Which books should I read?
- Oxford Handbook of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology – a MUST-Read for this exam.
- Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Virology: A Q&A Approach for Specialist Medical Trainees – A large number of MCQs to practice
- Tutorial Topics in Infection for the Combined Infection Training Programme – more than 150 MCQs to practice
- Microbiology Nuts & Bolts: Key Concepts of Microbiology & Infection – examinees still use it but it is 12 years old, so I would use it carefully
Infection control and statistics
- Manual of Infection Prevention and Control – Dr Damani’s book is a traditional favourite OR
- Oxford Handbook of Medical Statistics (Oxford Medical Handbooks) – You need to know some statistics for part 1 and a lot more for part 2. get a medical statistics book of your choice. Some examinees have used this book.
Optional – some trainees have used additional books. I consider them optional
- Mims’ Medical Microbiology and Immunology
- Medical Microbiology by by Patrick R. Murray
- Jawetz, Melnick & Adelberg’s Medical Microbiology
Time is limited, hence choose carefully. You have to read many other guidelines, SMI, EUCAST etc.
Microregistrar.moodlecloud.com
This is a collection of materials which include chapters written keeping this exam in mind – bacteriology, virology, mycology, parasitology, antibiotics, infection control, laboratory medicine, statistics, vaccines, high yield notes and >500 MCQs. You can find more information here.
– https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XzlEPyzUM3ljxjzMrxpXLH-Pu_xTlWGC8AtrlRzp5Zw/edit?gid=831519701#gid=831519701
Where can I find questions?
RCPath past papers
- https://www.rcpath.org/trainees/examinations/examinations-by-specialty/medical-microbiology.html
- https://www.rcpath.org/trainees/examinations/examinations-by-specialty/infection.html
BIA learn infection
- https://learn.britishinfection.org – MUST use
Microregistrar moodlecloud
- Over 500 MCQs
Books
- Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Virology: A Q&A Approach for Specialist Medical Trainees
- Tutorial Topics in Infection for the Combined Infection Training Programme
Other questions
- MRCP infection questions, USMLE questions – There are many books and online resources for these two exams, and you can consider solving these papers. However, remember that these exams are aimed at different populations, and the standards are different. This is especially true for USMLE, as the problems are often different and the guidelines they follow are not necessarily UK guidelines.
Here is a survey done on candidates who were successful in the exam
Are there any courses available?
There is a lack of courses specifically arranged for this examination. Our survey showed.
Microregistrar-Microquora course
Hence, we decided to make a course based on our experience from Moodle – It was going theld in Hyderabad, India (6-7th December 2025). – More information here – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tk3APC7KDNt1v_mYT50spg1gR4gsT8VQ/view?usp=sharing
We also run online mock exam before the exam.
You can email for more information here – frcpathpreparatorycourse@gmail.com
If you are interested in 2026 course should we decide to organise it – express your interest here
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfro3OlW1XfSjP144gjL8MVEeGR2EGr_0eUtew2B3b05CXTVg/viewform?usp=publish-editor
What other resources should I use?
This is what a large number of past candidates suggested.
Find all the links here –
- UKSMI – UK Standards for Microbiology Investigations
- NICE guidelines: Published guidance, NICE advice and quality standards | Guidance | NICE
- Greenbook vaccine – Immunisation against infectious disease – GOV.UK
- EUCAST has many documents. At least read these:
- Other UK guidelines (some are generic, like RCOG – only read those related to infection)
- Published and Reference Guidance | British Infection Association (BIA)
- Guidelines and guidance by topic – Healthcare Infection Society
- Current Guidelines
- Guidelines | BASHH
- Green-top Guidelines | RCOG
- Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Guidelines | BSG
- Guidelines | British Thoracic Society | Better lung health for all
- SaBTO – ODT Clinical – NHS Blood and Transplant
- SaBTO microbiological safety guidelines – GOV.UK
- SaBTO reports and guidance documents – GOV.UK
- Guidelines & Standards – British Transplantation Society
- BOA Standards for Trauma and Orthopaedics (BOASts)
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD): guidance, data and analysis – GOV.UK
- NHS England » Health technical memoranda
- UK CVN guidelines – http://www.clinicalvirology.org/guidelines/
- British Society of Rheumatology – https://www.rheumatology.org.uk/practice-quality/guidelines
- British Society of Haematology – https://b-s-h.org.uk/guidelines/
- Guidelines.co.uk – https://www.guidelines.co.uk/
- Viral rash in pregnancy – GOV.UK
- UKHSA documents – UKHSA is a massive resource for microbiologists/infection specialists. It is also the most up-to-date resource. It is, however, so vast that it is not always easy to find what you are looking for. I suggest you start from the A to Z link I shared, but always, when reading a subject – Google “your subject name” + “UKHSA”.
- UK antibiotic guidelines: If you are from overseas, you can benefit from having UK antibiotic guidelines. I suggest looking at the NHS Trust guidelines using
- BNF – BNF (British National Formulary) | NICE
- Infection control
- Journals
- Laboratory safety and quality
- ACDP – Search – GOV.UK
- https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/clinical-laboratories.pdf
- https://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/laboratories.htm
- https://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/management-containment-labs.pdf
- Quality manual – https://mft.nhs.uk/app/uploads/2021/02/Manchester-Quality-Manual.pdf
- Hospital safety – https://www.aintreehospital.nhs.uk/media/11602/ii-health-safety-policy-ii-gen-pol-2-v2.pdf.