A Practical Guide to Staying Calm, Focused, and Ready

“One week to go. Not sure how to approach the final week. What did you guys do?”
— A real question asked on Reddit. Here’s our answer.

With the FRCR 2B exam just around the corner, many candidates find themselves asking: “What should I be doing in these last few days?”

The truth? This is not the time to panic or cram. It’s the time to consolidate, rehearse, and protect your confidence.

We spoke to past candidates and course faculty to put together a practical plan for your final week.

🔄 Shift from Studying to Rehearsing

The most effective candidates use the last week to refine, not learn. Swap long study hours for short, structured practice sessions.

Focus on:

• Timed short case sets

• Daily viva practice (solo or in pairs)

• Reviewing weak areas or tricky cases you’ve already seen

Avoid new material—it’s unlikely to stick and more likely to shake your confidence.

📌 Prioritise High-Yield Topics

Go back to:

• Common misses in short cases (e.g. subtle fractures, pneumothorax, abdominal trauma)

• Paediatric and oncology viva cases

• Topics flagged by your course examiners or personal notes

Your goal is to sharpen pattern recognition and reinforce key differentials—not memorise lists.

🎤 Practise Speaking Out Loud Every Day

FRCR 2B is a performance. In the oral, it’s not just what you say, but how you say it.

Use a 5-part framework:

1. Observations

2. Interpretation

3. Principal Diagnosis

4. Differentials

5. Management

Record yourself or present to a peer. Stay calm, structured, and professional.

💬 Advice from Past Candidates

“One mock viva each day and a short case set every morning. That was my rhythm.” — Susan, FRCR 2B Passer

“I reviewed my weakest viva cases from the Revise Radiology course and focused only on structure and clarity.” — Dr V, 2B All-Inclusive candidate

🚫 Common Mistakes to Avoid

• ❌ Trying to cover “everything”

• ❌ Studying late into the night

• ❌ Skipping breaks or exercise

• ❌ Overthinking your performance

Trust the preparation you’ve already done. Structure and safety matter more than speed or obscure knowledge.

📦 The Day Before Your Exam

• Close your books by early evening

• Pack your essentials (RCR ID, water, notepad, snacks)

• Skim through 2–3 confident cases only

• Get proper rest—this is non-negotiable

And avoid pre-exam panic texts or comparison games. Protect your mindset.

🎯 Final Thought

You don’t need to be perfect—you need to be safe, structured, and clear.

Deliver your answers like a professional. Speak calmly. Own your method. That’s what the examiners are looking for.

You’ve done the work. Now it’s time to show it.