Exam Eligibility and Adjustments

Exam Eligibility

New eligibility criteria for all MRCEM and FRCEM exams have been introduced for exams taking place in 2025 onwards. These new criteria have been carefully reviewed and developed to simplify the application process, with candidates now only needing to provide information pertaining to the specific exam they are applying to.

As part of these updates, we have introduced new currency for our exams in line with Academy of Medical Royal Colleges best practice. Candidates will have seven years to complete all MRCEM exams. After completing MRCEM, candidates will then have seven years to take and pass their first FRCEM exam, and seven years to complete FRCEM exams once they have passed their first FRCEM component. More information about exam currency can be found below.

Candidates must meet all eligibility criteria for the respective exam at the point of application, rather than the date of the exam.

Take our Exam Eligibility Quiz for a quick guide on your eligibility for our exams; this is a guide only, and all exam applications will be reviewed against the eligibility criteria listed below. For specific questions, feel free to email our Exams team for assistance at exams@rcem.ac.uk.

A summary of the updated eligibility criteria are listed below.

MRCEM Primary

MRCEM Primary applicants must:

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

MRCEM SBA

MRCEM SBA applicants must:

• Hold a PMQ accepted by the General Medical Council (GMC)
• Have a current full medical registration with a license to practice
• Have 2 years medical experience post primary medical degree level qualification (including internship/house jobs completed post-degree)
• Have passed the MRCEM Primary

MRCEM OSCE

MRCEM OSCE applicants must:

• Hold a PMQ accepted by the General Medical Council (GMC)
• Have a current full medical registration with a license to practice
• Have 6 months FTE Emergency Medicine experience above Foundation training or equivalent (post-full registration experience)
• Have passed both the MRCEM Primary and MRCEM SBA

FRCEM SBA and FRCEM OSCE

Candidates may choose to apply for the FRCEM SBA or FRCEM OSCE in either order.

All FRCEM SBA and FRCEM OSCE applicants must:

• Hold a PMQ accepted by the General Medical Council
• Have a current full medical registration with a license to practice
• Have completed MRCEM (or equivalent)

And, if a UK trainee, must:

• Have 12 months FTE Emergency Medicine experience at Higher Specialty Training level or equivalent

If a non-trainee, must:

• Have 4 years FTE Emergency Medicine training, 1 year of which must be at a higher specialty level

Exam Currency:

Candidates will have seven years to complete all MRCEM exams. After completing MRCEM, candidates will then have seven years to take and pass their first FRCEM exam, and seven years to complete FRCEM exams once they have passed their first FRCEM component.

For example:

• If a candidate passes the MRCEM Primary in November 2024, they must take and pass both the MRCEM SBA and MRCEM OSCE by November 2031
• If a candidate completes MRCEM in December 2024, they must take and pass one of the FRCEM exams by December 2031
• If a candidate passes the FRCEM SBA in October 2024, they must complete the remaining FRCEM exams by October 2031

No candidates should be negatively affected by this change. We have identified candidates who have not completed the MRCEM SBA and MRCEM OSCE after passing the MRCEM Primary more than seven years ago. These candidates will have a 24-month extension applied to their account automatically, allowing them to complete the missing MRCEM components.

Additionally, candidates who have not yet passed either FRCEM component within seven years of completing MRCEM will also be granted a 24-month extension to complete the FRCEM SBA and FRCEM OSCE to obtain FRCEM.

These extensions will be applied to identified candidates accounts automatically, and they do not need to contact the Exams team to apply for it. Candidates who face any difficulties in applying as normal during the application window can contact exams@rcem.ac.uk. The Exams team will review and manually add an extension if appropriate.

Reasonable Adjustments

Reasonable adjustments to exam sittings

The College is committed to ensuring candidates have fair opportunities at undertaking exams. Candidates wishing to request a reasonable adjustment for their exam sitting must indicate so within their application form and provide supporting evidence from a relevant professional outlining their specific needs and the adjustments recommended. All requests must be submitted with the exam application and will be reviewed as part of the application process. Each request will be considered on a case by case basis by the College and candidates will be notified the outcome of their application in writing. Exam adjustments which may be approved with the appropriate supporting evidence include:

• Extra exam time
• Rest breaks
• Access to medication, food, drink and/or toilet facilities
• A scribe or reader
• Separate exam room
• Screen overlays or adjustments

Candidates who will be pregnant or have given birth within the prior 26 weeks at the time of the examination can request reasonable adjustments according to their specific needs and these will be considered on an individual basis. Candidates requiring facilities to breastfeed or express (for children of any age) while they are at their examination centre should contact the Exams Department so that arrangements can be facilitated as best as possible.

Full details of reasonable adjustments and the process can be found in the regulations packs for each exam in the links provide in the eligibility section above.