FEBU exam preparation, built on the EAU Guidelines
I started SmashUrology while I was revising for my own exams. It's grown into a bank of over 2,100 questions, and most of them are written straight off the EAU Guidelines. That's what the EBU tells FEBU candidates to revise from.
We've worked in collaboration with BAUS and the Singapore Urology Association.
So, is it any good for FEBU?
Yes. FEBU Part 1 is a single correct answer paper that covers the whole of urology, and the EBU point you towards the EAU Guidelines and Campbell Walsh book. That's the basis for most of how our questions were written. The bank covers all 9 knowledge sections in the European Training Requirements, and when someone flags a question, a urologist reads it and checks it against the current guidelines.
In all honesty, SmashUrology was initially built for FRCS(Urol) Part 1. I was a registrar at the time and couldn't find a bank that tested guideline knowledge the way the exam did, so I started writing my own. FRCS Part 1 and FEBU Part 1 cover pretty much the same ground though, and both refer to the EAU.
Further down I've mapped the bank against the FEBU syllabus section by section, including the bits where we're thinner, so you can make your own mind up. There's more about me and the team on the About page.
FEBU in a nutshell
It's two exams, a written Part 1 and an oral Part 2. Pass both and you get the FEBU title, which the EBU describe as a mark of quality. The key facts:
| Part 1 | 110 single correct answer MCQs. Everything in urology, basic science included. |
|---|---|
| Where and when | Online on Televic's assessmentQ platform, with a live invigilator watching. Once a year, normally November. Dates and registration deadlines are on the EBU calendar. |
| Marking | No negative marking, so answer everything. The pass mark is set against the cohort (average score and standard deviation) rather than a fixed percentage. |
| Pass rate | The EBU quote an average success rate of 85%. |
| What to revise from | The EAU Guidelines and Campbell Walsh Wein Urology. |
| Part 2 | In person. You're shown pre-recorded clinical cases and asked how you'd manage them. Bread and butter urology. |
| Who can sit it | Final year residents on a national urology training programme in an EBU member country, or urologists who already hold a national specialist diploma. |
| Outside Europe | If you're certified outside an EBU member country there's FEBU International. |
| How long it lasts | Diplomas from 2025 onwards need revalidating, based on CME. You've got five years after Part 1 to pass Part 2. |
All of this comes from the EBU Part 1 page, the FEBU page, FEBU International and the ETR. Rules do change, so double check with the EBU before you book anything.
What the syllabus covers
The official syllabus is the UEMS European Training Requirements for Urology, usually just called the ETR. It gets revised every few years and this page is based on the 2026 version (UEMS 2026.16).
There are ten sections. Section 1 is professionalism, then sections 2 to 10 are the knowledge bits, and every topic gets a grade:
Basic understanding
Partial mastery
Full mastery
Spend most of your time here.
The latest revision has pushed a few areas up the list. Urothelial histology variants, prostate cancer markers, genetics, MRI interpretation, prostate artery embolisation, sexual health and STI partner notification, surgery in transgender patients, hospital acquired infection, and neurogenic bladder (self-catheterisation and spinal cord injury). There's also more on frailty and shared decision making in older patients.
Some of the Grade 3 stuff surprises people. PAE, UroLift, aquablation and the different prostate lasers are all Grade 3. So is transgender surgery and its complications. Bilharzia and hydatid disease of the kidney are in there at Grade 3 too, and so is transplant technique. Don't skip them.
How the question bank lines up
These are the actual numbers from our database, sorted against the nine knowledge sections. We add questions most weeks so they'll only go up.
The biggest chunk of Grade 3 in the whole syllabus, and the biggest chunk of our bank. mpMRI and biopsy, risk groups, active surveillance, CRPC, NMIBC and MIBC, small renal masses, RPLND.
ICS definitions, urodynamics, OAB, neuro-urology, male and female SUI, fistulae, and the BPH options old and new.
UDT, acute scrotum, VUR, PUJ obstruction, and UTI and stones in kids.
Infertility work-up, varicocoele, ED, prostheses, priapism, hypogonadism.
Metabolic work-up, SWL, URS, PCNL and laser settings.
Anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and a bit of stats.
Complicated UTI, sepsis, prophylaxis, recurrent UTI, Fournier's.
Kidney, ureter, bladder, urethra and genital injuries.
This is our weakest area. Read the EAU Renal Transplantation guideline alongside it.
Numbers as of 28 September 2026. Section 1 (professionalism) doesn't lend itself to MCQs so I haven't mapped it. If you prefer quick-fire recall, the flashcards cover the same topics.
Why I think it suits FEBU
It's written off the EAU Guidelines
Over half the explanations quote the EAU Guidelines directly. The rest are built on landmark trials and the main textbooks. Some reference NICE because the bank started out with UK trainees in mind. Where NICE and EAU disagree, go with EAU for FEBU.
Real people check it
Anyone can generate 10,000 questions in an afternoon with AI now, that's not the hard part. The hard part is going back through them. Every flagged question on SmashUrology gets read by a urologist and checked against the latest guideline. A fair bit of that happens at 3am.
The explanations cover the wrong answers too
Most marks in a single best answer paper get lost when two options both look right. So each explanation goes through why the others are wrong, not just why the answer is right.
You'll see where you're weak
The analytics break your scores down by topic. Useful when time is tight and you need to stop re-doing stuff you already know.
How I'd prepare for Part 1
Most people give it 3 to 6 months around work. Roughly how I'd split it:
Get a baseline
Do a timed mixed block across everything. It'll probably be humbling. Write down your three weakest sections.
Go topic by topic
Start with the big Grade 3 areas - prostate, bladder and kidney cancer - then functional and BPH, stones, andrology, paeds, infection, trauma and transplant. Topic blocks work better than random mixes early on. Keep the EAU summary of recommendations open while you go.
Mix it up and go back over mistakes
Timed mixed blocks, then go through every wrong answer properly. Don't start anything new in the last couple of days.
More revision tips on the blog.
What about Part 2?
The oral uses pre-recorded clinical cases and tests the stuff you see every week. Loin pain, LUTS, haematuria, urosepsis, scrotal lumps, incontinence, cancers, infertility and ED, paeds and trauma.
VivaSuite was built around exactly those scenarios. There's 80+ stations with model answers, and you can practise live with an AI examiner. It's the closest thing I've found to saying your answers out loud under a bit of pressure.
Running a training programme?
If you look after a group of trainees sitting FEBU, get in touch about group access. We've done this with BAUS in the UK and with the Singapore Urology Association, and I'm happy to set something up for your programme or association.
Questions people ask about FEBU
How many questions are in FEBU Part 1?
110, all single correct answer MCQs, covering the whole of urology including basic science. There's no negative marking and the pass mark is set against the cohort.
When is FEBU Part 1?
Once a year, usually in November. It's online on assessmentQ with a live invigilator. Registration shuts a couple of months before, so check the EBU calendar early.
Is FEBU based on the EAU Guidelines?
Pretty much. The EBU say the EAU Guidelines and Campbell Walsh Wein give a useful consensus of urological management. The formal syllabus is the European Training Requirements (ETR).
What's the FEBU pass rate?
The EBU quote an average success rate of 85%. There's no fixed pass mark because it's set against how the whole cohort does.
Can I sit FEBU if I trained outside Europe?
Yes. If you're certified outside an EBU member country you can sit FEBU International, which gives you the FEBU (International) title.
What's in the FEBU syllabus?
It's the UEMS European Training Requirements for Urology. Ten sections, with the nine knowledge sections graded 1 to 3. The latest version has more on histology variants, prostate cancer markers, genetics, MRI, PAE, sexual health, transgender surgery, hospital-acquired infection, neurogenic bladder and frailty.
How long should I revise for FEBU Part 1?
Most people do 3 to 6 months alongside work. Focus on the Grade 3 topics and save the timed mixed blocks for the last few weeks.
Is an FRCS(Urol) question bank any use for FEBU?
For most of it, yes. FRCS(Urol) Part 1 and FEBU Part 1 cover the same breadth of urology and both lean on the EAU Guidelines. Some of our questions reference NICE - where it differs from EAU, go with EAU.
Does FEBU need renewing?
Yes, if your diploma is from 2025 or later. The EBU brought in revalidation based on CME, and the FEBU (International) title lasts five years.
Give it a go
Try the demo questions first and see if you like the style. If you do, Exam Ready is three months of full access for £75, which covers most people's Part 1 revision. Good luck, and let me know how you get on.
Written by Ibrahim Ibrahim, Consultant Urologist at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow (MBChB, MSSc, MRCS(Glas), FRCS(Urol)) and founder of SmashUrology.
Advisory board: Professor Bhaskar Somani, Professor of Urology and member of the European School of Urology Board.Last checked against the ETR and the EBU exam pages on 28 September 2026. SmashUrology is independent - we're not affiliated with or endorsed by the EBU or EAU.