Exam guide
The Final FRCR Part A (Clinical Radiology), explained
Two three-hour single-best-answer papers, text only with no images, testing the reasoning behind the report across all eleven areas of the clinical radiology curriculum. Set by the Royal College of Radiologists.
Last checked 15 August 2026. Confirm current fees, dates and the live syllabus on the RCR's own site before booking.
How the exam is structured
| Papers | Paper 1; Paper 2 |
|---|---|
| Questions | 240 across 2 papers |
| Time | 360 minutes total (180 min for Paper 1, 180 min for Paper 2) |
| Question types | 120 SBA; 120 SBA |
| Options per SBA/MCQ | 5 (A–E) |
|---|---|
| Sittings per year | 3 |
| Set by | Royal College of Radiologists |
Where the marks are
RCR publishes no split across these areas, so none is invented here: a SpecialityMCQs session covers all 11 evenly, then tilts toward whichever is currently costing you marks. On a paper with no published weighting that tilt is the whole of the advantage — it is the only signal left that says where your time should go.
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Breast radiology
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Cardiac radiology
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Thoracic radiology
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Gastro-intestinal radiology
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Molecular imaging and radionuclide radiology
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Paediatric radiology
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Musculoskeletal radiology
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Neuroradiology
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Head and neck radiology
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Uro-gynaecological radiology
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Core interventional radiology
The eleven areas are the RCR's own systems-based attachments, quoted from the 2021 Clinical Radiology Curriculum — deliberately not the six-module split that circulates in revision guides, which the RCR does not publish. The RCR publishes no per-area question distribution for Part A, so every area is shown at the same weight rather than given an invented differential: the chart says what is examined, not how heavily.
A sample question
Written in-house to the FRCR 2A style and answered against a named, current source — not claimed to be from a past paper. It plays exactly as it would in the app.
A 58-year-old man attends the emergency department with sudden severe interscapular chest pain that reached maximum intensity within seconds. His blood pressure is 176/94 mmHg with a 22 mmHg systolic difference between the arms, and there is a soft early diastolic murmur. He is alert and haemodynamically stable. A portable chest radiograph shows a slightly widened mediastinum. Which investigation should be requested next?
- Source
- Diagnosis of Thoracic Aortic Dissection in the Emergency Department (The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), 2025) — Imaging pathway for suspected acute aortic syndrome in the emergency department
- Checked
- Read against this source on 18 Aug 2026. If the guidance changes, the question comes back for another read before it is shown again.
Where this answer comes from
TAKEAWAY
A stable patient with suspected acute aortic syndrome goes straight to CT angiography, and the request has to cover the whole aorta rather than the chest alone — how far distally the dissection runs is what determines both the classification and the surgical plan. Two details separate a good request from a poor one: ECG gating through the chest, which removes the aortic root pulsation artefact routinely mistaken for an intimal flap, and coverage down to the femoral arteries, which the vascular team needs before choosing an access route.
Why C is right
This is the first-line investigation in a stable patient with suspected acute aortic syndrome. Whole-aorta coverage lets the dissection be classified and the branch vessels assessed, and ECG gating removes the aortic root motion artefact that mimics an intimal flap.
It can show a dilated root, aortic regurgitation or a pericardial effusion, and it is the practical choice in a patient too unstable to move. It images the descending aorta poorly, so a normal study does not exclude a dissection in a stable patient who can go to CT.
A raised D-dimer supports the diagnosis, but a normal one does not exclude dissection at this pre-test probability. Used as a rule-out here it risks discharging a patient with an untreated dissection.
Diagnostic accuracy is comparable, but the study takes far longer and is rarely available out of hours. Its role in dissection is surveillance of a known or repaired aorta, not the acute diagnosis.
Mediastinal width is neither sensitive nor specific, and the chest radiograph is normal in a substantial minority of dissections. Serial films only delay a time-critical diagnosis.
You just answered one. Five a day are free.
Start freeA real question, written in-house to this exam's style, shown exactly as it would play in the app.
Where SpecialityMCQs fits
SpecialityMCQs's FRCR 2A bank grows toward the weights above, written as single best answer items set in UK NHS practice. Sessions balance every domain, then tilt toward whichever is currently costing you marks. Anything you miss returns on a spacing curve until it sticks, and every answer names the source it rests on and the date that source was last read.
New questions a day are free, with no card required, and the review deck is free for good.
Questions about the FRCR 2A exam
What is the Final FRCR Part A (Clinical Radiology)?
Final FRCR Part A (Clinical Radiology) is set by the Royal College of Radiologists. Two three-hour single-best-answer papers, text only with no images, testing the reasoning behind the report across all eleven areas of the clinical radiology curriculum.
How many questions does the FRCR 2A exam have, and how long do I get?
Final FRCR Part A (Clinical Radiology): 240 questions across 2 papers (360 minutes). Every single-best-answer item has 5 options.
What does the FRCR 2A blueprint cover?
The chart on this page shows the highest-weighted domains. The eleven areas are the RCR's own systems-based attachments, quoted from the 2021 Clinical Radiology Curriculum — deliberately not the six-module split that circulates in revision guides, which the RCR does not publish. The RCR publishes no per-area question distribution for Part A, so every area is shown at the same weight rather than given an invented differential: the chart says what is examined, not how heavily.
How many times a year can I sit FRCR 2A?
3 sittings a year, per the RCR's own published calendar. Confirm current dates and fees on their own site before booking.
Is SpecialityMCQs affiliated with the RCR?
No. SpecialityMCQs is an independent revision tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by the Royal College of Radiologists.
Sitting a different exam? SpecialityMCQs also covers MRCS Part A , MRCOG Part 1 and Part 2 , MRCPCH Foundation of Practice and Theory and Science , MRCPsych Paper A and Paper B , MRCEM Primary and MRCEM SBA and Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment (MSRA) , each with its own guide.
SpecialityMCQs is an independent revision tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by the Royal College of Radiologists, or any other exam authority. This page summarises that body's own published exam information for candidates and is not a substitute for it. Always confirm current syllabus, fees and dates on their own site before applying.