Question about royal college membership timing & exam fees

Hi everyone,

I’m an international doctor planning to set royal college exams soon. I need some clarity from people who’ve actually done this before.

Here’s my situation, summarised:

If I join college now (December), I only pay the prorated fee for the remainder of this year (a few pounds). rt?

My plan is to join now, book the Primary exam using the discounted member rate, and then not renew my membership for 2026 (i.e., simply not pay the new invoice).

My main question: ➡️ Do I need to keep membership active until the day of the exam? Or is it enough that my membership is active at the time of booking to be eligible for the member exam fee?

If anyone has personal experience with this (joining → booking exam → not renewing), please let me know how it went.

Thanks!