A recent study by Ward et al 1 elegantly highlighted the steep and long learning curve for novice endoscopists to achieve competency in colonoscopy. In the study, they acquired data from the Joint Advisory Group (JAG) e-portfolio database which includes procedural outcomes from all training centres in the UK. The aim of the study was to establish the number of colonoscopies to be completed to achieve competency, defined as a caecal intubation rate (CIR) of ≥90%. They found that the endoscopy trainees obtained a CIR of ≥90% at 233 colonoscopies. The authors should be congratulated on a study that is by far the largest (over 36 000 colonoscopies and 300 trainees) on learning colonoscopy and achieving competency. Based on this study, it should be …