Submitting your Assessment of Training (AOT) in time is a key step if you are awaiting your MRCOG Part 3 exam. This guide walks you through what the Assessment of Training is, who needs it, the training you must show, every document required, how to have them attested, how and when to apply, and what happens after submission.

Since July 2019 you do not need AoT to sit the Part 2 exam. AoT is the eligibility gate for the Part 3 (clinical) exam and the MTI scheme. You may apply for it any time after passing Part 1 — so start early and do not wait until you have cleared Part 2.

1. What is the Assessment of Training?

The Assessment of Training (AoT) is a formal check by the RCOG that confirms your obstetrics & gynaecology training is sufficient before you register for the Part 3 MRCOG clinical exam. It is not a test you sit — it is a documentary assessment of the posts you have worked and the training you have completed.

Think of it as your eligibility clearance for Part 3: the College verifies your background, confirms you meet the training requirement, and only then allows you to apply for a Part 3 exam slot.

2. Where AoT fits in your MRCOG journey

• You can apply for AoT any time after passing Part 1 — approval does not expire, so applying early removes a bottleneck later.
• AoT approval must be in place before you can apply for a Part 3 exam diet.
• Once your training is approved, you do not need it reassessed for any future Part 3 attempt.
• Separately, remember the 7-year currency rule: you must attempt Part 3 within 7 years of passing Part 2.

3. Do you need to apply? Route A vs Route B

The application form offers two routes. Choose the one that matches your training situation.

4. Route B: the training you must demonstrate

To qualify under Route B, your post-registration O&G experience must meet all of the following:

• A minimum of 4 years full-time (or equivalent) in obstetrics & gynaecology in post-registration posts, in the UK or overseas.
• Within that, at least 2 years (full-time or equivalent) in the specialty during the 4 years immediately preceding your initial AoT application.
• A minimum of 6 consecutive months in any single post.
• All hospital-based overseas posts in O&G are accepted.
• Your training must be completed by the date you apply for the Assessment of Training.
• Flexible / less-than-full-time training in recognised posts is permitted — but only with the College’s approval obtained in advance.
• Suitable training carried out before you passed Part 1 MRCOG can be counted towards the requirement.

What “post-registration” means

Pre- and post-registration refer to the period before and after you registered as a doctor with your national medical council — not with the RCOG. Any training done before you registered as a doctor is not counted in your AoT.

5. Before you start: what to have ready

• Your RCOG account number.
• Your medical registration number.
• A scan or photo of your internship / pre-registration certificate.
• A scan or photo of your medical registration certificate.
• A certificate or letter confirming each post-registration position you are claiming (see Section 6 for what these must contain).

An application where certification has not been submitted for every appointment will not be accepted. One missing post-certificate stops the whole application.

6. Your experience certificates: what each must contain

For each post you claim, you need a certificate or letter that meets all of these conditions:

• Issued by your consultant-in-charge or the Chair of the Division.
• On official hospital letterhead paper.
• States the title / nature and the grade of the post.
• States the full, exact dates the post was held (at least the month and year of start and finish).
• Clearly dated and signed by the consultant-in-charge.
• Must not be a contract or an appointment letter — these are never accepted.

7. Turning certificates into “attested copies”

You submit attested copies of your certificates — not the originals. An attested copy is a photocopy that an approved person has verified, in ink, as a true copy of the original. Plain photocopies are rejected.

Who can attest your documents

• A Fellow or Member of the RCOG (they must add their membership number).
• The university or hospital that issued the certificate.
• The British Council, or your embassy / British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate.
• A solicitor or notary.
• If your hospital attests it, the signatory should be your Consultant-in-Charge, the Hospital HR Manager, or the Head of the O&G Department.

How to attest correctly — step by step

1. Photocopy your original experience certificates.
2. Take the photocopies together with the originals to an approved signatory (above).
3. Ask them to sign / stamp the photocopy confirming it is a true copy of the original, in ink and in English, with the date, their printed name, occupation and telephone number (plus RCOG membership number if applicable).
4. Keep the ink-signed / stamped copy for your application. Photocopied signatures or stamps are not valid and will be rejected.

8. Certification & translation rules for all documents

• Every document must be in English, or accompanied by an authorised / verified translation plus a copy of the original.
• Documents must be legible.
• The scan or photo must be taken from the original document — not from a photocopy.
• The person certifying confirms in English, by signing and dating, that it is a true copy of the original.
• Their name, signature and address must appear on the copy.
• The person certifying must not be a relative of yours.
• You cannot certify your own documents.
• Documents submitted with your application are retained by the Examination Department.

9. How and when to apply

The application steps

5. After passing Part 1, log in to the RCOG website and download the Assessment of Training application form from the main AoT page.
6. Complete the form and select your route (A or B).
7. Gather a compliant, attested certificate for every post (Sections 6–8), plus your internship and medical registration certificates.
8. Merge everything into a single document / PDF using any free PDF-merge tool. Do not email separate files — the College asks for one combined file.
9. Submit online / by email as instructed on the AoT page. There is no fee for the AoT application.

Timing & deadlines

• Applications can be submitted at any time, but approval must be granted before you apply for a given Part 3 diet.
• Work backwards from the Part 3 diet you are targeting and submit early. Allow up to 4 weeks from the advised deadline for processing; applications are handled in order of the date received.
• Exact per-diet AoT deadlines are published on the RCOG AoT page. For example, the AoT deadline for the May 2026 Part 3 diet was 22 January 2026.
• If the College asks for additional certificates because your form was incomplete, you must supply them within 3 weeks of the AoT closing date — otherwise the incomplete application is destroyed and you must re-apply.

10. What happens after you submit

• Emailed applications receive an acknowledgement message.
• Processing takes up to about 4 weeks; applications are processed in date-received order.
• If the College has a question or needs more information, they email you directly.
• Once your training is successfully assessed, you will be informed of the Part 3 examination fee and can proceed to apply for a Part 3 slot when booking opens.
• A successful AoT gives you the right to apply / book Part 3 — it does not itself guarantee a slot; booking windows have their own deadlines.

11. Common mistakes that get applications rejected

• Missing a certificate for even one claimed post.
• Submitting a contract or appointment letter instead of a proper experience certificate.
• Sending plain photocopies, or copies with photocopied (not ink) signatures/stamps.
• Certificates not on official hospital letterhead, or missing exact start/finish dates.
• Non-English documents without a verified translation and a copy of the original.
• Self-certifying, or having a relative certify your documents.
• Emailing separate files instead of one merged PDF.

12. Your pre-submission checklist

• Part 1 MRCOG passed.
• Correct route selected (A or B) on the application form.
• RCOG account number and medical registration number to hand.
• Internship / pre-registration certificate — attested copy ready.
• Medical registration certificate — attested copy ready.
• An attested experience certificate for EVERY post (letterhead, title & grade, exact dates, consultant signature).
• Route B training met: ≥4 years total, ≥2 years in the last 4, ≥6 months per post.
• Any non-English document has a verified translation + copy of the original.
• All documents merged into ONE PDF.
• Submitting with enough lead time before your target Part 3 diet deadline.

Quick FAQs

1. Do I need AoT for Part 2?
   No. Since July 2019, passing Part 1 is enough to apply for Part 2. AoT is only for Part 3.
2. How much does AoT cost?
   There is no fee for the AoT application. The Part 3 exam fee is advised once your training is approved.
3. Do I have to reapply for each Part 3 attempt?
   No. Once approved, your training is not reassessed for future Part 3 attempts.
4. I trained in a UK programme — do I need certificates?
   No. Route A candidates submit the form with a National Training Number (NTN); no supporting documents are needed.
5. Are overseas posts accepted?
   Yes. All hospital-based overseas posts in obstetrics and/or gynaecology are recognised.
6. Can training before Part 1 count?
   Yes, suitable post-registration training completed before you passed Part 1 can be counted.

Authored By: Dr. Sowmya N S, Co-Founder & COO, StudyMEDIC