Part 1 asked what you know. Part 2 asks what you would do with it.
Every question sits inside a clinical scenario, and the paper uses two formats. Single best answer questions are the format you met in Part 1. Extended matching questions give you a list of ten to fourteen options and ask for the one that fits best, when three or four look defensible.
The exam is written to UK practice. The College says its Part 2 committee uses the Green-top Guidelines as a reference when writing papers. An answer that is right on your ward can be wrong on the paper.
The other difference is stamina. Two papers of three hours each, on the same day, is six hours of continuous decision-making.
If you are still deciding which part to sit, start with the MRCOG Part 2 overview
| Papers | 2Taken on the same day |
|---|---|
| Questions | 100 SBA and 100 EMQ50 of each in each paper |
| Duration | 6 hours3 hours per paper |
| Break | About 60 minutesFor lunch, between papers |
| Share of final score | Each paper counts for half |
| Marks within a paper | SBAs 40%EMQs 60% |
| Wrong answers | Not penalisedStated by RCOG in its EMQ guidance |
| Pass mark | One combined markSet for each exam by standard setting |
| Delivery | Computer-basedPearson VUE test centre |
| Attempts allowed | 6 |
Sources: RCOG — MRCOG Part 2 exam format and EMQs. Verified 10 October 2026.
The two question types are not worth the same, and the College’s own timing advice reflects it.
| In each paper | SBAs | EMQs |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 50 | 50 |
| Share of the paper's marks | 40% | 60% |
| Time RCOG recommends | 70 minutes | 110 minutes |
| Time per question | 84 seconds | 2 minutes 12 seconds |
| Weight of one question | 0.8% of the paper | 1.2% of the paper |
Swipe across to compare SBAs and EMQs.
One EMQ is worth one and a half SBAs. Candidates who spend the first two hours on the SBAs and rush the EMQs are rushing the questions that carry most of the paper. Practise to the 70 and 110 split until the pacing is habit.
Source: RCOG — MRCOG Part 2 exam format. Verified 10 October 2026.
