Exam guide · United Kingdom
Intercollegiate Specialty Examination — Paediatric Surgery
The Intercollegiate Specialty Examination in Paediatric Surgery is the exit examination of UK and Irish Paediatric Surgery training, run by the Joint Committee on Intercollegiate Examinations (JCIE). Candidates who are members of a surgical college are promoted to the Fellowship of their college on passing.
It is not offered overseas: the Joint Surgical Colleges Fellowship Examination (JSCFE) has no Paediatric Surgery examination.
Exam Specification
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Section 1 | Two papers of 120 Single Best Answer questions, 2 hours 15 minutes each, computer-based at Pearson VUE centres in the UK and Ireland |
| Section 2 | Clinical and oral examination — see below |
| Pass mark | Not published as a number — set by standard setting |
| Attempts | Section 1: maximum 4, within two years of the first attempt. Section 2: maximum 4. No re-entry. The whole examination must be completed within 7 years |
| Eligibility | A primary medical qualification recognised by the GMC or the Medical Council of Ireland, held for at least six years · evidence of reaching the CCT/CCST standard · three structured references |
| Fees | Section 1 £580 (£600 from 1 January 2027) · Section 2 £1,420 (£1,470 from 1 January 2027) |
Section 2 — Clinical and Oral
| Component | Content | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Short cases | Neonatal Surgery, Oncology, Urology | 3 × 15 minutes |
| Intermediate cases | Two cases with volunteers, plus one Emergency/Trauma and General/Gastrointestinal scenario | 3 × 15 minutes |
| Oral 1 | Urology; Urology and Neonatal Urology | 40 minutes |
| Oral 2 | Oncology and Endocrine; General and Gastrointestinal Surgery | 40 minutes |
| Oral 3 | Neonatal Surgery; Emergency Surgery and Trauma | 40 minutes |
Content Blueprint
Not published.
Specialist Registration
Paediatric surgeons trained outside the UK without a UK CCT reach the Specialist Register through the Portfolio Pathway.
What we offer
Paediatric Surgery Section 1 preparation at the two-paper, 240-question format, with Section 2 clinical and oral preparation.