Part 1 Written
Written best-of-five multiple-choice examination assessing the knowledge expected of physicians in training, including applied basic sciences and clinical medicine.
First stageUnderstanding the MRCP(UK) examination
MRCP(UK) is the Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom diploma. The complete diploma has three examination components: Part 1 Written, Part 2 Written and the Part 2 Clinical Examination (PACES).
Part 2 Written
Written best-of-five examination with a stronger clinical focus, testing application of medical knowledge, investigation, diagnosis and management.
After passing Part 1PACES
The Practical Assessment of Clinical Examination Skills assesses clinical examination, communication, judgement and patient-centred clinical skills.
Clinical examinationWho can enter Part 1?
Candidates must hold a primary medical qualification from an institution recognised by the UK General Medical Council and must have at least 12 months of medical employment experience by the examination date, equivalent to completing Foundation Year 1.
This normally means Part 1 cannot be taken until at least 12 months after the graduation date recorded on the primary medical qualification.
Part 2 Written eligibility
You must first have passed MRCP(UK) Part 1. Under the published regulations, Part 2 Written must be attempted while the Part 1 pass remains within the applicable seven-year eligibility period.
Part 2 Written and PACES can be taken in either order after Part 1, subject to the published eligibility rules.
PACES experience
MRCP(UK) recommends that candidates attempting PACES have completed approximately two years of postgraduate clinical experience, including experience caring for emergency medical patients.
The clinical exam is designed to test skills developed through real postgraduate medical practice, not knowledge alone.
Completing the diploma
After passing Part 1, candidates have a seven-year eligibility period in which to pass both Part 2 Written and PACES. If the remaining components are not completed within that period, the regulations require Part 1 to be passed again.
MRCP(UK) also publishes rules regarding the permitted number of attempts and additional educational evidence after repeated attempts.
AMT MRCP Governance
Independent educational resource
AMT MRCP is independently developed and operated by Acute Medical Take. It is not owned, endorsed, authorised, administered or examined by the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK, MRCP(UK), the Royal College of Physicians of London, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.
MRCP(UK), PACES and the names of the Royal Colleges are used only to identify the examinations for which candidates may be preparing. AMT practice questions, mock examinations, AMT Intelligence™ analytics and AMT Preparedness Score™ are independent educational tools and are not official examination questions, official scores or predictions of examination outcome.
Always confirm current rules before applying
Eligibility rules, examination delivery, fees, dates and regulations can change. Candidates should confirm their personal eligibility directly with MRCP(UK) before booking an examination.