How long the DCSRH takes and what it really costs

Short answer: you have two years from approval to finish the DCSRH (formerly the DFSRH). CoSRH expects most candidates to finish within one year. Its main fees are £331 to enrol and £142 for Diplomate membership at 2026 prices; resits, a virtual Assessment Half Day and your trainer’s fees can add to that. CoSRH puts the total at £473 to £1,300 or more. Checked against cosrh.org and the CoSRH help centre on 16 October 2026.

Two years from approval

The clock starts when CoSRH approves your application, not when you apply. Its help centre says processing an application can take 5 to 10 working days. If your employer pays by invoice or has prepaid, you cannot progress until CoSRH has confirmed the payment.

What sets the pace

The five clinical assessments and the Assessment Half Day depend on your trainer’s availability and on scheduled dates. CoSRH says these are the most common reason learners run short of time, so book them early.

Your trainer. You cannot apply until a College Registered Trainer agrees to take you on. Trainers take limited numbers and not every area has one nearby. CoSRH suggests asking more than one and timing your start to when your trainer can begin. Remote training is possible if your trainer offers it.

The five clinical assessments. These are done with your trainer and test real consultation skills. All five must be signed off before the Assessment Half Day, so a slow start here delays the finish.

The Assessment Half Day. It may be arranged locally. If not, you book a CoSRH virtual one, with dates in CoSRH’s events section and on the Training Hub. Results follow up to 14 days later.

The portfolio and the Online Theory Assessment move at your pace. One way to save time: CoSRH says you can start the portfolio’s e-learning before you apply. E-learning completed in the three years before you are formally accepted still counts if you can show when you did it.

If you run out of time

CoSRH’s help centre says you may be able to apply for an extension of up to 12 months, with your trainer’s support. There is a fee, except for maternity or paternity leave. After the expiry date, six months after your end date, you have to re-apply and start again.

The fees CoSRH lists

The bottom of that range is simply CoSRH’s two main fees: £331 plus £142. What sits above it is mostly local training and assessment. CoSRH’s fees page says those fees vary and it cannot advise on them. If the training happens in your workplace, you may pay nothing beyond the CoSRH fees. Otherwise check that a quote covers all five clinical assessments, then agree it in writing before you apply. Retakes of any assessment cost extra.

When you lose the fee

CoSRH will not refund you if you apply without a confirmed trainer or once you have accessed the Training Hub. The £75 admin fee is never refunded. Miss a virtual Assessment Half Day without mitigating circumstances and it counts as an attempt. There is no refund and you wait three months before booking another.

Asking your employer to pay

CoSRH says many candidates pay less than the full amount. It tells you to check with your employer before you budget. Trusts paying by invoice complete a separate form within the application. We would ask before paying anything yourself: your practice manager, line manager or educational supervisor. Ask about study leave at the same time.

The costs people forget

In our view these matter as much as the fees.

• Study time. The portfolio has 23 formative activities, mostly done in the evenings.
• Trainer sessions. In clinic hours they may mean a lost session or cover to arrange.
• Travel. If training is face to face and not local, add fuel, parking or fares for each visit.
• A quiet half day. The virtual Assessment Half Day runs on Zoom and needs a private, well-lit room. Young children at home may mean childcare.

CoSRH flags two more. Access to e-Learning for Healthcare is free if you work in the UK NHS; otherwise you buy it through eIntegrity. If your membership lapses after you qualify, CoSRH asks for up to five years of missed fees before you can recertify.

How this fits the platform

Our DCSRH access is £49.99 for 12 months. The question bank has 650 questions in the style of the Online Theory Assessment across 12 modules. Timed mocks give you 50 questions in 60 minutes. You also get the ten-chapter revision guide and the Station Simulator for the Assessment Half Day. Five interactive decoders and the Core 10 daily questions are free with any account. We do not run courses or offer clinical training, so the clinical side stays with your trainer. Start at the DCSRH hub or try ten questions free.

Quick answers

Core Revision is independent and not affiliated with the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare.