The DRCOG questions are built from specific UK guidelines. Reading the right guidelines — not just the summaries, but the full recommendations — is the preparation activity that most directly converts into exam marks. This curated list identifies the 15 highest-yield guidelines.
RCOG Green Top Guidelines (Priority Reading)
GTG 52: Prevention and Management of Postpartum Haemorrhage. Risk factors, active management of third stage, medical and surgical management of PPH, transfusion thresholds, massive haemorrhage protocol. PPH questions appear in almost every sitting.
GTG 26: Operative Vaginal Delivery. Indications, contraindications, classification of forceps and ventouse, prerequisites, complications. Know the differences between ventouse and forceps indications.
GTG 37a/b: Reducing the Risk of Venous Thromboembolism in Pregnancy and Puerperium. VTE risk assessment, LMWH prophylaxis, timing and duration, management of VTE in pregnancy.
GTG 63: Antepartum Haemorrhage. Placenta praevia, placental abruption, vasa praevia, management algorithms.
GTG 22: Management of Breech Presentation. ECV, mode of delivery, vaginal breech delivery.
GTG 17: Diagnosis and Management of Ectopic Pregnancy. Risk factors, diagnosis, surgical vs medical management (methotrexate criteria), expectant management.
GTG 54: Inducing Labour. Indications, methods (prostaglandins, amniotomy, oxytocin), risks, monitoring.
GTG 71: Endometriosis. Diagnosis, medical and surgical management, fertility considerations.
GTG 67: Management of Monochorionic Twin Pregnancies. Twin-to-twin transfusion, monitoring, delivery timing.
NICE Guidelines (Priority Reading)
NG201: Antenatal Care. Booking, screening schedule, routine investigations, supplements. Know the timeline of antenatal appointments and what happens at each.
NG133: Hypertension in Pregnancy. Classification (gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, chronic hypertension), diagnosis, management, delivery timing.
NG3: Diabetes in Pregnancy. Screening (OGTT), management (insulin, metformin), monitoring, delivery timing, neonatal care.
NG126: Ectopic Pregnancy and Miscarriage. Diagnosis, expectant vs medical vs surgical management, follow-up.
FSRH Guidelines (Priority Reading)
UKMEC Summary Table. The complete table with Category 1-4 assignments for every method-condition combination. Memorise the Category 3 and 4 entries for CHC.
Emergency Contraception. Levonorgestrel, ulipristal, copper IUD — timing, eligibility, interactions.
How to Read Them
Do not read every guideline cover to cover in the first instance. Start with the summary recommendations (the boxes at the start of each Green Top). Then read the full recommendations for the highest-yield guidelines (GTG 52, 26, 37, 63). Use Ask iatroX to quickly verify specific recommendations during Q-bank practice — if a question references a guideline you have not read, the answer is available in seconds.
The iatroX DRCOG Q-Bank explanations are grounded in these same guidelines, creating a virtuous cycle: Q-bank practice reveals which guidelines you need to read, the guidelines deepen your understanding, and subsequent Q-bank practice tests whether the understanding has stuck.