Primary FRCA SOE Masterclass — 19–22 Oct 2026

• This is a 4-day intensive online revision course designed for anaesthetic trainees preparing for the Primary FRCA Structured Oral Examination.
• The course focuses on the skills candidates need to perform well in the viva: clear explanation, structured thinking, safe clinical judgement, calm delivery under pressure, and the ability to apply physiology, pharmacology, physics, clinical measurement and clinical anaesthesia knowledge in an examiner-facing format.
• This is not just a passive lecture course. It is designed to help candidates practise answering out loud, refine viva technique, identify weak areas, and build confidence through repeated exposure to realistic AI-led SOE-style questioning.
• The format combines consultant-led teaching and viva technique coaching on Day 1 with intensive back-to-back individual AI-led SOE practice on Days 2–4, giving candidates repeated opportunities to speak, receive feedback and improve performance. 
• Our Advanced Video Based AI has been trained by anaesthetic consultants with FRCA curriculum based questions and model answers

Course Structure

Day 1 — Faculty-led SOE technique, strategy and high-yield preparation

• Expert-led teaching on how to approach the Primary FRCA SOE
• Friendly group Q&A format
• Live refinement of answers as candidates speak
• Immediate examiner-led correction of structure, wording and depth
• Communication coaching where needed
• Guidance on how to organise answers, avoid common viva traps and recover from difficult questions
• Opportunity to learn from both personal answers and other candidates’ answers
• Focus on converting knowledge into clear, concise and examiner-friendly responses

Days 2–4 — Intensive AI-led individual SOE practice

• Back-to-back Primary FRCA SOE practice sessions
• Individual AI-led viva stations mapped to the Primary FRCA curriculum
• Practice across pharmacology, physiology, biochemistry, physics, clinical measurement, equipment, safety, clinical topics and critical incidents
• Timed viva practice to simulate the pace and pressure of the real examination
• Immediate individual feedback after each session
• Performance insights to highlight strengths, knowledge gaps and areas requiring further revision
• No observer role, allowing candidates to maximise active speaking time rather than waiting while others answer

Course Description

• The programme is intentionally intensive, with repeated viva practice and minimal passive downtime. This structure is designed to maximise active participation, feedback and exposure to a broad range of Primary FRCA SOE scenarios within a focused 4-day period.
• While the format may feel demanding, this level of intensity reflects the pressure of the real Primary FRCA SOE. Candidates must be able to think clearly, speak confidently, apply knowledge under time pressure and recover quickly from challenging questions.
• Repeated practice in this format helps build viva stamina, improve answer structure and increase confidence before the examination.
• The FRCA.Ai approach is designed to give candidates significantly more individual speaking time than traditional peer-observed viva courses. Instead of watching other candidates for long periods, each participant works through their own AI-led viva practice, receives personalised feedback and uses that feedback to refine subsequent performances.
• The course is particularly useful for candidates who already have core knowledge but need to improve viva delivery, structure, fluency, prioritisation and confidence under examination conditions.

Why This Format Works

• You may already have large textbooks, question banks, articles, past questions and model answers. The challenge is often not access to information, but being able to say the answer clearly under viva pressure.
• Day 1 provides live expert-led coaching to sharpen technique before the intensive practice days.
• The course helps turn weak, vague or overlong answers into concise, structured and exam-ready responses.
• It builds confidence through active speaking practice rather than passive listening.
• It focuses on the phrasing, structure, depth and delivery expected in the real examination.
• Candidates learn how to start answers safely, organise core science logically and avoid drifting into unfocused detail.

Key Features

• 4-day intensive online Primary FRCA SOE preparation course
• Faculty-led teaching and viva strategy on Day 1
• Individual AI-led SOE practice on Days 2–4
• Realistic video-based AI examiner-style questioning trained and curated by expert anaesthetic consultants
• Timed viva practice under pressure
• Immediate performance-based feedback
• High-yield coverage across the Primary FRCA SOE syllabus
• Focus on physiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, physics, clinical measurement, equipment, safety, clinical topics and critical incidents
• Designed to maximise active speaking time
• No passive observer role during AI-led practice sessions
• Online format suitable for candidates balancing revision with clinical work and rota commitments

FRCA.Ai Platform Access

• Course delegates will receive access to the FRCA.Ai online Primary FRCA SOE platform within 24 hours of registration through BookCPD, with access available until their examination date.
• The platform supports ongoing revision and knowledge consolidation alongside the live course, with model answers, video podcast-style chapters and structured Primary FRCA SOE content across the syllabus.
• The live masterclass complements the platform by focusing on spoken viva performance, consultant-led examination technique, answer structure, confidence, timing and the ability to explain core science clearly under pressure.

Who Should Attend

• Anaesthetic trainees preparing for the Primary FRCA SOE
• Candidates who have passed the Primary FRCA MCQ
• Candidates seeking intensive viva practice before the examination
• Candidates who want to improve spoken structure, confidence and answer fluency
• Candidates who want individualised feedback on their SOE performance

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, candidates should be able to:

• Structure viva answers more clearly and logically
• Apply core science knowledge to clinical anaesthesia scenarios
• Improve confidence when answering under time pressure
• Recognise common examination traps and avoid unfocused answers
• Demonstrate safer clinical reasoning in critical incident scenarios
• Improve fluency across pharmacology, physiology, physics and clinical measurement topics
• Identify individual weak areas requiring further revision
• Refine examination technique through repeated timed SOE practice
• Develop greater viva stamina before the real examination

Other Information

• This masterclass is not designed simply to teach new content. It is designed to convert knowledge into examination performance.
• Candidates are expected to revise alongside the course and use feedback from each AI-led viva session to guide further targeted preparation.
• FRCA.Ai aims to provide a modern, flexible and high-yield approach to viva preparation, combining consultant-led examination strategy with AI-powered individual practice to help candidates improve confidence, structure and performance before the Primary FRCA SOE.