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MRCEM Exam 2024: A Comprehensive Guide

MRCEM (Membership from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine) is a highly esteemed qualification that will be a stepping stone for your career growth in emergency medicine. The MRCEM Exam 2024 is the gateway to one of the best postgraduate programmes for an overseas doctor to get GMC registration in order to practise in the UK as an emergency medical doctor.

MRCEM Exam Format

MRCEM consists of three parts. They are MRCEM Primary, MRCEM Intermediate SBA, and MRCEM OSCE, respectively, attempted in the same order. They are formulated to test your skills, knowledge, and behaviour in training.

Besides, one must pass the initial exam to enter subsequent examinations. Membership will be awarded only after completing all three component examinations.

MRCEM Primary Examination

The MRCEM Primary Examination consists of 180 questions and is a Single Best Answer (SBA) paper with a duration of three hours. It follows a pattern of the best of five. On choosing the best answer, one receives a point. In addition, the exam focuses on testing basic sciences with a limited clinical focus.

• Exam Type: Theory
• Exam format: MCQs with single best answers (SBA)
• Number of Questions: 180
• Sub-Sections: 1
• Total Duration: 3 hours

MRCEM Intermediate SBA

The MRCEM SBA exam consists of two papers with 90 single-best answer questions in each, and each exam is two hours. The candidates are advised to have an expected standard of IELTS Level 7 for completion of the MRCEM examinations. A modified Angoff method is used to mark the exam.

• Exam Type: Theory
• Exam Format: MCQs with single best answers (SBA)
• Number of Questions: 180
• Sub-Sections: 2
• Total Duration: 4 hours

MRCEM OSCE Examination

The MRCEM OSCE is the third and last exam that should be cleared for membership in the Royal College of Emergency Medicine. The exam places heavy emphasis on assessing the clinical and communication skills of the candidates. In addition, it ensures that the aspirants are ready for higher training. The MRCEM OSCE consists of 16 8-minute stations with one minute of reading time between stations. There are also two rest stations for the exam.

• Exam Type: Practical Clinical
• Exam Format: Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE)
• Sub-Sections: 16
• Total Duration: 2 hours, 42 minutes (16 x 8-minute stations with 1 minute of reading time each and 2 x rest stations)

Exam Preparation Tips:

• Revise Consistently: Structure your revision around the RCEM curriculum in order to complete the humongous task of going through the entire syllabus multiple times. This also helps you avoid losing time through cross-referencing.
• Master Time Management: Use a high volume of questions to practise your time management skills, as these are extremely essential for the theoretical examinations. They also help in thoroughly comprehending the core concepts.
• Stimulate the Real Test: Use practice exams with a similar structure to that of the real exam; this is highly important for both theoretical and practical examinations as they provide a great deal of clarity to candidates about their strengths and weaknesses.
• Sharpen your Reasoning Skills: Give importance to developing your logical reasoning skills, as they are rigorously tested along with your memory.

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