Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) Surgical Examinations Pass Rate 2026

The headline figure

RACS does not publish a fixed pass mark or a headline pass rate for the Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery examinations. The SSE is criterion-referenced, and the Fellowship Examination is marked on the Expanded Close Marking System against the standard of a consultant in the first year of independent practice. Aggregate pass-rate data by specialty appears only in the RACS annual Activities Reports; no fixed numerical pass mark is set on the examination pages. You can review the official position at the RACS source.

How the standard is set

For the Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) Surgical Examinations, RACS assesses candidates against a defined competency standard rather than ranking them against each other, so the proportion who pass reflects how a cohort performs against that bar and varies between sittings. Where a verified figure is published it appears above with its source; where the examining body publishes none, PRIMEX states that plainly rather than estimating one.

What separates pass-tier from fail-tier candidates

The Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) Surgical Examinations is A two-stage RACS examination in Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. The SSE (Specialty-Specific Examination) is the basic-science gateway: 100 MCQs (Type A, B and X) plus 6 spot questions, weighted 50 per cent applied anatomy, 25 per cent pathology and 25 per cent physiology. The Fellowship Examination (FEX) is the clinical exit: two 130-minute written papers plus five clinical/viva segments (Clinical Scenarios, Clinical Cases, Surgical Anatomy, Surgical Pathology and Operative Surgery). Across multiple examination sittings, the following patterns distinguish candidates who pass from those who do not:

• Treating the SSE as rote recall: the OHNS basic-science exam is heavily weighted to applied anatomy (temporal bone, skull base, neck spaces), where spatial relationships and clinical application score the marks, not lists.
• Underpreparing the written Fellowship papers: examiners reward structured, prioritised short and extended answers, not unstructured prose.
• Weak clinical-viva structure across subspecialties: otology, rhinology, laryngology and head and neck oncology each need a rehearsed approach to history, examination and management.
• Neglecting the operative-surgery and surgical-pathology segments, which test pre-operative decision-making, technique and specimen interpretation rather than textbook recall.

How PRIMEX helps you cross the pass line

• Curriculum-mapped MCQ practice across the SSE anatomy, pathology and physiology axes, with detailed explanations.
• SAQ practice with AI grading calibrated to RACS Fellowship written expectations, with structured feedback on each answer.
• Viva simulation across the OHNS subspecialty domains for timed clinical-reasoning practice before the clinical/viva segments.
• Spaced-repetition flashcards and study notes mapped to the OHNS curriculum so revision lands on your weak areas.

Frequently asked questions