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.
Exam date | Application deadline | Results date |
---|---|---|
24th November 2022 | 19th September 2022 | 23rd December 2022 |
17th May 2023 | 6th Feb 2023 | TBC |
22nd Nov 2023 | 14th Aug 2023 | TBC |
The MRCEM primary costs £330 to sit in the UK.
Based on results of the previous FRCEM/MRCEM primary examinations the pass rate is typically around 50%
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 |
The RCEM has lots of useful information on the MRCEM primary. Links to their resources are shown in the footer along with other vaulable revision tools.