MRCP Preparation

The Membership of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP) is a postgraduate diploma in internal medicine in the United Kingdom. It’s a valuable qualification as it’s an internationally recognized diploma and is the shortest route to a career in medicine around the world. The exam tests students on their knowledge of basic medical sciences as well as the clinical skills required for the diagnosis and management of diseases. The MRCP is recognized in countries around the world, and valued especially in the UK, the UAE, Singapore, and Ireland. The MRCP is also recognised by UAE’s board and opens up opportunities to practice in the Middle East as well.

The MRCP is challenging and preparing for it takes months, since students usually take it while pursuing their post-graduation, but the advantages of obtaining a MRCP degree makes the pressure worthwhile. You cannot sit the MRCP exam without having completed 12 months of medical experience by the date of the examination, as the MRCP focuses on the real world applications of medical knowledge, measuring not just your theoretical knowledge, but your practical skills as well. It is designed to test your competence in medicine overall.

Once you have the certification, you can work as a consultant physician in a private hospital in India. However, another advantage of passing the MRCP medical exam is its recognition abroad.

All you need to know about MRCP Examination & MRCP Full Form

MRCP is the Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom. The exam is conducted for doctors who are interested in receiving higher specialty training from the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, and the Royal College of Physicians of London. It is a set of three exams designed to test the knowledge, skills, and behavior of clinicians in training.

MRCP(UK) is conducted in three parts:

• MRCP Part 1 (Written Examination)
• MRCP Part 2 (Written Examination)
• MRCP Part 2 Clinical Examination (PACES)

MRCP (UK) studies play an important role in the overall educational experience and continuing professional development of doctors in the UK and internationally. An MRCP (UK) Diploma is required for doctors who wish to undergo training in the medical specialty in the United Kingdom. The MRCP exam is a globally recognized qualification that is seen as an excellent benchmark against which doctors are judged on their competence and suitability for specialist training.

How to apply for the MRCP exam 2023?

1. Register online through My MRCP (UK) official website.
2. Make sure to recheck all the details you have mentioned.
3. At this point, you will be required to submit evidence of primary medical qualification (PMQ).
4. After the basic registration, go to the Upcoming exams section and apply for the respective exam type you want to appear for (Part 1/2/PACES).
5. Mention the details if you are training in UK or not.
6. Choose a country and city as your examination center.
7. Fill out the details in the special arrangement section if required.
8. Pay the applicable examination fee.
9. Your application is confirmed via an automatically generated email.
10. Candidates who have limitations in their practice should fill out an online declaration form with the application itself.

Mode of MRCP Exam

The exam is conducted in two modes:

• Online mode: The exam is conducted in online mode using an online proctored system for candidates within the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The students appearing for the online exam will have to fulfill all the criteria as per the organization and read the guidelines including the online exam procedure, IT setup, important points to know before and after the exam, and other exam regulations and codes of conduct.
• Offline mode: The rest of the candidates from different countries including India will have to give the exam in the offline mode. Offline exams are conducted at exam centers in various countries. However, the exam center is different for the MRCP Exam part 1 & 2 and PACES.

The content and format of the exam are the same for both modes so the preparation should be done in the same way.

Read out further to get the complete information about all the three parts of the MRCP exam.

MRCP Part 1

Aim of MRCP Exam Part 1

• It is an entry-level exam.
• The purpose of the MRCP Part 1 is to test the understanding of basic clinical sciences that a medical graduate is expected to comprehend.
• Part 1 exam is designed to assess students’ knowledge of clinical science and prevalent and significant illnesses as described in the UK curriculum.
• Additionally, you’re tested on the most important and commonly encountered diseases from several specialties.

MRCP Exam Eligibility

Medicos from any part of the world can give the exam. Candidates with a medical degree from an institute recognized by GMC (General Medicine Council), followed by 12 months of medical employment after your graduation are eligible to apply for the exam.

Candidates are required to send proof/evidence of completion of their medical degree along with at least 12 months of medical employment.

MRCP Part 1 Exam Dates

MRCP 1 is conducted 4 times a year. The 2022/4 exam will be held on 30^th Nov 2022 and the result will be declared on 11^th January 2023.

Exam Schedule for MRCP Part 1 Exam 2023

If you want the opportunity of working abroad in the UK, the Middle East, Australia, Singapore, and many other countries, then the MRCP is the best qualification to have. The MRCP is a prerequisite to anyone wishing to go on to a specialist training post as a physician in the United Kingdom and in Australia. In the UAE, the MRCP is considered a super speciality degree, and consequently, those who have taken the MRCP are paid at par with super specialists. Doctors who pass the MRCP Exam can apply to jobs in any country that recognizes the degree abroad. Most countries welcome people who have professional degrees and can add value to the country and help its citizens. If you’re a doctor, you have a higher chance of being granted a work visa than most other jobs. If you think at some point you may want to live abroad, the MRCP is by far the best qualification to have.

DigiNerve is an e-learning platform by Jaypee which offers information and online coaching courses for the MRCP exams.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is there any online course for preparation for MRCP Part 1?

Ans: For cracking your MRCP 1, you have the strongest preparation available on DigiNerve, prepared by the eminent faculty of medicine, Dr. Archith Boloor and Dr. Gurpreet Singh Wander. The course is based on The Royal College of Physicians’ curriculum (RCP). There are 15 online modules in the course, which includes content on major disciplines including Clinical Sciences, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, etc. It also includes high-yield questions, mock papers, e-chapters, video lectures, notes and BOFs.

2. How many stages does MRCP has?

Ans: It is a set of 3 exams designed to test the knowledge, skills, and behavior of clinicians in training.

• MRCP Part 1 Written Examination
• MRCP Part 2 Written Examination
• MRCP Part 2 Clinical Examination (PACES)

3. How much is the MRCP exam fees?

Ans: The fees for MRCP Part 1 and 2 (Written):

• £460 (UK)
• £616 (International)

The fees for MRCP Part 2 Clinical Examination (PACES):

• £657 (UK)
• £1202 (International)

4. How many attempts do you get at MRCP?

Ans: A maximum of six attempts are allowed for each part of the MRCP (UK) diploma. If any candidate wants to appear after six attempts, then for each re-exam, they must have undertaken additional educational experience.

The MRCP Part 1 exam is your first step towards the very prestigious Royal College Membership. The exam is challenging, and students spend months preparing for it. You have to study while balancing work, recreation, and any other commitments you have going on, so it’s important to study smart. Here are some tips to prepare for the exam, so that you don’t spend crucial time trying to figure out what approach to take or what MRCP study materials to use.

Create a structured study plan

Familiarise yourself with the syllabus and estimate how much time each topic will take you depending on how fast you absorb the material. Allocate less time to topics you find easy or already know well, and more time to topics you find difficult or that require a more thorough understanding. Calculate the total time it will take you to study all of MRCP study material against the time you can spend studying in the upcoming months as well. Use your plan to stay on track with studying.

Find comprehensive course material

Online courses such as Diginerve’s Cracking MRCP Part 1 are the best comprehensive study material, as in one course, you get mentorship and webinars from distinguished faculty, a comprehensive course manual, notes, practice questions, mock exams, and performance tracking.

Do practice questions

Practice a lot. Anyone who has passed the MRCP exam will tell you that the key to passing the MRCP medical exam is to do as many MRCP practice questions as you can. Practice questions truly test your knowledge as they force you to apply what you’ve learnt. Diginerve’s Cracking MRCP Part 1 also has thousands of practice MRCP questions, ideal for thorough revision and practice.

Simulate the exam

The MRCP part 1 exam has 200 multiple choice questions split between 2 papers, each of which is 3 hours long. You need to build up stamina to keep your brain from tiring out in the middle of the medical exam. To keep working at your optimum pace throughout the MRCP medical exam, put yourself in the exact same conditions that you’ll be in when you take the exam- don’t take any breaks or talk to anyone during it. You don’t want to be sitting in the real medical exam with your brain fried and your fingers tired. The Cracking MRCP Part 1 course offers several mock exams you can take to gauge how you are doing. You can score yourself using Cracking MRCP’s mock papers, and then see how you’re doing compared to your peers on the course’s online leaderboard.

Study with a group

You may feel stressed as you study for the MRCP part 1 exam while handling work and a busy schedule. Working with others who are appearing for the medical exam will keep you motivated and make you feel like you’re not alone. When you work in groups, ideas are shared and questions are solved together. If you don’t understand a question, your friend might be able to explain it to you, which will help both your understanding and theirs.

Cracking MRCP Part 1 course offers the facility of Forums where you could interact with fellow participants and learn from each other.

The MRCP exam is one of the toughest exams to pass – but at the end of it, you walk away with an internationally recognized qualification that makes all the hard work worth it. Your job and studies are probably keeping you busy already, so it is important that you optimize your time and study for the MRCP the smart way. Here are seven tips on how to crack the MRCP Exam:

1. Stay focused on the exams

You want to allocate at least a few hours a day to MRCP exam preparation, as consistency is important. You don’t need to spend all day on the MRCP study material. Focused studying for a few hours everyday is the key to success.

2. Practice answering questions

The most important MRCP test preparation you can do is to get yourself a book of practice questions to ensure you understand the format of the test and recognize patterns in the questions. You can also try an MRCP questions bank, with Cracking MRCP Part 1, for practice.

3. Cover all the specialties in the curriculum

Try solving as many questions from the range of specialties covered in the curriculum as you can, to ensure you have a thorough knowledge of each topic. Diginerve’s app has notes and questions on every topic you need to know.

4. Find reliable MRCP study material

Make sure your MRCP study material is detailed, thorough, and covers everything you need to know. Jaypee has course manuals, revision notes, and practice papers for MRCP part 1 and MRCP part 2, and an online course with mentorship, webinars, practice questions, mock papers case studies, and revision notes for MRCP Part 1.

5. Do mock exams under timed conditions.

The MRCP tests are a marathon, not a sprint. You need to be prepared to answer hundreds of questions. Mock papers by Cracking MRCP Part 1 help you test yourself and measure your progress against peers on a leaderboard.

6. Understand the concepts, don’t just memorize

When you practice, you also need to understand the reasoning behind why an answer is wrong or right. If you only memorize, you might find yourself confused in the actual MRCP exam. Understanding the concepts will give you a better understanding and make you a better doctor overall.

7. Ask people who’ve passed the MRCP for advice

You probably know doctors who have passed the MRCP part 1 and MRCP part 2 and attained the MRCP degree. Ask them what to do and how to study. Whatever methods they used, they passed, so approaching the test in a similar way means you’re on the right track.