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SCE Medical Oncology: Everything You Need to Pass (2026) | iatroX

Specialty Certificate Exam · Federation of RCP

sce medical oncology: everything you need to know to pass.

Name: iatroX SCE Medical Oncology Q-Bank
Brand: iatroX
SKU: IATROX-SCE-MEDICAL-ONCOLOGY-QBANK
Availability: InStock

Full JRCPTB Medical Oncology curriculum coverage, ESMO and NICE TA guidance, candidate-reported pitfalls and an AI-adaptive question bank by UK oncologists — grounded in immunotherapy, targeted therapy, oncological emergencies and survivorship.

1,000+questions in iatroX bank

9 Sep 2026next sitting

20 May–17 Jun 2026application window

200 (2 papers × 100 BoF)questions per exam

£700UK fee

£875international fee

exam format

Paper 1

100 best-of-five SBAs · 3 hours · computer-based at Pearson VUE designated test centres

Paper 2

100 best-of-five SBAs · 3 hours · same day, after a 1-hour break · radiology, pathology and trial-data interpretation

Candidate level

Pitched at the level of a doctor approaching CCT in medical oncology — drug-pharmacology depth, trial design, biomarker-driven management

2026/01 sitting: 9 September 2026. Application window: 20 May–17 June 2026. Reasonable adjustment deadline: 25 June 2026. Results released approximately 6 weeks after the exam. From June 2026 sittings are delivered in centre.

blueprint and topic weighting

Approximate question distribution across the JRCPTB Medical Oncology curriculum. Used to drive iatroX adaptive sequencing.

Lung cancer — NSCLC (driver mutation testing, IO sequencing), SCLC, mesothelioma24 q · 12%

Breast cancer — HER2, HR-positive, TNBC, CDK4/6, ADCs, neoadjuvant strategies22 q · 11%

GI cancers — colorectal (RAS/BRAF, MSI), gastric/oesophageal, hepatobiliary, pancreatic22 q · 11%

Genitourinary — prostate (ARSI, PARP), renal (IO-TKI combos), bladder (PD-L1, ADCs)18 q · 9%

Gynaecological — ovarian (PARP maintenance), cervical, endometrial (MMR, IO)14 q · 7%

Skin and melanoma — BRAF/MEK, IO combinations, adjuvant, neoadjuvant TIL therapy14 q · 7%

Haematological malignancies — lymphoma overlap, CAR-T, BTKi, BCL2i12 q · 6%

Head and neck cancer — IO in R/M, induction strategies, oligometastatic SBRT10 q · 5%

CNS tumours — glioma molecular classification, temozolomide, leptomeningeal disease8 q · 4%

Sarcoma and rare tumours — GIST (imatinib resistance), MPM, NETs grading10 q · 5%

Oncological emergencies and toxicity management — irAEs, TLS, MSCC, neutropenic sepsis18 q · 9%

Trials, biostatistics, ethics, supportive care, survivorship14 q · 7%

Palliative oncology, symptom control, end-of-life prescribing14 q · 7%

Source: official Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK blueprint

high-yield: where most marks live

Drawn from the JRCPTB curriculum, ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines, NICE TAs and item density in iatroX.

NSCLC driver mutations — EGFR (osimertinib first-line, ALK (lorlatinib, alectinib), ROS1, BRAF V600E, RET, KRAS G12C, MET ex14, HER2; testing pathways and resistance mutations (e.g. T790M obsolete, but C797S, MET amplification)

IO mechanism and irAE management — checkpoint inhibitor classes (PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4, LAG-3); irAE recognition (colitis, pneumonitis, hepatitis, hypophysitis, myocarditis); steroid sequencing per ESMO 2022/24 irAE guidelines

Breast cancer — HER2-low (T-DXd), HR+ early (adjuvant abemaciclib, ribociclib NATALEE), CDK4/6 in metastatic, TNBC (pembrolizumab + chemo in KEYNOTE-522), neoadjuvant strategies, OncotypeDx use

Prostate cancer — ARSI sequencing (abiraterone, enzalutamide, apalutamide, darolutamide), triplet therapy (PEACE-1, ARASENS), PARPi (olaparib BRCA-mutant) per PROfound, PSMA-RLT (lutetium-177)

Colorectal cancer — MSI testing, IO in dMMR (pembrolizumab KEYNOTE-177), RAS/BRAF testing, FOLFOXIRI vs FOLFIRINOX, encorafenib + cetuximab in BRAF V600E

Oncological emergencies — neutropenic sepsis bundles (MASCC score), TLS prevention and rasburicase, MSCC investigation and dexamethasone dosing, SVC obstruction, malignant hypercalcaemia

Trial design and biostatistics — non-inferiority trials, basket vs umbrella vs platform designs, hazard ratios and OS vs PFS endpoints, ITT vs per-protocol analysis

Survivorship — late toxicity (anthracycline cardiomyopathy, taxane neuropathy, IO endocrinopathies), second primary risk, fertility preservation discussions

common pitfalls

Observations from UK medical oncology trainees and recent SCE candidates. Verify against current ESMO and NICE TA guidance.

Candidate-reported observations — not official guidance.

NICE TA vs ESMO divergence — UK access pathways often lag ESMO recommendations. The SCE tests both UK practice (NICE TA-aware) and international standards (ESMO). Knowing where they diverge is critical.
irAE grading and steroid dosing — CTCAE grading, when to hold vs permanently discontinue IO, prednisolone equivalent doses for grade 3–4 toxicity. Commonly muddled. Myocarditis is high-yield and lethal.
Driver mutation testing in NSCLC — reflex testing for EGFR/ALK/ROS1/BRAF/RET/MET/KRAS/HER2 is standard. Resistance mechanism recognition (C797S in osimertinib, MET amplification, histologic transformation to SCLC) is examined.
PARP inhibitor maintenance — distinguishing first-line maintenance vs platinum-sensitive relapse vs treatment in BRCA-mutant disease across ovarian, prostate, breast, pancreatic settings. Easy to confuse trial settings.
Bispecific T-cell engagers — talquetamab, teclistamab (myeloma), tarlatamab (SCLC), tebentafusp (uveal melanoma). New class, often tested.
Antibody-drug conjugates — T-DM1 vs T-DXd indications and toxicity (ILD with T-DXd), sacituzumab govitecan in TNBC and bladder, enfortumab vedotin in bladder. New class, often tested.
Statistics in oncology trials — composite endpoints, surrogate endpoints (DFS as proxy for OS), HRs and confidence intervals, NNT for adjuvant therapies. Routinely tested.
Late toxicity recognition — anthracycline cardiomyopathy LVEF monitoring intervals, taxane peripheral neuropathy, IO-induced T1DM and hypophysitis with permanent endocrinopathy.

study strategy: a 16-week plan

A pragmatic phased approach used by recent ST5–ST6 medical oncology passers.

Weeks 1–6

Foundation pass across all 13 blueprint topics. 30 questions/day with the iatroX adaptive engine. Read ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for each tumour type as you cover it.

Weeks 7–11

Targeted weak-area drilling. Map current NICE TAs for high-volume tumours and the ESMO Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale. Practise trial design and biostatistics interpretation daily.

Weeks 12–14

Two timed 200-SBA mock exams under exam conditions weekly. Practise irAE grading and oncological emergency scenarios under time pressure. Review radiology recognition (RECIST/iRECIST).

Weeks 15–16

Bookmark review only. Targeted reading on new ADCs, bispecifics and 2025/2026 ESMO Congress practice-changing trials. Confirm Pearson VUE booking. Sleep, hydrate, do not learn new material.

real SCE Medical Oncology question

A live item from the iatroX bank. Try it before launching a full session.

sample question · SCE Medical Oncology

A 58-year-old woman with ovarian cancer develops chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) affecting her hands and feet after carboplatin-paclitaxel. She has completed treatment and is now in remission but the neuropathy persists. What is the only pharmacological agent with ASCO guideline-level evidence for CIPN treatment?

Topical capsaicin
Pregabalin
Amitriptyline
Gabapentin
Duloxetine

the iatroX edge

Why iatroX is built differently for SCE Medical Oncology.

mapped to the official exam blueprint

Every iatroX item is tagged to a blueprint topic, so your performance dashboard mirrors the structure of the exam itself.

adaptive sequencing

The engine surfaces your weakest topics first, in real time, instead of marching you through a static syllabus.

spaced repetition built in

Incorrect items return at increasing intervals to interrupt the forgetting curve and lock knowledge into long-term memory.

mock exam mode

Timed full-length simulations that mirror the official exam structure under realistic conditions.

1,000+ questions · last reviewed 12 May 2026 · sources: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines (2022–2025) · NICE TA appraisals · NCCN (cross-reference) · UpToDate · BNF · MHRA-registered Class I medical device

$29/mo · $99/yr

One iatroX subscription includes the SCE Medical Oncology bank plus every other premium iatroX exam bank.
Cancel anytime · 30-day money-back guarantee on annual

frequently asked questions

how many questions does the iatrox sce medical oncology bank contain?

Over 1,000 best-of-five SBAs mapped to the JRCPTB Medical Oncology curriculum and tumour-site distribution. Items are reviewed regularly against current ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines, NICE TAs and practice-changing trial data.

when is the sce in medical oncology held?

Once yearly in September. The 2026 sitting is on 9 September 2026. Applications open 20 May 2026 and close 17 June 2026. Results are released approximately 6 weeks after the exam.

what is the format?

Two papers of 100 best-of-five SBAs each, three hours per paper, sat on the same day with a one-hour break between. Total 200 questions. From June 2026 all sittings are in-centre at Pearson VUE locations. Paper 2 is widely reported to include more radiology, pathology and trial-data interpretation items.

when can i sit the sce in medical oncology?

Most UK trainees sit during ST5 or ST6 (penultimate year of higher specialty training). There are no formal restrictions on when in training you sit, but CCT requires a pass before completion. International candidates can sit at any time once registered with the Federation.

how much does the exam cost?

UK fee is £700; international fee is £875. Fees are non-refundable after the application closing date. From June 2026 all sittings are delivered in-centre at Pearson VUE locations.

how does the sce relate to esmo certification?

The SCE is the UK-mandated Federation knowledge assessment for CCT in Medical Oncology. ESMO offers its own examinations (ESMO Examination in Medical Oncology) which are not mandatory for UK CCT but are valuable for European recognition. iatroX content is mapped to both UK and ESMO standards.

is the iatrox bank included in one subscription?

Yes. A single iatroX subscription (£29/month or £99/year for UK users; $29/$99 elsewhere) includes the SCE Medical Oncology bank alongside every other premium iatroX exam bank. No add-ons or per-exam fees.

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Reviewed by Dr Kola Tytler MBBS CertHE MBA MRCGP · Last reviewed 12 May 2026

See our methodology and editorial policy.

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