ICO Advanced

The ICO publishes examination information under two named routes: FICO – Fellow of the ICO and FRCS (Ophth)(Glasg) – Fellow of the RCPSG. The exact titles, levels, and which exam maps to "Advanced" are not confirmed on the pages available to us, so check the ICO Examination section directly before choosing a route.

The ICO states that its current website has been updated and directs users to its ICO Examination section, which has overview, type of examinations, examination centres, and contact pages. The older education/examinations address returns a page-not-found error, so use the current ICO Examination pages rather than bookmarked or cached links.

We could not verify the format, item count, or time limit from the available ICO source, so we do not publish figures that might be out of date. Confirm the current structure on the ICO Examination pages before you plan your timing practice, and build your mocks around whatever format is confirmed there.

Passing standards and fees are not stated in the source material available to us, and these are exactly the details that change between exam cycles. Treat any figure you find on a third-party site with suspicion and confirm the current fee and pass standard with the ICO before you commit to a test date.

The retake policy is not documented in the material available to us. Some international examinations limit the number of attempts or require a waiting period between sittings, so ask the ICO examination team directly about attempt limits, waiting periods, and whether a fee is charged for each re-sit.

Expect a broad, case-based standard aimed at practising ophthalmologists rather than students, covering the full clinical spectrum rather than one subspecialty. Most candidates need several months of structured revision. Start from the ICO's published syllabus and sample materials, then allocate the most time to your weakest subspecialties.

Begin with the topics that underpin everything else - optics and refraction, pharmacology, and pathology - then move through cornea and external disease, glaucoma, retina, uveitis, neuro-ophthalmology, and paediatric ophthalmology and strabismus. Finish with mixed case-based revision so you practise switching between subspecialties, as the exam will.

Candidates typically lose marks by knowing facts but not applying them to clinical vignettes, by neglecting investigation and management steps in favour of diagnosis alone, and by poor time allocation in timed sections. Weak spots in optics, pathology, and neuro-ophthalmology are frequent. Practise full-length timed papers rather than only topic quizzes.

The ICO publishes a dedicated ICO Examination Centres page under its ICO Examination section. Check that page for the current centre list and any regional restrictions, then confirm availability and dates with the ICO examination team before booking travel, since centre lists can change between sessions.

No. This is an independent study resource written for candidates preparing for ICO examinations. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the International Council of Ophthalmology or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, and it does not reproduce official examination content.