Core Revision
Short answer: for a GP who does a lot of women’s health, or wants to, the DRCOG is the qualification built for exactly that work. For a trainee it fits best during or just after an O&G post, as long as it does not crowd out the AKT and SCA. Here is who can sit it, what the paper tests, where it earns its keep and where it will not. Checked against rcog.org.uk on 16 October 2026.
Who can actually sit it
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists awards the DRCOG. The only formal requirement is full, limited or provisional registration with the General Medical Council or the Medical Council of Ireland. There is no prerequisite course, no portfolio and no minimum time in obstetrics. The RCOG’s own list of who should take it starts with GPs who want to show their interest in women’s health, then foundation, core and GP specialty trainees, especially during an O&G placement.
What it actually tests
One computer-based paper: 120 single-best-answer questions in three hours, each worth two marks. You sit it in person at a Pearson VUE test centre in the UK or the Republic of Ireland. There is no remote option. The pass mark is set by the modified Angoff method against the standard of a competent GP trainee, so there is no fixed percentage and no quota. You can attempt it no more than five times.
The syllabus has seven modules, running from contraception and sexual health through subfertility, early pregnancy, pregnancy and the peripartum period to urgent and non-urgent gynaecology. The RCOG keeps the curriculum relevant to UK primary care. Contraception, antenatal screening, heavy periods, the menopause and knowing what to refer how quickly are the sort of material it tests. Most of it is what a GP uses every week.
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.
Where it genuinely helps a GP
It examines the work you already do. Contraception, menopause, abnormal bleeding, early pregnancy problems, antenatal and postnatal care: a large part of a GP’s women’s health work sits on the syllabus.
It gives you something to show. The RCOG says the diploma can provide evidence of knowledge for extended roles or specialisation in larger GP practices. A practice lead for contraception or menopause, a women’s health clinic or a PCN role is easier to evidence with an externally examined RCOG credential than with a list of courses attended.
It supports the MRCGP. The RCOG describes it as backing up the women’s health element of the MRCGP, so revising for one helps with the other.
One paper and done. There is no OSCE, viva or portfolio. The written paper is the whole exam.
Where it will not move the needle
It is not a specialty qualification. The DRCOG does not change your scope of practice and is not a route into obstetrics and gynaecology. It sits alongside your MRCGP, not above it.
It does not cover practical skills. Fitting coils and implants needs separate training through the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare.
No role requires it. We are not aware of any GP post where the DRCOG is a condition of appointment. It strengthens an application; it does not unlock one. If you are chasing a particular role, ask the employer what they actually want before you book.
It costs real money and a Saturday. The RCOG lists the fee as £578 at UK centres (£482 in the Republic of Ireland). Both 2027 sittings are on Saturdays, 3 April and 2 October.
Booking takes two steps. You have to register an expression of interest before the booking window opens. For the April 2027 sitting the deadline is Wednesday 16 December 2026. Miss it and the next chance is October.
For GP trainees in particular
Any GP trainee with GMC registration can sit it. The RCOG suggests taking it during an O&G placement, which makes sense: the ward work and the guidelines are fresh. The AKT and SCA still come first, though. If your O&G post falls close to the AKT, take the DRCOG afterwards rather than splitting your revision. Ask your educational supervisor about study leave and the study budget before you pay the fee rather than after.
The honest verdict
If women’s health is a big part of your week, or you want a lead role in it, the DRCOG is a well-recognised way to prove what you know. One paper is all it takes. If you are a trainee, sit it around your O&G post once the AKT is not competing for your evenings. If your interests lie elsewhere, there are cheaper ways to fill a PDP. Nothing is lost by leaving it.
How this fits the platform
The DRCOG hub has the question bank of 850 single-best-answer questions across the seven RCOG modules, a timed mock of 120 questions in three hours, the twelve-chapter revision guide and the Core Tools. Access is £49.99 for 12 months as a one-off payment, long enough to cover both 2027 sittings. You can try ten questions free first.
Core Revision is independent and not affiliated with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
