Exam information
MRCEM Primary
The purpose of the MRCEM Primary exam is to assess your fundamental knowledge and abilities necessary for pursuing a profession in Emergency Medicine within Ireland and the United Kingdom.
In a span of three hours, you must answer 180 single-best-answer (SBA) questions that are designed to gauge your competence in the application of clinical knowledge based on RCEM Basic Science Curriculum (June 2010).
The exam content covers the following topics:
1. Anatomy - 60 questions
2. Physiology - 60 questions
3. Pharmacology - 24 questions
4. Microbiology - 17 questions
5. Pathology - 9 questions
6. Evidence-based medicine - 10 questions
In order to be successful in the MRCEM Primary exam, it is crucial that you have a command over these subjects and can effectively apply their knowledge in emergency department scenarios.
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.
The MRCEM primary costs £369 to sit in the UK
More information on upcoming dates available on https://rcem.ac.uk/exam-mrcem/
MRCEM Intermediate SBA
The MRCEM intermediate SBA came into existence in the second half of 2021 when it replaced the FRCEM intermediate SAQ. It is mapped to the 2021 RCEM curriculum which itself is organised into SLO's (Specialty Learning Outcomes). The MRCEM examinations cover SLO's 1-7 & 9.
A Specialty Learning Outcome (SLO) generally outlines a wide-ranging objective for learning that can be relevant to various aspects of the clinical syllabus. As an example SLO 1 is 'Care for physiologically stable adult patients presenting to acute care across the full range of complexity'.
According to guidance from MRCEM on this particular SLO, we should expect an assessment that covers the subsequent topics:
Allergy
Cardiology
Dermatology
Ear, nose and throat
Elderly care / frailty
Endocrinology
Environmental emergencies
Gastroenterology and hepatology
Haematology
Infectious diseases
Maxillofacial / dental
Mental Health
Musculoskeletal (non-traumatic)
Nephrology
Neurology
Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Oncological Emergencies
Ophthalmology
Pain & sedation
Pharmacology and poisoning
Respiratory
Surgical emergencies
Urology
Vascular
The MRCEM Intermediate SBA consists of 180 single best answer (SBA) questions delivered in two 120 minute papers with 90 questions per paper.
SLO 1: Complex stable patient 55
SLO 3: Resuscitation 40
SLO 4: Injured patient 30
SLO 5: PEM 25
SLO 6: Procedural skills 20
SLO 7: Complex or challenging situations 10
The MRCEM (intermediate) SBA costs £369 to sit in the UK.
More information on upcoming dates available on https://rcem.ac.uk/exam-mrcem/