Medical Exams and Assessments
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow is dedicated to supporting you through every stage of your career as a physician. As the UK’s only multi-disciplinary Royal College, completing your exams with us means you’ll join a global community of inspiring healthcare professionals committed to improving patient care.
Our exams are conducted in Glasgow, throughout the UK and in a selection of countries around the world.
MRCP(UK)
What is MRCP(UK)?
Membership of the Royal College of Physicians of the United Kingdom or MRCP (UK) is a requirement for anyone looking to pursue a medical specialty.
To gain your MRCP(UK) you need to sit a standardised, three-part exam that we develop in partnership with the UK’s other Royal Colleges. Once you're qualified, membership of a college will enable you to use the MRCP(UK) postnominals.
College staff are responsible for administering all aspects of your MRCP(UK) exam and can offer support if you have any questions on applying or an aspect of the process. Simply get in touch.
Looking for support in sitting your MRCP(UK) exams? The College offers a variety of support including Digital Learning modules and practical prep courses.
MRCP(UK) Specialty Examinations (SCE)
What are the MRCP(UK) Specialty Examinations?
The Specialty Certificate Examinations (SCEs) are internationally recognised, postgraduate qualifications that demonstrate your ability within a specific field.
The SCEs are administered by the Federation of Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK. Each SCE tests both clinical knowledge and your understanding of current medical thinking.
The exams are designed to ensure you have sufficient knowledge to practice safely and competently as a consultant. They will complement any workplace-based assessments. The following speciality examinations are available:
- Acute medicine
- Dermatology
- Endocrinology and diabetes
- European Specialty Examination in Gastroenterology and Hepatology (ESEGH)
- Geriatric medicine
- Medical oncology
- European Specialty Examination in Nephrology (ESENeph)
- Neurology
- Palliative medicine
- Respiratory medicine
- Rheumatology
For more information on SCEs, visit the the Federation website.
MRCP Examiners
How do I become an MRCP Examiner
If you’re an experienced clinician and looking to contribute to the education of new and aspiring physicians, you can become a College examiner overseeing the MRCP(UK) exams.
Becoming an examiner is a great way to boost your professional development and gain CPD points during training and upon the completion of an exam diet. It also gives you aperfect opportunity to network with colleagues and help shape the future of the profession.
More information on becoming an examiner can be found on the Federation website.
Eligibility criteria
Before you apply to become an examiner, you should ensure you meet the following criteria:
- Have an MRCP(UK) qualification (desirable)
- Be a Member or Fellow in good standing of one of the UK’s Royal Colleges of Physicians (those outside the UK must be a Fellow)
- Be GMC registered with a licence to practise and in good standing (or regulatory equivalent in your country of practice)
- Have been involved with physicians’ training within the last two years
- UK only: Participate in revalidation, including annual appraisal in your current post and adhere to CPD requirements
- UK only: Have undergone equality and diversity training within the past three years.
- Have achieved the Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or be on the specialist register, and be in a substantive consultant post
- Examiners must also successfully complete the free PACES examiner training. If you’re unable to take part in the required number of cycles over two years, you’ll be asked to refresh your examiner training
Examiner commitment
As a minimum, we ask that examiners commit to examining 30 candidates over two days, every two years.
We’re committed to offering a flexible schedule with many options. For example, you might be able to examine over two cycles (8am – 3pm) or three cycles (8am – 6pm) in a single day.
Get Help with PACES
To help you achieve success in your MRCP(UK), we offer a PACES revision pack that contains all the information you need on the different modules you’ll be expected to cover.
MRCP(UK) PACES Revision modules
Each module includes an introduction to the station, top tips from a PACES expert, a behind-the-scenes look at the process of examiner calibration, an example of a satisfactory and unsatisfactory grade and PACES exam tips.
Access the modules