The MRCP exam consists of three parts, two of which are written tests. The third part of MRCP is a clinical examination named MRCP PACES.
Part 1 will extensively test your knowledge on the material you studied as an undergraduate. It is a single day of long written tests with Best of Five multiple choice questions. Part 1 assesses your understanding of common and important disorders, along with clinical science concepts and medical practitioner guidelines.
Part 1 of the exam also prepares candidates for the more challenging Part 2.
Part 2 also takes place on a single day, with two three-hour-long tests that contain 100 questions each. Unlike Part 1, these questions will include images. It will check your ability to make judgments and apply your clinical understanding as a medical practitioner.
Part 3 is the Practical Assessment of Clinical Examination Skills, or PACES. The examination will test your competence in a range of clinical skills, including Physical Examination, Clinical Communication, Differential Diagnosis, and Managing Patients’ Concerns and Welfare. During the half-day exam, you will progress through five stations and interact with eight patients for 20 minutes at a time.