General Medicine Part I

Get an internationally recognised qualification with Membership of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland

Membership of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (MRCPI) can help you to fast track your medical career. MRCPI is achieved through examination which can be taken just six months after graduating from medical school; allowing you to get an early start on your medical career.

Gaining MRCPI in General Medicine shows potential employers that you have advanced knowledge of General Medicine - you can effectively take a patient's history, perform clinical examinations and formulate investigation and management plans.

The MRCPI in General Medicine Part I exam is now held through computer-based examination - this fully online process means you don’t have to travel to an examination centre – saving you time and money.

MRCPI General Medicine at a glance

There are three 'Parts' to the MRCPI in General Medicine exam:

  1. MRCPI Part I
  2. MRCPI Part II Written
  3. MRCPI Part II Clinical

Each Part is taken separately and must be passed before you can progress to the next stage.

About MRCPI General Medicine Part I

The MRCPI General Medicine Part I examination consists of one paper with 100 Single Best Answer questions. You have three hours to complete the exam. There is no negative marking and each question is equally weighted.

Single Best Answer questions consist of a 'vignette' (clinical scenario) followed by five possible answers. You must select the single best answer.

Questions in Part I are selected to achieve a balanced spread across medical specialties, the sciences underlying evidence-based medical practice, and the basic skills required in general medicine.

Questions will be on common or important diseases in hospital or community practice. At least 75% of the questions will concern direct clinical care of inpatients and outpatients in hospital medical practice. Correct answers will be within up-to-date guidelines for diagnosis and management.

Basic science questions may cover anatomy, bacteriology, biochemistry, ethics, genetics, immunology, metabolics, physiology, principles of evidence-based practice and statistics.

Prepare for the MRCPI General Medicine examinations with our free course

Get expert advice on preparing for the examinations with our free MRCPI General Medicine Skills Course for Exam Candidates. This course will provide information on the examinations, how to prepare and includes 180 Single Best Answer practice questions.

Important information and frequently asked questions

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  • Recently graduated doctors. You can sit MRCPI General Medicine Part I just six months after graduation 
  • Doctors working anywhere in the world who are looking for an internationally recognised qualification
  • Doctors who have not yet joined a specialist training programme who have recently graduated from medical school
  • Doctors who previously sat Part I but were not successful in passing this exam
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Six months, six times, six years

There must be at least six months between the date of your primary medical degree graduation and the date of the exam.

From January 2019 the maximum number of times a candidate can sit any Part of an MRCPI examination will be limited to six attempts.

This will mean that you have six attempts at each component of the MRCPI exams (i.e. 18 attempts in total across the three Parts).

You must pass the Part I examination within six years of your first attempt. Click Here for more information

A When you apply for this exam you will need to upload a scanned attested copy of your primary medical degree.  Candidates who are registered with the Medical Council (Ireland or UK) may provide proof of Medical Council registration instead of uploading their Primary Medical Degree. The attestation must appear on the front of the copy. Your degree can be attested by:
  • An Garda Siochana (Irish police force)
  • The issuing University or Medical School
  • A solicitor/ notary public/ lawyer
  • A Commissioner for oaths
  • An Irish or British Consulate
  • Your Embassy or High Commissioner
Official translations will only be accepted if they have been prepared and/or authenticated by:
  • The issuing University or Medical School
  • An Irish or British Consulate
  • Your Embassy or High Commissioner
  You must also upload a recent colour passport-style photograph (minimum resolution of 100*100 pixels). This is an online application process - Please do not post your application or any supporting documents.
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Avail of our free MRCPI General Medicine Skills Course for Exams Candidates.

It is important to prepare for MRCPI exams and not to underestimate how long it takes to get ready to sit Part I. Having an understanding of how each exam is formatted and how questions are constructed will help you prepare and develop good answering strategies. When working in a busy clinical job with acute medical take, you should allow three to four months to prepare for MRCPI Part I.

When you're preparing your study plan, make sure to refer to the curriculum for Basic Specialist Training in General Internal Medicine, as the MRCPI in General Medicine is based on this curriculum. It serves as a 'blueprint' for the exam.

You should practise Single Best Answer questions by using books or online resources.

You should also read the regulations document for this exam, also available below.

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The fee for MRCPI examination has increased in line with the rising costs associated with delivering the exams, effective for all exams taken after 1 August 2022. Modest fee increases are spread across the three exam components

The fee to sit Part I is €690 in Ireland and Overseas. 

Don't forget, if you're in Ireland you can claim a refund under the HSE Clinical Course and Examination Refund Scheme. Click here for more information

A All our written examinations will be delivered by remote invigilation. You sit the same examination (structure, format and length) online, but in a quiet, secure place of your choosing. Instead of travelling to an examination centre and sitting the computer-based examination with other candidates, you do the same test as originally planned, but at your own computer – e.g. at home or at work. Candidates are supervised remotely by invigilators throughout the examination. A quiet, secure environment means:
  • A room to which you have exclusive access (single occupancy - not shared)
  • A room that does not have integrated security cameras, or any recording equipment, other than the webcam on your PC or laptop
  • You are confident you will not be disturbed during the examination, e.g. by traffic, construction work, or people
Click here for more information
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If you have one of the qualifications listed below, you are exempt from MRCPI General Medicine Part I, which means you are eligible to apply to MRCPI General Medicine Part II Written now.

As part of the application process you will be asked to upload an attested copy of your equivalent qualification(s).

  • MRCP(UK)
  • MRCPath
  • MRCPCH
  • MRACP
  • FRCP(C)
  • FCP(SA)
  • Arab Boards in Medicine and Paediatrics
  • Saudi Boards in Medicine and Paediatrics
  • Omani Specialty Boards in General Medicine and Paediatrics
  • Kuwait Boards of Medicine and Paediatrics
  • MRCPsych
  • FCPS in Medicine and Paediatrics (Pakistan)
  • The American Boards in General (Internal) Medicine and Paediatrics
  • MMed (Malaysia)

Curriculum for Basic Specialist Training in General Internal Medicine

MRCPI General Medicine examination regulations

This document contains more detailed information about the exam and the questions to expect

Examinations Calendar 2023

Please click the button below to visit the RCPI Examinations Calendar for 2023. This includes examination dates, application opening and closing dates and examination fees.

Updated Policies

Three policies affecting candidates for RCPI examinations have been revised. The new policies apply to all candidates sitting RCPI exams held after 2 July 2022.

  • RCPI Cancellation Policy
  • RCPI Reasonable Adjustments Policy for Exams
  • RCPI Exams Appeals Policy

All candidates applying to sit an exam must agree to abide by all applicable policies and regulations, please see here for more information.

Apply Here

The applications for MRCPI GM Part I Written examination on 25 August 2022 are now closed. Please note that:

  • Verifications are completed up to two weeks after the closing date for applications.
  • GM Part I Written is now held online, via remote invigilation. Candidates may sit the exam anywhere in the world, provided they have a reliable internet connection. Click here for more details: https://www.rcpi.ie/examinations/remote-invigilation/.
  • Results are sent via email three weeks after the exam date.

The next GM Part I sitting will be held in January 2023, the application links will appear on our website in September/October.

Cancellation policy

Before you apply, please read our Cancellation policy

RCPI Helpdesk

Tel: +353 1 8639721

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