, the oral examination has 12 stations. Each station has 4 minutes for reading and 12 minutes for examination, and is worth 20 marks. RANZCOG lists 3 hours 45 minutes as the assessment time, excluding any rest stations. The examination uses global, holistic scoring across domains including history and examination, investigations and interpretation, treatment and management, clinical knowledge, complex or urgent presentations, rapport, respect, and communication.

RANZCOG states that the written and oral examinations are blueprinted to the FRANZCOG curriculum. Its 12 Medical Expert clinical topics are:

The eight cross-cutting RANZCOG Roles are Medical Expert, Communicator, Collaborator, Leader, Health Advocate, Scholar, Professional, and Culturally Safe Practitioner. Basic-science material is also part of the written and oral examination syllabus. The College materials consulted do not specify topic percentages.

Check the curriculum version for 2027: the FRANZCOG training-program page directs 2027 examination candidates to Version 4.8. The curriculum PDF identifies Version 4.9 as dated October 2026 and effective February 2027. The materials do not explain whether Version 4.9 replaces the Version 4.8 exam reference for those examinations, so verify the applicable syllabus with RANZCOG.

The published thresholds depend on training commencement date, but the College’s documents do not state the older-cohort rule consistently.

Section B specifies the older-cohort thresholds shown in the second row. The current examination page and the March 2026 Examination Policy state 46 weeks for written and 66 weeks for oral without identifying that older-cohort exception. If you commenced before December 1, 2013, confirm the threshold with RANZCOG before relying on either figure.

The regulations specify that eligibility is assessed at the application closing date and requires registered, financial trainee status. All RANZCOG examinations must be answered in English. Oral places may be limited; the published priority order considers time remaining to complete the Integrated Training Program or applicable SIMG pathway, then the date and time the application was received. SIMG candidates should confirm their pathway-specific application requirements.

1. Plan around the curriculum. Use the 12 clinical topics as a review checklist and revisit the eight RANZCOG Roles as cross-cutting themes. Include foundational science, which the curriculum identifies as part of the written and oral examination syllabus.

2. Practice each written component under time limits. Rehearse six-question SAQ blocks in two hours and 100-question MCQ blocks in two hours. Review errors by type and track readiness separately for both components, since both must be passed for an overall written pass.

3. Make SAQ practice focused. Answer the tasks in the question directly. For a clinical scenario, consider organizing the response around priorities, assessment, investigations, management, escalation, and follow-up where relevant.

4. Rehearse oral responses aloud. Practice the 4-minute reading period and 12-minute station, explaining your assessment, interpretation, management, and reasoning clearly. Rehearse communication, rapport, and respectful interaction alongside clinical knowledge because these are among the published holistic scoring domains.

5. Plan for the format you will sit. The 2027 two-day arrangements are announced, but detailed remote-proctoring instructions may follow. Use current College communications for application and delivery information.

Current and announced arrangements

The 2026 written examination is computer-based at examination centers, and the oral examination is face-to-face in Melbourne. For 2027, RANZCOG has announced two-day delivery for both examinations, remote proctoring for the written examination, and continued oral delivery at ALEC. Check College updates for implementation instructions.

Written resit transition

From 2026, candidates need to pass both SAQ and MCQ for an overall written pass. The resit rule depends on the date of the failed examination: candidates with a failure from 2025 or earlier sit both components at their next attempt from 2026 onward; candidates whose examination was in 2026 or later repeat only failed components.

Verify cohort and curriculum details

Section B retains older-cohort eligibility thresholds that differ from the general thresholds on the current examination page and in the March 2026 policy. RANZCOG’s program page also names Version 4.8 for 2027 examinations, while the curriculum PDF lists Version 4.9 as effective February 2027. Candidates affected by either discrepancy should confirm the applicable requirements with the College.

Use the current RANZCOG examination page for application periods, deadlines, fees, and updated examination instructions.