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FCPS Part 1 Anatomy MCQs
Anatomy is the largest single share of FCPS Part 1. Questions test nerve injuries and the muscles they paralyse, plexuses, blood supply, relations of major vessels and organs, cranial nerves and the surface anatomy behind clinical procedures.
Below are 5 free single-best-answer questions drawn from the most frequently examined anatomy concepts, each with the answer and a rationale for every option. The full bank has 476 anatomy concepts, each asked several different ways.
Free anatomy questions
Question 1
Fracture of the fibular neck most commonly injures which nerve?
- A. Common peroneal nerve
- B. Femoral nerve
- C. Saphenous nerve
- D. Obturator nerve
- E. Tibial nerve
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Answer: A. Common peroneal nerve
The common peroneal nerve winds superficially around the fibular neck, so it is the nerve most exposed to fracture or compression there. Loss of the deep and superficial branches abolishes dorsiflexion and eversion.
Why not the others: Tibial nerve: plantar flexion and sole sensation. Femoral nerve: knee extension. Obturator nerve: thigh adduction. Saphenous nerve: sensory to medial leg.
High-yield: Fibular neck injury + foot drop = common peroneal nerve.
Question 2
Massive bleed from a duodenal cap ulcer lying posteriorly: vessel eroded?
- A. Splenic artery
- B. Right gastric artery
- C. Gastroduodenal artery
- D. Superior mesenteric artery
- E. Left gastric artery
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Answer: C. Gastroduodenal artery
The gastroduodenal artery, a branch of the common hepatic artery, runs behind the first part of the duodenum. A posterior ulcer there erodes it, causing massive haematemesis and melaena.
Why not the others: Splenic artery: bleeding from posterior gastric wall ulcers. Left gastric artery: lesser curvature ulcers. Superior mesenteric artery: gives the inferior pancreaticoduodenal branch. Right gastric artery: small lesser curve vessel, not behind D1.
High-yield: Posterior duodenum bleeds (GDA); anterior duodenum perforates.
Question 3
Nerve at risk in anterior dislocation of the shoulder:
- A. Axillary nerve
- B. Suprascapular nerve
- C. Musculocutaneous nerve
- D. Ulnar nerve
- E. Radial nerve
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Answer: A. Axillary nerve
The axillary nerve (C5–6) runs through the quadrangular space just below the humeral head, so it is stretched when the head displaces anteroinferiorly. It supplies deltoid and teres minor, and skin over lower deltoid.
Why not the others: Musculocutaneous: lateral forearm sensation. Radial: wrist drop, injured in mid-shaft fractures. Suprascapular: weak abduction initiation, no skin loss. Long thoracic: winging, no sensory loss.
High-yield: Anterior dislocation → axillary nerve; check the badge patch before and after reduction.
Question 4
CSF re-enters the venous circulation through which structures?
- A. Ependymal cells
- B. Choroid plexus
- C. Foramen of Magendie
- D. Arachnoid granulations
- E. Cerebral aqueduct
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Answer: D. Arachnoid granulations
CSF is made by the choroid plexus, passes through the ventricles into the subarachnoid space and is absorbed through arachnoid granulations (villi) into the dural venous sinuses, mainly the superior sagittal sinus.
Why not the others: Choroid plexus: produces CSF, does not absorb it. Foramen of Magendie: exit route to the subarachnoid space. Cerebral aqueduct: connects third and fourth ventricles. Ependymal cells: line the ventricles. Pia mater: covers the brain surface.
High-yield: Made at the choroid plexus, absorbed at the arachnoid granulations; failure to absorb gives communicating hydrocephalus.
Question 5
Venous drainage of the right ovary ends directly in:
- A. Common iliac vein
- B. Portal vein
- C. Internal iliac vein
- D. Inferior vena cava
- E. Left renal vein
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Answer: D. Inferior vena cava
The inferior vena cava ascends to the right of the aorta and receives the renal veins and right gonadal vein directly. The third part of the duodenum crosses in front of it and the aorta.
Why not the others: Left renal vein: receives the left gonadal vein. Common iliac vein: joins to form the IVC at L5. Internal iliac vein: pelvic drainage into the common iliac. Portal vein: drains gut to the liver. Hepatic vein: enters the IVC near the diaphragm.
High-yield: Right gonadal → IVC; left gonadal → left renal vein.
Keep going with anatomy
Anaesgen brings every concept back on a spaced-repetition schedule timed to your exam date, as a different question each time, with full mock papers for Paper 1 and 2.
Get full access Try the 5 sample questionsHigh-yield anatomy one-liners
The most-tested anatomy concepts, as a clue and the answer it points to:
- Fibular neck, foot drop, lost eversion, lateral leg pressure → common peroneal nerve.
- Posterior D1 ulcer bleed, behind duodenal cap, gives superior pancreaticoduodenal → gastroduodenal artery.
- Shoulder dislocation, surgical neck, badge patch, deltoid weakness → axillary.
- CSF absorption, communicating hydrocephalus, superior sagittal sinus → arachnoid granulations.
- Right gonadal, renal veins, behind D3 → inferior vena cava.
- Carpal tunnel, thenar wasting, lateral 3½ palmar digits → median nerve.
- Horseshoe kidney, superior rectal, hindgut, L3 → inferior mesenteric artery.
- Snuffbox, scaphoid and trapezium floor, first dorsal interosseous → radial artery.
- Water under the bridge, ureter, first vessel ligated in PPH → uterine artery.
- Pterion → middle meningeal → extradural (biconvex, lucid interval).
- Posterior triangle + weak shrug → accessory nerve (trapezius).
- Lateral hamstring, fibular head, long head tibial, short head peroneal → biceps femoris.
- Painless, transilluminant, testis not separate, fluid in tunica vaginalis → hydrocele.
- Peripheral diaphragm, lower chest wall pain → lower six intercostal nerves.
- Danger space, vertebral muscles, scalene sheath, axillary sheath → prevertebral fascia.
- Hoarseness after thyroidectomy, inferior thyroid artery, all laryngeal muscles bar cricothyroid → recurrent laryngeal nerve.
- Anterior aortic sinus, SA and AV nodal arteries, inferior MI with block → RCA.
- Eparterial, above the pulmonary artery, right side only → right upper lobe bronchus.
- Waddling gait, Trendelenburg sign, above piriformis → superior gluteal nerve.
- Calot's triangle, gallbladder supply, clipped at cholecystectomy → cystic artery.
Other FCPS Part 1 subjects
PharmacologyPathologyBiochemistry & GeneticsCardiovascularNeurophysiologyMicrobiologyHaematologyGeneral PhysiologyImmunologyEndocrineRespiratoryEmbryologyObstetrics & GynaeRenal & Acid-BaseHistologyGI & LiverPhysicsBiostatistics
New to the exam? Read the FCPS Part 1 exam guide: dates, format and a 12-week study plan.