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.
There are three 'Parts' to the MRCPI in General Medicine exam:
Each Part is taken separately and must be passed before you can progress to the next stage.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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).
This document contains more detailed information about the exam and the questions to expect
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.
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.
All candidates applying to sit an exam must agree to abide by all applicable policies and regulations, please see here for more information.
The applications for MRCPI GM Part I Written examination on 25 August 2022 are now closed. Please note that:
The next GM Part I sitting will be held in January 2023, the application links will appear on our website in September/October.
Before you apply, please read our Cancellation policy
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