Core Revision
This DRCOG revision plan fits around full-time GP training or practice: twelve weeks at five to seven hours a week. It runs from the week of 11 January 2027 to the exam on Saturday 3 April 2027. Most time goes on contraception, early pregnancy and antenatal care. The last two weeks are for full timed mocks. Checked against rcog.org.uk on 16 October 2026.
Do the admin before Christmas
Booking takes two steps. First, submit an expression of interest to the RCOG by Wednesday 16 December 2026. Only candidates who submit one in time are offered the chance to book.
The RCOG then emails you when booking opens on Thursday 21 January 2027. It closes on Thursday 4 March. Book early, because the RCOG cannot guarantee space at every Pearson VUE centre. Check first that your GMC number is in your RCOG account under “My Details”. The fee is £578 at UK centres. The other 2027 dates are in our DRCOG 2027 dates post.
How to weight the modules
The RCOG does not publish how many questions come from each module, so cover all seven. Then weight your time by how often you see a topic in surgery and how much detail the syllabus lists.
In our view three areas win on both counts. Contraception comes first: the syllabus asks specifically for knowledge of the UKMEC. Early pregnancy and antenatal care have long, detailed syllabus lists too. Non-urgent gynaecology gets two weeks as well, because the menopause and abnormal bleeding fill so many GP appointments.
The twelve weeks
| Week 1 (11 Jan) | Module 1, contraception: all methods, the UKMEC and problems such as bleeding or lost threads. |
|---|---|
| Week 2 (18 Jan) | Module 1, sexual health: STIs, cervical screening and termination of pregnancy. Booking opens on Thursday 21 January. |
| Week 3 (25 Jan) | Module 3, the woman in early pregnancy: bleeding and pain, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and pregnancy of unknown location. |
| Week 4 (1 Feb) | Module 4, the pregnant woman: pre-conception care, booking, screening including NIPT and routine antenatal care. |
| Week 5 (8 Feb) | Module 4 continued: pre-existing conditions, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, infections and prescribing. |
| Week 6 (15 Feb) | Module 5, the peripartum woman and the neonate: labour, emergencies, the postnatal check, postnatal mental health and the newborn. |
| Week 7 (22 Feb) | Module 2, subfertility. Module 6, urgent gynaecology: acute pelvic pain, postmenopausal bleeding and suspected cancer. |
| Week 8 (1 Mar) | Module 7, non-urgent gynaecology: abnormal bleeding, amenorrhoea, PCOS and pelvic pain. Booking closes on Thursday 4 March. |
| Week 9 (8 Mar) | Module 7 continued: the menopause, prolapse, urinary symptoms, vulval skin conditions and FGM. |
| Week 10 (15 Mar) | Second pass on contraception, early pregnancy and antenatal care. Mixed questions from all seven modules. |
| Week 11 (22 Mar) | Full timed mock: 120 questions in three hours. Then work on what it shows up. |
| Week 12 (29 Mar) | Second full sitting early in the week, with 120 unseen questions. Exam on Saturday 3 April. |
Sitting the DRCOG? Try ten questions free.
The DRCOG Question Bank has 850 questions across the seven RCOG modules, with topic drills, a timed mock and a twelve-chapter revision guide. It is £49.99 for 12 months. Try ten questions first, free and with no sign-up.
A normal week
Five to seven hours works if the time is protected. This shape comes to just under seven hours:
- Daily: the Core 10. Ten questions, about 15 minutes at exam pace.
- Two evenings: questions by module. An hour each in the question bank on that week’s module.
- One evening: reading. An hour with the revision guide or the matching Core Tool.
- Weekend: a timed block. Forty questions in an hour, then an hour on the ones you got wrong. That is exam pace: 120 questions in 180 minutes is 90 seconds each.
Put the sessions into the Core Calendar in week 1. Treat them like clinic appointments: they can be moved but not cancelled.
Fitting it around training
The AKT and SCA come first. If either falls in the same months, sit the DRCOG in October instead. Its expression of interest closes on Friday 16 July 2027.
An O&G post helps. The RCOG suggests GP trainees take the DRCOG during an O&G placement. Look up the guideline behind each decision on the ward.
Expect to lose a week. Nights, illness or a poorly child will take one. Drop the week 10 second pass rather than squeeze the mocks.
The last two weeks
Sit each mock in one go: three hours, phone in another room. Check the clock only at question 40 (one hour) and question 80 (two hours). If you are off over Easter, Good Friday (26 March) and Easter Monday (29 March) suit the two mocks well.
In the last few days add nothing new. Keep the Core 10 going, check your route to the test centre and plan to arrive at least 30 minutes early with photo ID.
How this fits the platform
Everything here is on the DRCOG hub. The question bank has 850 single-best-answer questions across the seven RCOG modules, so you can work module by module. The timed mock is 120 questions in three hours. The Core 10 gives you ten questions a day and the Core Calendar holds the plan. The twelve-chapter revision guide runs from contraception to the menopause. The Core Tools include a UKMEC decoder. Access is £49.99 for 12 months as a one-off payment with no auto-renewal. You can try ten questions free first.
Quick answers
How long should I revise for the DRCOG?
The RCOG does not give a figure. In our view twelve weeks at five to seven hours a week suits most people in full-time work.
When do I book the April 2027 DRCOG?
Submit the expression of interest by Wednesday 16 December 2026. Booking then runs from Thursday 21 January to Thursday 4 March 2027.
How long do I get for each DRCOG question?
The paper is 120 questions in three hours. That is 90 seconds a question, or 40 an hour.
Which DRCOG modules matter most?
The RCOG does not publish a split by module, so cover all seven. We would give most time to contraception, early pregnancy and antenatal care.
Core Revision is independent and not affiliated with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
