Trauma & Orthopaedic (FRCS T&O oral)
Sit your FRCS T&O viva after rehearsing every answer out loud
Rehearse FRCS T&O Trauma & Orthopaedics viva scenarios out loud against a senior examiner who probes your reasoning. Get instant, examiner-style feedback on every answer — as many times as it takes to sound fluent.
What is the FRCS T&O viva, and how do you practise for it?
The FRCS T&O viva is an oral exam where you defend your clinical reasoning out loud to a senior examiner. The most effective preparation is repeated spoken rehearsal — with MedMock you practise viva-style questioning against an AI examiner and get instant, examiner-style feedback on every answer.
Last reviewed August 2026
You can know the medicine and still freeze in the room
The FRCS T&O viva rewards fluency under pressure. It is not enough to know the answer — you must articulate it clearly and in a structured way, while a senior examiner interrupts and probes further.
That ability comes only from rehearsing out loud against someone who challenges you. Yet willing seniors are scarce, mock vivas are rare, and rehearsing silently develops none of the fluency you need on the day.
FRCS T&O viva practice, on demand
The FRCS T&O Section 2 clinical oral runs four 30-minute viva tables — Adult elective orthopaedics including spine, Trauma including spine, Children's orthopaedics & hand / upper limb, and Applied basic sciences (anatomy, surgical approaches, pathology, biomechanics, audit, methodology, outcome-based medicine). Each table is examined by a pair: one examiner questions for fifteen minutes and covers three topics of roughly five minutes, then the pair swap and the second covers three more — six separate topics per table. There are also two 15-minute intermediate cases run without hands-on examination: a focused history taken from the patient, after which the examiner supplies the examination findings verbally alongside imaging and leads the case discussion. Each station is examined in pairs and marked against key-point descriptors.
MedMock gives you a senior examiner who probes your reasoning, available 24/7. Pick a question, have a genuine spoken conversation, and get instant, examiner-style feedback the moment you finish — scored against what genuinely matters in the FRCS T&O. No rota conflicts, no study partner, no waiting your turn. Simply practise whenever you have ten minutes.
How it works
Choose a question
Pick from the real FRCS T&O questions — all 6 of them, or let MedMock surprise you the way exam day will.
Have the conversation
Speak naturally, out loud. The AI examiner listens, follows up and probes further, exactly like the viva.
Get instant feedback
The moment you finish, you get specific, examiner-style feedback and a score — what you did well, what cost you marks, and precisely what to fix before the next attempt.
Why candidates practise with MedMock
Practise out loud, any time
No study partner, no booking, no rota clash. Open MedMock at 6am or midnight and run a full question in minutes.
All 6 questions, endless variations
You will never simply memorise answers. Each run is different, so you build the real skill — adapting in the moment.
Examiner-level feedback in seconds
Know exactly where you lost marks and how to address it, instead of guessing why a mock session went poorly.
Turn nerves into muscle memory
By the time you sit the FRCS T&O, the format feels familiar — because you have already done it dozens of times.
A fraction of the cost of courses
Avoid the hundreds of pounds you would spend on a one-off exam course, and practise a deep bank of scenarios instead.
Practise anywhere, from your phone
On a break, during the commute, between jobs on the ward — your preparation goes wherever you do.
Practise every station
MedMock covers the questions you will face in the FRCS T&O viva. Rehearse each one until it feels routine.
Adult elective orthopaedics including spine
30-minute viva table with a pair of examiners, covering six separate elective topics of roughly five minutes each (examiners swap at fifteen minutes). Each topic opens with a clinical scenario, often with imaging, and is taken through clinic approach, management and complications before the examiner moves on.
Trauma including spine
30-minute viva table with a pair of examiners, covering six separate trauma topics of roughly five minutes each (examiners swap at fifteen minutes). Each topic opens with a case, often with imaging, and is taken through classification and biomechanics, treatment strategy, and soft-tissue / complication management.
Children's orthopaedics / Hand and upper limb
30-minute viva table with a pair of examiners, covering six separate paediatric and upper-limb topics of roughly five minutes each (examiners swap at fifteen minutes). Each topic is taken through presentation anatomy and diagnosis, management, and complications or procedural approach.
Applied basic sciences related to orthopaedics, including anatomy and surgical approaches, pathology, biomechanics, audit, methodology & outcome based medicine
30-minute viva table with a pair of examiners, covering six separate science topics of roughly five minutes each (examiners swap at fifteen minutes) — surgical anatomy and approaches, pathology, biomechanics and biomaterials, and audit / methodology / outcome-based medicine, each often opened from a stimulus such as a departmental guideline or a radiograph.
Intermediate case — upper limb and spine (history & discussion)
15-minute intermediate case, run without hands-on examination. Five minutes' focused orthopaedic history with the patient (presenting complaint, functional demand, red flags, comorbidity and fitness). The examiner then supplies the examination findings verbally — 'on examination you would find…' — together with relevant imaging, and leads the discussion: interpretation of the findings, differential, investigations, management options and complications.
Intermediate case — lower limb (history & discussion)
15-minute intermediate case, run without hands-on examination. Five minutes' focused orthopaedic history with the patient (presenting complaint, function and gait, red flags, comorbidity and fitness). The examiner then supplies the examination findings verbally — 'on examination you would find…' — together with relevant imaging, and leads the discussion: interpretation of the findings, differential, investigations, management options and complications.
Example scenarios
A sample of the scenarios you will practise — each plays out as a live, spoken conversation, not a script to read.
“A 25-year-old polytrauma patient with a Gustilo IIIb open tibial fracture, 5 cm segmental bone loss, and absent distal pulses after splinting. Talk through your damage-control strategy, the orthoplastic plan under BOAST 4, and limb-salvage vs amputation decision-making.”
“A 65-year-old with massive rotator cuff arthropathy (Hamada 4) and pseudoparalysis. Discuss your workup, the deltopectoral approach, and the case for reverse shoulder arthroplasty.”
“A 5-year-old with a displaced Gartland III supracondylar humeral fracture post-fall, AIN palsy, hand pink and pulseless. Discuss assessment, classification, management and consent the parents.”
“Describe the deltopectoral approach to the shoulder and the structures at risk, discuss the biomechanics of glenoid component wear in modern reverse arthroplasty design, and outline an audit cycle around 30-day readmission after primary shoulder arthroplasty.”
“A 58-year-old right-hand-dominant electrician with six months of night pain and weakness in the right shoulder. Take a focused history; the examiner will then give you the examination findings and imaging, and discuss diagnosis, investigations and management with you.”
“A 68-year-old with groin pain on walking, now limiting them to 400 yards, ten years after a right total hip replacement. Take a focused history; the examiner will then give you the examination findings and radiographs, and discuss the differential for the painful THR and your management plan.”
FRCS T&O practice — your questions answered
How realistic is MedMock's FRCS T&O practice?
Every scenario is built around the real FRCS T&O viva format and the domains examiners assess. You speak out loud and the AI examiner probes your reasoning, so it feels far closer to the day than reading notes or rehearsing silently.
How does the feedback work?
As soon as you finish a question, MedMock gives you instant, examiner-style feedback and a score — highlighting what you did well, what cost you marks, and exactly what to work on next.
Can I practise specific FRCS T&O questions?
Yes. You can pick any of the 6 questions to drill a weak area, or run a mixed set to simulate the real exam.
Do I need a study partner or a fixed time slot?
No. That is the point — MedMock is available 24/7 and you practise alone, out loud, whenever it suits you. No coordinating diaries, no waiting for a course date.
Is MedMock right for me if I am sitting the FRCS T&O?
If your FRCS T&O exam involves speaking — defending your reasoning to an examiner — then spoken rehearsal is exactly what MedMock is built for.
How much does it cost?
Far less than a one-off exam course. Every plan includes a monthly credit allowance, and everyone starts with a free trial — no card required — so you can see how it works before paying. See current options on our pricing page.
Disclaimer: National medical recruitment formats and Royal College examination criteria are subject to change annually. While Medmock strives for absolute accuracy based on the latest HEE/NHS England cycles, always consult your official applicant handbook or Royal College website for the definitive, up-to-date station requirements for your specific cohort.
Ready for your FRCS T&O viva?
Rehearse real FRCS T&O scenarios out loud and get instant, examiner-style feedback.
- Instant, personalised feedback
- Real voice-to-voice conversation
- Repeatable attempts, endless variations
Guides to help you prepare
Be ready for your FRCS T&O viva before you walk in
Start rehearsing FRCS T&O viva scenarios out loud today, get instant feedback, and turn exam-day nerves into something you have already done a hundred times.
Practise the FRCS T&O viva