The Endocrinology SCE blueprint is your starting point for deciding what to revise. It sets out the expected balance of topics across the examination, so you can organise your time before a favourite subject quietly takes over your whole timetable.
The official blueprint currently linked by the Federation contains 200 questions. The three diabetes categories together account for 68, or 34%; thyroid accounts for 36, or 18%. These are planning weights, not a promise that every sitting will contain exactly those numbers.
Blueprint checked on 8 September 2026.
Endocrinology SCE syllabus weightings
| Blueprint area | Indicative questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes: diagnosis, general management and delivery of care | 28 | 14% |
| Diabetic emergencies and acute illness/surgery | 12 | 6% |
| Diabetes complications | 28 | 14% |
| Hypothalamus and pituitary | 20 | 10% |
| Thyroid | 36 | 18% |
| Adrenal | 20 | 10% |
| Gonads | 20 | 10% |
| Parathyroid/calcium | 16 | 8% |
| Other: appetite/weight, genetic and miscellaneous conditions | 20 | 10% |
| Total | 200 | 100% |
Source: the official SCE blueprint. Percentages above are calculated from the published counts. The document says counts may vary slightly and questions from each category are distributed across both papers.
Turn the blueprint into a usable revision checklist
Make one row for each area and add three columns: last reviewed, recurring gaps and next action. This gives you something more useful than a list of chapters you have opened.
For example, “pituitary revised” is difficult to act on. “I can interpret the initial results but still confuse the next investigation” tells you what the next session should address. Keep your notes focused on the decision you need to make and the clue that changes it.
Use the specialty page’s curriculum and preparation links to expand each heading. A nine-row table cannot replace the full curriculum.
How much time should each topic receive?
Begin with the published weights, then adjust for your own gaps. A topic that makes up a modest part of the paper may still deserve extra work if you repeatedly struggle with it. Equally, a large category needs regular attention even if it is familiar from your current placement.
Keep two lists: topics you have covered and decisions you can now explain. Finishing a chapter belongs on the first list. Correctly working through a fresh case belongs on the second.
Try a short mixed block each week. Mark which blueprint areas it sampled and review any recurring mistakes. Do not draw sweeping conclusions from a handful of questions; look for a pattern over several sessions.
Three easy ways to leave gaps
- Treating “other” as optional. Give appetite/weight, genetics and miscellaneous conditions named sessions in your plan.
- Revising only what you see at work. Clinical exposure varies by placement. Use the curriculum to identify what your clinic list is not teaching you.
- Counting repeated questions as new evidence. Recognising a familiar answer can hide uncertainty about why it is correct.
When choosing resources, inspect their topic coverage and the usefulness of their explanations. Our Endocrinology SCE question-bank checklist helps you make that assessment.
Keep your next revision step clear
Explore Revision Pro’s Endocrinology and Diabetes SCE resource, with questions, revision notes, podcasts and flashcards. View the available access options and choose the plan that fits your exam date.
Frequently asked questions
Does the date in the blueprint filename mean it is obsolete?
The Federation currently links this document from its specialty page. Use the version linked there and recheck for updates before your sitting.
Can I skip a small topic?
We would plan at least one pass through every area. Weightings help allocate time; they do not identify topics that are safe to omit.
Is this the MRCP Part 1 endocrinology syllabus?
No. This is the specialty examination blueprint. For earlier-stage revision, use our separate MRCP Part 1 endocrinology article.
