Beginner’s Guide for MRCP(UK) Examination

In today’s era, several Indian doctors are keen to develop their career in developed countries such as UK. So, many countries organize different competitive exams for postgraduate medical degrees, attainment of license for practice, fellowship or membership in different prominent medical universities. Among different examinations, one is the Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom [MRCP(UK)] as a postgraduate medical diploma, organized by the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom. The Federation of Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom is responsible in administration of the exam which is administered through partnership of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, and the Royal College of Physicians of London.

The MRCP(UK) diploma examination are designed as knowledge-based assessment for determining core medical training skills. It comprises three parts:

1. MRCP(UK) Part 1 
2. MRCP(UK) Part 2 Written 
3. MRCP(UK) Part 2 Clinical (PACES). 

Accomplishment of success in all the three examinations is necessary for initiation of specialist internal medicine training at the UK. 

Source: MRCP(UK) website www.mrcpuk.org

MRCP(UK) Part 1 Examination

Doctors with 12 months of medical experience after their graduation are eligible for participation in the examination that is held thrice a year, i.e. January, May, and September. The examination is developed for assessment of medical knowledge and skills of applicants in understanding common disorders along with basics associated with clinical science. It is a one-day examination that comprises two papers of three hours each that is organized in an examination hall. The examination paper comprises 200 multiple choice (best of five) questions with absence of images. 

The best of five (BOF) questioning is different multiple choice question (MCQ) format. This format leads to appropriate assessment of candidate’s core knowledge and comprehension approaches with their ability to interpret information and to solve clinical problems. In the BOF format, the question comprises of five possible options that includes a correct answer and four incorrect answers as distractors. There are five options where several choices may be plausible as it possess one correct answer and four alternatives to the correct answer. The four distractors will be closely associated with the preferred option but less correct, therefore they acts as plausible alternatives. The candidate chooses the best answer from the five possible answers. There are lower chances of randomly guessing the correct answer through BOF in comparison to MCQ. The BOF format specifies that more than one option comprises elements depicting correct answer, but only one answer would be accurate. 

The examination paper encompasses questions from different speciality such as cardiology, dermatology, nephrology, etc. Important aspect of the question paper is questions of clinical sciences with topics as clinical anatomy, clinical physiology, genetics, and others. According to the MRCP(UK) (www.mrcpuk.org.) 528 or above scaled score is considered as passing mark of a candidate in the examination that is calculated using a process called equating. Equating is a statistical process that is based upon Item Responsive Theory. This process is adopted for determining comparable scores by placing scores from different test forms over common score scale as ‘overall scaled score’ that is calculated by analysis of question answered by a candidate in examination papers. Equating leads to calculation of accurate difficulty related to questions of the examination that leads to maintenance of fair score for candidates. 

MRCP(UK) Part 2 Written examintion

Physicians who are passed in MRCP(UK) Part 1 examination can take the MRCP(UK) Part 2 Written examination for analysis of their ability of utilizing clinical understanding towards several conditions such as a plan selection for long-term management, prioritization of clinical investigations and adoption of strategy for immediate patient administration. The examination is organized in one day at examination hall that comprises two papers of three hour each with 200 best of five questions (multiple choice questions) three times in a year, i.e. March, June, and October. The question paper of the examination includes images that determine medical knowledge.

The examination paper comprises of clinical questions related to different specialties such as endocrinology, geriatric medicine, oncology and palliative medicine, respiratory medicine, etc. Clinical scenario is observed in questions formatted which may be illustrated through clinical images like pathology slides or X-rays. Applicability of 454 as passing mark in the examination is decided by MRCP(UK) Part 2 Standard Setting Group.

Practical Assessment of Clinical Examination Skills (PACES)

MRCP(UK) Part 2 Clinical Examination (PACES) is developed for assessment of trainee doctors skill and clinical knowledge after completion of MRCP(UK) Part 1 examination. After passing Part 1, candidate have the alternative for either attempting the MRCP(UK) Part 2 Written or Part 2 Clinical (PACES) examinations in order, or simultaneously during the same assessment period that will be discussed in my next post. 

Source: Health Education England. Availaible from www.ksseducation.hee.nhs.uk [Accessed February 2018

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