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The field of emergency medicine is a dynamic and challenging one that demands faster decision-making, great clinical judgement, and communication skills. Pursuing the Membership of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (MRCEM) is a great choice for doctors who dream of a thriving career in this field. Holding this qualification can uplift your career significantly, as it is recognised worldwide and demonstrates your competence, both within the NHS and beyond.

If you are a medical professional interested in pursuing this qualification, this blog will walk you through all you need to know about this exam, its various parts and eligibility requirements for them.

MRCEM: Understanding the exam format

The MRCEM exam is structured in three stages, namely MRCEM Primary, Intermediate SBA, and MRCEM OSCE. All these exams are designed in a way to ensure that candidates are thoroughly prepared to handle all the challenges of emergency medicine practice.

MRCEM Primary

MRCEM Primary is the first written examination that tests aspirants’ basic knowledge and understanding of Emergency Medicine.

Exam format: Multiple choice questions (MCQ) with single best answers (SBA)

Number of questions: 180

Sections: 1

Duration: 3 hours

Location: Pearson vue test centres

MRCEM Intermediate SBA

The Intermediate level of the MRCEM exam, the second part, is a bit different from the Primary exam, which focuses more on recalling facts. The SBA focuses more on applying knowledge in real-life emergency medicine scenarios.

Exam format: MCQs with SBAs

Number of questions: 180

Sections: 2

Duration: 4 hours (2 hours per paper with a 1-hour break in the middle)

Location: Pearson vue test centres

MRCEM OSCE

It is the third and final hurdle in the MRCEM journey. Here, the candidates’ practical skills, patient communication, and clinical decision-making will be thoroughly evaluated. It is structured as an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) with multiple stations.

MRCEM exams: Eligibility criteria

MRCEM Primary

MRCEM Primary applicants must:

• Hold a Primary Medical Qualification (PMQ) accepted by the General Medical Council (GMC)
• Hold a current medical registration (provisional or full)

MRCEM SBA

MRCEM SBA applicants must:

• Have a current full medical registration with a license to practice
• Have 2 years medical experience post primary medical degree level qualification
• Have passed the MRCEM Primary

MRCEM OSCE

MRCEM OSCE applicants must:

• Have a current full medical registration with a license to practice
• Have 6 months FTE Emergency Medicine experience above foundation training (or equivalent)
• Have passed both the MRCEM Primary and MRCEM SBA (or past equivalent)

So, that’s all about the MRCEM exams. We have covered everything from the various parts of MRCEM exams to their format and eligibility. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to our team at any time. In addition, if you are planning to appear for any exam parts, whether it is MRCEM Primary, SBA, or OSCE, you can consider joining our expert-led MRCEM courses that hold an impressive overall pass rate of 95%.

You can even explore our free resources, curated by our team of expert mentors, through the StudyMEDIC LMS 3.0 before enrolling in the course. You are welcome to know more about our courses.

Authored By: Sarath