MRCEM SBA and OSCE: how to prepare for both in the same year

After MRCEM Primary, most emergency medicine trainees face two more exams: the MRCEM SBA and the MRCEM OSCE. Many sit them within the same year. Preparing for the MRCEM SBA and OSCE together works well if you plan it, because the clinical knowledge you build for the SBA is the base for the OSCE stations.

Exam facts below come from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM), checked on 12 November 2026. Always confirm dates, fees and eligibility with RCEM before you apply.

The two exams at a glance

MRCEM SBA

• 180 single best answer questions across two papers.
• Each paper lasts two hours, with a one-hour break between them.
• Computer-based at Pearson VUE test centres, with no negative marking.

MRCEM OSCE

• 16 stations of eight minutes, with one minute of reading time between stations, plus two rest stations.
• Tests clinical and communication skills, with domain-based marking.

Why prepare for them together

The SBA tests what you know; the OSCE tests whether you can use it with a patient, a relative or your team in eight minutes. Revising a topic for the SBA and then practising a station on the same topic fixes it far better than learning it twice, months apart. It also stops your communication and practical skills going stale while you revise for a written exam.

A combined study plan

Phase 1: SBA-led (about 10 to 12 weeks before the SBA)

Work through the curriculum by system with topic quizzes, and read the explanations for every option, not only the ones you got wrong. Once a week, practise two OSCE stations on the topics you revised that week, out loud and timed.

Phase 2: exam conditions (the last 4 weeks before the SBA)

Sit full model papers in two two-hour blocks with a one-hour break, as in the real exam. Use your results to target weak areas. Keep one or two OSCE stations a week going.

Phase 3: OSCE-led (after the SBA)

Switch to stations every day: history and examination, explaining and consent, breaking bad news, leading a resuscitation, and practical procedures. Practise with colleagues, swap roles, and give each other feedback on each marking domain.

Common mistakes

• Doing questions without reading the explanations. The learning is in the explanation.
• Leaving all OSCE practice until after the SBA result, and then running out of time.
• Practising stations silently in your head. You need to say it out loud, against the clock.

Upcoming MRCEM OSCE course dates

How Kung Medics can help

The MRCEM SBA and OSCE Pro bundle gives you our clinical SBA question bank and our online OSCE stations on one plan, for less than buying them separately. You can also buy MRCEM SBA Pro or MRCEM OSCE Pro on their own. For face-to-face practice, join our 5-day MRCEM OSCE course, and read our MRCEM OSCE preparation guide.

Kung Medics is an independent training provider. It is not part of, or endorsed by, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM).