Saudi Board Part One General Surgery Exam Content: 11 Sections and Weights

Last checked: 10 November 2026. The source is the Saudi Board Part One Exam Blueprint for General Surgery / Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (2024–2027, v.1) and the trainee page on the SCFHS website. This guide is independent: it is not affiliated with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) or any government body.

In short: Part One is one paper of 150 single-best-answer questions, with up to 10% unscored pretest items added. It covers 11 sections of basic and clinical surgical science and is shared by General Surgery and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery trainees.

Sections and weights

Each section may vary by up to 5%, and research, ethics, professionalism and patient safety run through all sections. Question counts are estimates from the weights.

What each section tests

• Surgical Anatomy (20%): Structures at risk in common operations, imaging anatomy, and the anatomy of the Whipple, rectal excision and trauma laparotomy.
• Surgical Physiology and Pathology (8%): Normal physiology and how it changes in older and pregnant patients, organ failure, and benign versus malignant features.
• Trauma, Systemic Response to Injury and Metabolic Support (16%): ATLS and resuscitation, zones of injury, sepsis, and enteral and parenteral nutrition.
• Shock, Fluid and Electrolyte Management of Surgical Patient (12%): Shock profiles, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium disorders, and acid–base balance.
• Haemostasis, Surgical Bleeding, and Transfusion (6%): Coagulation, anticoagulants and reversal, blood products and transfusion reactions.
• Surgical Infection (7%): Wound classes, antibiotic prophylaxis, necrotising fasciitis and tetanus.
• Burn and Wound Healing (5%): Healing phases, grafts and flaps, and burns and their resuscitation.
• Surgical Oncology and Transplantation (5%): Staging and tumour markers, screening, transplant immunology and brain death.
• Surgical Critical Care and Bedside Surgical Procedures (7%): Levels of care, ventilation and ARDS, and lines, tubes and drains.
• Principles of Pre-operative, Operative, Anesthesia, and Pain Management (8%): Pre-operative assessment, anaesthesia and analgesia, asepsis and surgical safety.
• Surgical Complications (6%): Postoperative fever, wound complications, VTE, embolism and delirium.

What the questions look like

Most questions are short clinical cases asking for the next step, the most likely explanation or the structure at risk, with one best answer. The Executive Rules for Assessment say each question has four or five options.

Pass mark and attempts

• The pass mark is 65%. If fewer than 70% of candidates pass before final approval, it may be lowered one mark at a time until 70% pass or the mark reaches 60%, whichever comes first, and never below 60%.
• The exam is held once a year, and up to four attempts are allowed under the Executive Rules for Assessment (1441 AH). A trainee cannot be promoted to the senior level before passing it.

Blueprint language

The blueprint and references are in English.