The DRCOG (Diploma of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists) is a women's-health qualification aimed mainly at GPs and clinicians managing obstetrics and gynaecology in primary care. Since the 2020 update it is a single computer-based exam: extended matching questions have gone, and the paper is now 120 single best answer questions over three hours. This guide covers the current format, the seven modules it tests, how the standard-set pass mark works, and an efficient, guideline-led way to prepare.
What the DRCOG is, and who sits it
The DRCOG is an RCOG diploma demonstrating women's-health knowledge for primary care. It is not a specialist obstetrics and gynaecology qualification, and there is no formal clinical training requirement to sit it — though experience on an O&G placement makes preparation considerably easier. It is popular among GP trainees and recently qualified GPs, for whom women's health is a substantial part of the everyday workload; many sit it during or shortly after the GP training years. It is not required to practise as a GP, but it demonstrates a defined standard of competence relevant to primary care. It is worth being clear what the DRCOG is not: it is not the MRCOG, the specialist examination for trainees in obstetrics and gynaecology. The DRCOG sets its bar at the level of a competent generalist managing women's health in the community, so the answers it rewards are the primary-care-appropriate ones, namely when to manage, when to refer, and which guideline threshold applies, rather than specialist operative detail.
The format, and what changed in 2020
The DRCOG is now one computer-based examination lasting three hours. It consists of 120 single best answer questions, each worth two marks, and extended matching questions were removed in the 2020 update. Each question presents a clinical scenario with five options; there is no negative marking, so you should leave nothing blank. The pass mark is standard-set for each sitting, which means a harder paper is awarded a lower pass mark; as a result, both pass marks and pass rates fluctuate, and there is no fixed level or quota. Your job is to clear the bar for that paper, not to beat other candidates.
The seven modules and the guidelines that matter
The DRCOG samples seven areas — fertility regulation and sexual health, early pregnancy, antenatal care, intrapartum care, postnatal and neonatal care, gynaecology, and women's health across the life course — and across them it draws repeatedly on a recognisable set of guidelines. On the obstetric side, RCOG Green-top Guidelines recur: Green-top 52 on postpartum haemorrhage features at almost every sitting, with operative vaginal delivery, VTE in pregnancy, antepartum haemorrhage, ectopic pregnancy, induction of labour and early pregnancy loss all common. NICE guidance is equally examinable — antenatal care, hypertension in pregnancy, diabetes in pregnancy, intrapartum care, postnatal care, heavy menstrual bleeding and menopause. Knowing which guideline governs a given decision, and the specific threshold or first-line step it sets, is worth far more than broad reading. On the gynaecology side, the recurring high-yield topics are heavy menstrual bleeding, the menopause and HRT, contraception and sexual health (which overlap with the DFSRH), early pregnancy problems, and common benign gynaecological presentations — the things a GP sees weekly, and the exam tests accordingly.
Pass mark and pass rates
Because the exam is standard-set, there is no fixed pass mark or quota, and both move with paper difficulty. Treat any single quoted percentage with caution, and confirm current figures with the RCOG rather than relying on community estimates. In practice the DRCOG is passable for well-prepared primary-care candidates, but the standard-setting means even a friendly paper rewards genuine guideline knowledge over guesswork, and a harder paper punishes thin preparation.
2026 sittings and booking
The DRCOG runs across the year through Pearson VUE. Check the RCOG site for the current 2026 sitting windows and booking deadlines before you plan your preparation. Last reviewed June 2026.
How to prepare
Most candidates give the DRCOG a focused run of several weeks to a couple of months, built around daily single best answer practice rather than passive reading. Revise from the source — the recurrent Green-top Guidelines and the relevant NICE guidance — rather than second-hand summaries, then do questions in the current format and review every miss against the exact guideline it tests. That approach both builds recall and exposes the guideline thresholds the exam loves. The two recurring pitfalls are out-of-date guideline knowledge and answering from a hospital rather than a primary-care frame; the DRCOG rewards the management a competent GP would choose. In a typical week, aim for one or two timed blocks of questions with a thorough review of each, rotating across the seven modules so obstetrics and gynaecology both stay warm; in the final fortnight, shift to full-length timed papers to build pace for 120 questions in three hours. A structured textbook is useful for coverage, but applied question practice should be the engine of revision.
Where iatroX fits
iatroX offers more than 600 adaptive DRCOG single best answer questions mapped to the seven modules, on iatroX's subscription (£29/month or £99/year). As across the platform, it leads with a Socratic tutor that draws out the reasoning behind a miss; questions mapped meticulously to the DRCOG modules; spaced repetition that keeps earlier topics warm; adaptive sequencing that targets your weak areas; and a mobile app for revising between consultations. For raw volume, PassMedicine offers more than 1,000 DRCOG questions, and the RCOG's own bank provides 140 authoritative questions written by committee members, which are useful for format familiarity. Many candidates pair a volume bank with iatroX's adaptive review.
Quick questions
How many questions is the DRCOG? 120 single best answer questions, two marks each, over three hours.
Are there still EMQs? No — they were removed in 2020.
Is there a fixed pass mark? No — it is standard-set for each sitting.
Is iatroX's DRCOG bank free? Not in full — the bank is on iatroX's subscription (£29/month or £99/year), with free sample questions to try first.