MRCEM Primary Information

Q: When is the next sitting of the MRCEM Primary?

The next sitting of the MRCEM Primary is on 13 May 2025, with an application deadline of 24 February 2025. Another sitting is scheduled for 28 October 2025, with an application deadline of 28 July 2025.

Q: How much does the MRCEM Primary cost?

The MRCEM Primary costs £415 for UK members, £460 for international members, £498 for UK non-members, and £554 for international non-members in 2025.

Q: What is the pass rate for the MRCEM Primary?

Based on previous examinations, the pass rate for the MRCEM Primary is typically around 50%.

Q: What is the format of the MRCEM Primary?

The MRCEM Primary is a 3-hour examination consisting of 180 best-of-five (single best answer) questions. Topics include Anatomy (60 questions), Physiology (60 questions), Pharmacology (27 questions), Microbiology (18 questions), Pathology (9 questions), and Evidence-based Medicine (6 questions).

Q: What are the eligibility criteria for the MRCEM Primary?

Applicants must hold a Primary Medical Qualification (PMQ) accepted by the General Medical Council (GMC) and have a current medical registration (full or provisional).

Q: How many times can I attempt the MRCEM Primary?

Candidates can attempt the MRCEM Primary up to six times. Additionally, candidates have seven years to complete all MRCEM exams. After completing the MRCEM, candidates have seven years to pass their first FRCEM exam and another seven years to complete all FRCEM components.

Q: How do I apply for the MRCEM Primary?

Each exam sitting has a 7-day application window, which opens at 10am UK time and closes at 4pm UK time on the deadline. Applications can be submitted through the RCEM application page. Email reminders are available via the RCEM website to ensure candidates do not miss the application window.

The MRCEM primary is the first exam doctors will sit on their way to obtaining membership to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (MRCEM) and ultimately fellowship to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (FRCEM). The first sitting of the MRCEM primary began back in December 2021. The RCEM has a history of changing exam names. In 2018, the RCEM replaced the MRCEM part A with the FRCEM primary to create a single suite of examinations culminating in the award of Fellowship of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (FRCEM). In 2021, the RCEM reverted back to the MRCEM/FRCEM system, and the FRCEM primary examination was rebranded and replaced by the MRCEM primary.

MRCEM Primary Exam Dates

When is the next sitting of the MRCEM Primary?

Exam Date	Application Deadline	Results Date
13 May 2025	24 Feb 2025	17 June 2025
28 Oct 2025	28 July 2025	4 Dec 2025

MRCEM Examination Fees

How much does the MRCEM Primary cost?

This table outlines the fees for the MRCEM Primary examination for members and non-members in the UK and internationally in 2025.

MRCEM Examination Fees for 2025
Examination	Membership Category	Fee 2025
MRCEM PRIMARY	Member UK	£415
	Member International	£460
	Non-member UK	£498
	Non-member International	£554

FAQs

What is the pass rate for the MRCEM Primary?

Based on results of the previous FRCEM/MRCEM primary examinations, the pass rate is typically around 50%.

What is the format of the MRCEM Primary?

The MRCEM primary is a 3-hour long paper that contains 180 best-of-five (single best answer) questions. The number of questions on each topic is shown below.

Topic	Number of Questions
Anatomy	60
Physiology	60
Pharmacology	27
Microbiology	18
Pathology	9
Evidence-based Medicine	6

What topics are covered in the MRCEM primary syllabus ?

The 6 categories shown above are comprised of the following topics as shown in the table below

Curriculum Category	Syllabus categories/highlighted descriptors	Questions
Anatomy	Upper limb Lower limb Thorax Abdomen Head and neck CNS Cranial nerve lesions	60
Physiology	Basic cellular Respiratory Cardiovascular Gastrointestinal Renal Endocrine	60
Pharmacology	Gastrointestinal Cardiovascular Respiratory CNS Infections Endocrine Fluids and electrolytes Musculoskeletal Immunological products and vaccines Anaesthesia	24
Microbiology	Principes of microbiology Pathogen groups	17
Pathology	Inflammatory response immune response Infection Wound healing Haematology	9
Evidence based medicine	Statistics Study methodology Principles of critical appraisal	10

What are the eligibility criteria for the MRCEM Primary?

New eligibility criteria for all MRCEM and FRCEM exams have been introduced for exams taking place in 2025 onwards. MRCEM primary applicants must:

Hold a PMQ accepted by the General Medical Council (GMC)
Have a current medical registration (full or provisional)

How many times can I attempt the MRCEM primary?

Candidates can have a maximum of six attempts at each MRCEM exam component, and a maximum of four attempts at FRCEM exam components.

Candidates will have seven years to complete all MRCEM exams. After completing MRCEM, candidates will then have seven years to take and pass their first FRCEM exam, and seven years to complete FRCEM exams once they have passed their first FRCEM component.

How do I apply for the MRCEM Primary?

Each exam sitting has a 7 day application window. The application window opens at 10am UK time (7 days before the deadline date shown in the table above) and closes at 4pm UK time on the closing date. Applications can be filled in at the RCEM application page The RCEM has an email reminder service so you don't miss the application window. You can sign up for email reminders here

Where can I get more information on the MRCEM Primary?

The RCEM has lots of useful information on the MRCEM primary. You can find links to their resources and other valuable revision tools in the footer of this page. We've tried to summarise everything in the video below.