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[ Home ](https://mdster.com) 2. [ Blog ](https://mdster.com/blog) 3. [ Study Tips ](https://mdster.com/blog?category=study-tips) 4. Fellowship of the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of South Africa (Primary Examination): How to Pass with a Blueprint-Driven Plan [ Study Tips ](https://mdster.com/blog?category=study-tips) Fellowship of the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of South Africa (Primary Examination): How to Pass with a Blueprint-Driven Plan =============================================================================================================================================== A practical, exam-specific system to master 150 SBA questions in 3 hours—without drowning in textbooks. [ MDster Editorial Team ](https://mdster.com/about) · Feb 28, 2026 · 6 min read · 118 [ Reviewed by Dr. Ali Ragab, MBBCH, MSc, MCAI ](https://mdster.com/medical-reviewers/dr-ali-ragab) [Editorial Policy](https://mdster.com/editorial-policy) | [Corrections Policy](https://mdster.com/corrections) [ Obstetrics & Gynecology ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=obstetrics-gynecology) [ Study Tips ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=study-tips) [ FCOG(SA) ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=fcogsa) [ Primary Examination Prep ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=primary-examination-prep) [ Obstetrics & Gynaecology Boards ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=obstetrics-gynaecology-boards) [ CMSA Exams ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=cmsa-exams) Share this article Share this post Most FCOG(SA) Primary candidates don’t fail because they “don’t know enough.” They fail because they **study like it’s a university basic science exam**—then meet a **3-hour, 150-question SBA paper** where integration and speed matter more than beautifully written notes. Your job is to prepare the way the paper is built: **by blueprint weight, by SBA behaviour, and by applied O&G relevance**. 1) Let the blueprint decide your timetable (not your anxiety) ------------------------------------------------------------- The Primary is **one 3-hour digital written paper** and the blueprint tells you exactly where marks live. Build your study hours around it. ### Use this weighting table to allocate time Topic (Blueprint)QuestionsWeightWhat “pass-focused” mastery looks likeAnatomy1813%Pelvis + surgical anatomy + relations + blood/lymph/innervationEmbryology85%Mullerian development, placenta/fetal membranes, teratogenesis patternsPhysiology1510%Pregnancy adaptations, labour physiology, acid-base, renal/respEndocrinology1510%HPO axis, steroid synthesis, pregnancy hormones, lactationPathology1510%Core processes (inflammation, thrombosis, neoplasia, shock) appliedPathophysiology1510%“Mechanism → consequence” (e.g., hypoxia response, coag cascade)Microbiology/Virology1410%STIs, HIV/TB pregnancy impact, TORCH logic, infection controlPharmacology85%PK/PD, pregnancy-safe principles, key O&G drug classesCell Biology85%Membranes, organelles, protein synthesis—tested via applied stemsImmunology85%Immune response, vaccines in pregnancy conceptsBasic physics/technical gynae85%Ultrasound/radiation basics, theatre/energy safety conceptsPublic health64%Screening principles, prevention frameworks, outbreak logicStatistics64%Sens/spec/PPV/NPV, study designs, interpreting CIs/p-valuesBioethics64%Consent, capacity, confidentiality, maternal–fetal conflicts > **Pro tip:** Treat anything at **10–13%** as “must-not-drop marks.” If you’re weak in anatomy or phys/endocrine, fix that early—waiting until the final month is the classic Primary trap. 2) Build “SBA-ready” notes (one page per mechanism, not chapters) ----------------------------------------------------------------- The syllabus is broad, so your notes must be **retrieval-friendly** and **stem-proof**. ### The note format that works for this exam For every high-yield area, create a one-pager with: 1. **Diagram you can redraw in 60 seconds** (pelvic sidewall, uterine blood supply, placental circulation) 2. **3–5 triggers** that SBAs use (e.g., “postpartum uterine contraction prevents PPH”) 3. **A short chain**: *normal physiology → what changes in pregnancy → what fails in disease* Examples of “one-pager targets” that repeatedly pay off: - **Pelvic autonomic nerves** → bladder dysfunction/injury patterns - **Ureter course** → surgical risk points - **Coagulation in pregnancy** → why VTE risk rises + transfusion reaction basics - **Fetal circulation + transition at birth** → hypoxia/acid-base stems > **Pro tip:** If you can’t redraw it, you don’t own it. The Primary loves anatomy/physiology questions that are really *diagram recognition in disguise*. 3) Make SBAs your daily training (from Week 2) ---------------------------------------------- This is an SBA paper. Reading without SBA practice is like training for theatre by watching surgery videos. ### Your daily SBA loop (45–75 minutes) - **Do 20–30 SBAs/day** (mixed topics once you’ve done the first pass of the syllabus) - **Review every question** using a strict error log: - What was tested? (e.g., “placental hormone source”) - Why was my option wrong? (knowledge gap vs misread vs overthinking) - What rule/diagram fixes it? (add to your one-pager) ### How to answer faster without guessing You have **150 questions in 180 minutes ≈ 72 seconds per question**. Use a 3-pass approach: 1. **Pass 1 (≈100 min):** answer everything you can in <60 seconds 2. **Pass 2 (≈60 min):** return to flagged questions (use elimination) 3. **Pass 3 (≈20 min):** check for misreads (NOT second-guessing your well-known items) > **Pro tip:** Standard setting means the pass mark isn’t something you can “game.” Your safest strategy is to drive your practice performance to a level where exam-day variance doesn’t matter. 4) Win the “small” domains (stats, public health, bioethics, physics) --------------------------------------------------------------------- These are only 4–5% each, but they’re predictable and fast to secure—**and they save you when anatomy is brutal**. ### A 14-day micro-plan (rotate these alongside your big topics) - **Statistics (6 questions):** - 1 page: sens/spec/PPV/NPV + likelihood concept - 1 page: RCT vs cohort vs case-control vs cross-sectional - Drill: interpret a confidence interval and what p-value does *not* mean - **Public health (6 questions):** - Screening criteria, levels of prevention, outbreak basics, vaccination logic in pregnancy - **Bioethics (6 questions):** - Consent/capacity, confidentiality, documentation, ethically defensible decision steps - **Basic physics/technical (8 questions):** - Ultrasound basics (frequency/resolution), Doppler concepts, radiation safety principles > **Pro tip:** Don’t “read ethics.” Practise with mini-vignettes: *who is the patient, what is the decision, what is the legal/ethical constraint, what must be documented?* 5) Study Schedule Template (12 weeks) ------------------------------------- Assume you’re working clinically. This template prioritises **two passes + SBA volume**. ### 12-week plan (adjust the hours, keep the structure) WeeksFocusWeekly deliverableSBA target1–2Anatomy + Physiology foundations10 one-pagers + 10 redraw drills300 total3–4Endocrinology + Embryology/Placenta8 one-pagers + hormone tables300 total5–6Pathology + Pathophysiology10 “mechanism chains”350 total7–8Micro/Virology + ImmunologySTI/TORCH/HIV/TB concept grids350 total9Pharmacology + physics/technicaldrug-class summaries + safety rules200 total10Stats + Public health + Bioethics4 micro-packs (1–2 pages each)200 total11Mixed second pass (all domains)close top 20 error-log gaps450 total12Simulation week2 full 150-SBA sittings + review300 total ### Weekly structure (repeat every week) - 3 days: **big topic deep work** (one-pagers + redraw) - 2 days: **mixed SBAs + error log repair** - 1 day: **small domains rotation** (stats/ethics/PH/physics) - 1 session: **30–45 min oral “teach-back”** to a peer (forces clarity for SBAs) Common Pitfalls I See in FCOG(SA) Primary Candidates ---------------------------------------------------- 1. **Over-reading anatomy** and under-training diagram recall (pelvis is not learned by paragraphs). 2. **Doing SBAs without review** (you repeat the same mistake 10 times). 3. **Leaving stats/ethics to the last weekend** (easy marks become panic marks). 4. **Studying “final exam” content** (management guidelines) instead of Primary basic mechanisms. 5. **Ignoring the digital exam-day workflow** until the morning of the exam. Key Takeaways (what to implement this week) ------------------------------------------- - Download the **Primary syllabus + blueprint** and map your next 4 weeks by weighting. - Create your first **8 one-pagers**: pelvic anatomy, uterine blood supply, placental circulation, pregnancy physiology adaptations, coagulation. - Start **20–30 SBAs/day** and begin a non-negotiable **error log**. - Do a **stats fundamentals sheet** (sens/spec/PPV/NPV + study designs) and drill 30 questions. - Book one **weekly 45-minute teach-back** with a colleague (swap topics). Closing: How to know you’re ready --------------------------------- You’re ready for the FCOG(SA) Primary when you can (1) finish **150 SBAs in 3 hours** twice in simulation, (2) explain your top error-log topics without notes, and (3) redraw your core anatomy/phys diagrams on demand. If you want one guiding rule: **study the blueprint, practise the SBAs, and convert mistakes into one-pagers.** References (6) ------------------ 1. 1. [ cmsa.co.za/fellowship-of-the-college-of-obstetricians-and-gynaecologists-of-south-africa-fcogsa ](https://cmsa.co.za/fellowship-of-the-college-of-obstetricians-and-gynaecologists-of-south-africa-fcogsa/) 2. 2. [ cmsa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/FCOGSA-Primary-blueprint-Dec-2024.pdf ](https://cmsa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/FCOGSA-Primary-blueprint-Dec-2024.pdf) 3. 3. [ cmsa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/FCOGSA-Primary-Syllabus-Dec-2024.pdf ](https://cmsa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/FCOGSA-Primary-Syllabus-Dec-2024.pdf) 4. 4. [ cmsa.co.za/examinations/online-written-examinations ](https://cmsa.co.za/examinations/online-written-examinations/) 5. 5. [ cmsa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Notice\_of\_the\_expiry\_of\_Part\_I\_Primary\_or\_Intermediate\_21\_2\_2024-3.pdf ](https://cmsa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Notice_of_the_expiry_of_Part_I_Primary_or_Intermediate_21_2_2024-3.pdf) 6. 6. [ cmsa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1.\_FCOGSA\_Examination\_Structure\_-\_FS\_2024\_21\_2\_2024.pdf ](https://cmsa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1._FCOGSA_Examination_Structure_-_FS_2024_21_2_2024.pdf) Next Build confidence in OB/GYN with focused practice -------------------------------------------------- - Labor & delivery + postpartum essentials - Gynecology, screening, and common procedures - Review weak topics and improve faster [ Start practicing ](https://mdster.com/user/dashboard) [ Obstetrics & Gynecology ](https://mdster.com/speciality/obstetrics-gynecology) [ View pricing ](https://mdster.com/pricing) [ Explore features ](https://mdster.com/features) No credit card required. Full access to all features. No commitment. Cancel anytime. 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