Information covering MRCEM Primary, MRCEM SBA & MRCEM OSCE exams.
To achieve MRCEM and to be eligible for College Membership, the following exams must be passed in the following order:
+ 1. MRCEM PrimaryThe MRCEM Primary examination is a theoretical exam mapped to the Emergency Medicine 2021 Curriculum with more detailed information provided in the RCEM Basic Sciences Curriculum (June 2010) which is available on the RCEM website. All applicants for the MRCEM Primary examination are strongly advised to familiarise themselves with the Basic Sciences Curriculum in preparation for sitting the MRCEM Primary examination. The MRCEM Primary exam was previously called the FRCEM Primary from August 2016 – July 2021.
+ Who can sit the exam?No previous experience in Emergency Medicine is required for the MRCEM Primary exam.
A candidate will be eligible to enter the MRCEM Primary examination provided they hold a medical qualification approved by the General Medical Council (GMC) for the purposes of registration.
The examination is conducted in English and candidates are advised that IELTS Level 7 is the expected standard for completion of MRCEM and FRCEM examinations.
Please see the Exam Calendar
Candidates must apply for the exam online, during the published application window.
Applications will open at 10am on the morning of the application opening date listed on the Exam Calendar and close automatically at 4pm (UK time) on the listed closing date. Applications must be completed before 4pm on the closing date, late applications will not be accepted. See
Exam Applications.
Our fees can be viewed on our Exam calendar and fees page.
RCEM delivers its written examinations worldwide via computer-based testing company, Pearson VUE. You can search for a test centre near you on the Pearson VUE website.
The MRCEM Primary examination consists of a 3-hour, multiple choice question (MCQ) paper of 180, single best answer questions (SBAQ).
The exam blueprint and sample questions are available in the MRCEM Primary Regulations & Information pack. (November 2023)
Guidance for Candidates with Additional Requirements
The College is committed to supporting candidates by providing fair opportunities
when undertaking examinations. Candidates may submit a request for reasonable
adjustments and should note that the responsibility for requesting adjustments lies
with them. Please see this guidance here.
The MRCEM Primary is machine marked, a correct answer is awarded 1 mark and an incorrect answer is awarded 0, negative marking does not apply. The pass mark for the exam is determined using the Angoff method.
See Angoff Explained.
Results will be published on a pre-advised day by 17:00, approximately 6-8 weeks after the date of the examination (the date will be made available here). Results will be released to candidates’ College website accounts where results letters can be downloaded on demand. Examination results will not be issued or confirmed by telephone or email.
Glossary of terms used in RCEM examinations (April 2023)
The MRCEM SBA is a theoretical exam assessing understanding of the full range of conditions and presentation that may be encountered in the ED. Candidates should familiarise themselves with the Year 1-3 SLOs in preparation for sitting the examination. The MRCEM SBA examination replaced the FRCEM Intermediate SAQ from August 2021.
+ Who can sit the exam?The MRCEM SBA is the second exam required for MRCEM and is open to candidates who have passed the MRCEM Primary (or equivalent) exam. There is no eligibility requirement for experience in EM but candidates will find this beneficial. Applicants are required to hold a medical qualification approved by the General Medical Council (GMC) for the purposes of registration and are required to have completed the UK training programme or equivalent (and submit electronic evidence at the point of application.)
The examination is conducted in English and candidates are advised that IELTS Level 7 is the expected standard for completion of MRCEM and FRCEM examinations.
Please see the Exam Calendar
Candidates must apply for the exam online, during the published application window.
Applications will open at 10am on the morning of the application opening date listed on the Exam Calendar and close automatically at 4pm (UK time) on the listed closing date. Applications must be completed before 4pm on the closing date, late applications will not be accepted.
See Applications page
Please refer to the list of examination fees.
RCEM delivers its written examinations worldwide via computer-based testing company, Pearson VUE. You can search for a test centre near you on the Pearson VUE website.
The MRCEM SBA examination consists of 180 SBA questions presented across two papers each lasting two hours. An hour’s break is provided in the middle of the exam.
The exam blueprint and sample questions are available in the MRCEM SBA Regulations & Information pack. (December 2023)
The sample questions can also be found here: MRCEM SBA sample questions.
Guidance for Candidates with Additional Requirements
The College is committed to supporting candidates by providing fair opportunities
when undertaking examinations. Candidates may submit a request for reasonable
adjustments and should note that the responsibility for requesting adjustments lies
with them. Please see this guidance here.
The MRCEM SBA is machine marked, a correct answer is awarded 1 mark and an incorrect answer is awarded 0, negative marking does not apply. The cut score for the exam is determined using the Angoff method, +1 Standard Error Measurement is added to create the pass mark.
Results will be published on a pre-advised day by 17:00, approximately five weeks after the date of the examination. Results will be released to candidates’ College website accounts where results letters can be downloaded on demand. Examination results will not be issued or confirmed by telephone or email.
Glossary of terms used in RCEM examinations (April 2023)
The MRCEM OSCE is the third exam required for Membership of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and assesses the clinical and communication skills of trainees and ensures that they are those of someone ready for higher training. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine has gained approval from the GMC to change the MRCEM OSCE mark scheme from checklist marking to domain-based marking (in line with the current FRCEM OSCE examination). This change will commence from September 2022 in all UK and International exams. This change is based on successful MRCEM OSCE Piloting, as well as existing FRCEM OSCE data which showed superior station discrimination and increased reliability for the examination when replacing checklist mark schemes with a domain-based mark scheme for OSCE Stations.
+ Who can sit the exam?The MRCEM OSCE is open to candidates who have passed the Primary and MRCEM SBA (or equivalent). Candidates are also required to have at least 24 months experience post qualification and at least six months experience in EM (post FY1/intern level).
The examination is conducted in English and candidates are advised that IELTS Level 7 is the expected standard for completion of MRCEM and FRCEM examinations.
Please see the Exam Calendar
Candidates must apply for the exam online, during the published application window.
Applications will open at 10am on the morning of the application opening date listed on the Exam Calendar and close automatically at 4pm (UK time) on the listed closing date. Applications must be completed before 4pm on the closing date, late applications will not be accepted.
Please refer to the list of examination fees.
The MRCEM OSCE is delivered in London (UK), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Kochi (India).
The MRCEM OSCE consists of 16 8-minute stations, with one minute reading time between stations. There are also two rest stations in the exam.
The exam blueprint and sample questions are available in the MRCEM OSCE Regulations & Information pack. (December 2023)
Guidance for Candidates with Additional Requirements
The College is committed to supporting candidates by providing fair opportunities
when undertaking examinations. Candidates may submit a request for reasonable
adjustments and should note that the responsibility for requesting adjustments lies
with them. Please see this guidance here.
The MRCEM OSCE is assessed using domain-based marking.
The cut score for this exam is determined using the borderline regression method, +1 Standard Error Measurement is added to create the pass mark.
Please see the document “Domain Based Marking” (PDF download)
Results will be published on a pre-advised day by 17:00, approximately five weeks after the date of the examination. Results will be released to candidates’ College website accounts where results letters can be downloaded on demand. Examination results will not be issued or confirmed by telephone or email.
Further information on exams required for FRCEM
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News and updates on RCEM examinations
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Regulations and policies including appeals, conduct & misconduct
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