Background There is a need for a standardized curriculum for training and assessment of robotic surgeons to proficiency, followed by high‐stakes testing (HST) for certification. Methods To standardize the curriculum and certification of robotic surgeons, a series of consensus conferences attended by 14 leading international surgical societies have been used to compile the outcomes measures and curriculum that should form the basis for a Fundamentals of Robotic Surgery (FRS) programme. Results A set of 25 outcomes measures and a curriculum for teaching the skills needed to safely use current generation surgical robotic systems has been developed and accepted by a committee of experienced robotic surgeons across 14 specialties. Conclusions A standardized process for certifying the skills of a robotic surgeon has begun to emerge. The work described here documents both the processes used for developing educational material and the educational content of a robotic curriculum. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.