It is expected that candidates taking the clinical examination have a minimum of 12 months but ideally 15 months of experience in paediatric practice and can proficiently perform physical examinations to the level required of a registrar. Clinical judgement, management skills and communication are also assessed.
- You must have passed MCRPI Paediatrics Part II Written within the last three years or have an exemption qualification
- If this three-year period has expired, you must re-sit Part II Written
- You also need 12 months' post-registration clinical paediatric experience by the date of the exam (internship experience is not accepted)
If you hold FRACP you may apply on the basis of exemption from the Part II Written exam.
If the number of applications for this exam exceeds the number of places available, ordinarily we will prioritise doctors on our Basic Specialist Training programme and those with only one attempt left. We do not allocate for this exam based on application date, it is not first come, first served.
Bookings will be an application only with no fee attached so as to register your interest to sit the exam. Successful candidates will be contacted after the closing date to complete the payment then.
No documentation is needed for this application, unless applying in the basis of exemption. In this case, you will be asked to upload a copy of your exemption qualification.
If you hold FRACP you may apply on the basis of exemption from the Part II Written exam.
It's important to prepare for MRCPI exams and not to underestimate how long it takes to get ready. Having an understanding of how each exam is formatted will help you prepare and develop good answering strategies.
When you're preparing your study plan, make sure to refer to the following documents:
The maximum number of times a candidate can sit any part of an MRCPI examination is limited to six attempts.
This means that you have six attempts at each component of the MRCPI exams (so 18 attempts in total across the three parts).
You must pass the Clinical examination within three years from passing your MRCPI Part II Written. See the Information and Resources section for more information.
If you require a visa to sit an exam, it is your responsibility to ensure the visa application is made in sufficient time before the examination date. We have no role in granting or refusing visas. A refund will not be given if you are unable to attend the examination as a result of a visa-related problem.
The fee to sit Part II Clinical in Ireland in 2023 is €820 for both Irish and overseas students.
The fee to sit Part II Clinical in Ireland in 2024 is €845 for both Irish and overseas students.
The fee to sit Part II Clinical International in 2023 is €1,420.
The fee to sit Part II Clinical International in 2024 is €1,460.
The method of payment is credit or debit card, taken at the end of the online application process.
Don't forget: if you're working in Ireland you can claim a refund of the successful examination fee under the HSE Clinical Course and Examination Refund Scheme.
All applications need to be submitted online via an application form. Please see Exam Applications for all exam updates including application links, and our Exam Calendar for upcoming exam dates.
We have a dedicated examinations support team in our Dublin headquarters. They are there to guide you through your full exam journey, from application to MRCPI conferring. They are present at every exam and always happy to answer your questions.
Contact us at helpdesk@rcpi.ie or tel: +353 18639721 (open Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm Irish time).