The examination has two parts The primary and The final FRCA
The Primary FRCA :
IT is The Primary Examination of the Diploma of Fellowship of the Royal College of Anaesthetists.
Trainee anaesthetists in the United Kingdom are required to pass this examination before applying for Higher Specialist Training (a Specialist Registrar post) in Anaesthesia. (In addition to the FRCA, trainees require a minimum of 21 months' Anaesthesia training and 3 months' Intensive Care training before they would be considered for a Specialist Registrar post in Anaesthesia. There may also be additional requirements, at the discretion of each individual Deanery). With the introduction of MMC in August 2007, the Primary FRCA will become a requirement for application to Specialist Training Year 3, known generally as ST3.
The examination takes the form of a Multiple Choice Question paper and, for candidates successful in this, an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and Viva Voce (oral) examination.
The Final FRCA:
IT is the Final Examination of the Diploma of Fellowship of the Royal College of Anaesthetists.
Trainee anaesthetists in the United Kingdom are required to pass this examination during the first three years in a Higher Specialist Training (Specialist Registrar) post
Candidates are required to have a minimum of thirty months of recognised training in anaesthesia, and have passed the Primary FRCA, before they are allowed to attempt the exam. In some circumstances, the requirement to pass the Primary FRCA is waived if the candidate holds other qualifications in anaesthesia such as the European Diploma in Anaesthesiology or Fellowship of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (FANZCA).