• Doctors working in Government or Military hospitals who have not yet joined a specialist training programme who have recently graduated from medical school
• Recently graduated doctors. You can sit MRCPI General Medicine Part I just six months after graduation 
• Doctors working anywhere in the world who are looking for an internationally recognised qualification
• Doctors who previously sat Part I but were not successful in passing this exam

Six months, six times, six years

There must be at least six months between the date of your primary medical degree graduation and the date of the exam.

From January 2019 the maximum number of times a candidate can sit any Part of an MRCPI examination will be limited to six attempts.

This will mean that you have six attempts at each component of the MRCPI exams (i.e. 18 attempts in total across the three Parts).

You must pass the Part I examination within six years of your first attempt.

When you apply for this exam you will need to upload a scanned attested copy of your primary medical degree. The attestation must appear on the front of the copy. Your degree can be attested by:

• An Garda Siochana (Irish police force)
• The issuing University or Medical School
• A solicitor/ notary public/ lawyer
• A Commissioner for oaths
• An Irish or British Consulate
• Your Embassy or High Commissioner

Official translations will only be accepted if they have been prepared and/or authenticated by:

• The issuing University or Medical School
• An Irish or British Consulate
• Your Embassy or High Commissioner

Candidates who are registered with the Medical Council (Ireland or UK) may provide proof of Medical Council registration instead of uploading their Primary Medical Degree.

You must also upload a recent colour passport-style photograph (minimum resolution of 100*100 pixels).

This is an online application process - Please do not post your application or any supporting documents.

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.

Avail of our free MRCPI General Medicine Skills Course for Exams Candidates.

It is important to prepare for MRCPI exams and not to underestimate how long it takes to get ready to sit Part I. Having an understanding of how each exam is formatted and how questions are constructed will help you prepare and develop good answering strategies. When working in a busy clinical job with acute medical take, you should allow three to four months to prepare for MRCPI Part I.

When you're preparing your study plan, make sure to refer to the curriculum for Basic Specialist Training in General Internal Medicine, as the MRCPI in General Medicine is based on this curriculum. It serves as a 'blueprint' for the exam.

You should practise Single Best Answer questions by using books or online resources.

You should also read the regulations document for this exam, also available below.

The fee to sit Part I is €630 in Ireland, or €710 if you are taking the exam outside Ireland. The method of payment is credit or debit card, taken at the end of the online application process.

Don't forget, if you're in Ireland you can claim a refund of €450 under the HSE Clinical Course and Examination Refund Scheme.

All our written examinations will be delivered by remote invigilation.

You sit the same examination (structure, format and length) online, but in a quiet, secure place of your choosing. Instead of travelling to an examination centre and sitting the computer-based examination with other candidates, you do the same test as originally planned, but at your own computer – e.g. at home or at work. Candidates are supervised remotely by invigilators throughout the examination.

A quiet, secure environment means:

• A room to which you have exclusive access (single occupancy - not shared)
• A room that does not have integrated security cameras, or any recording equipment, other than the webcam on your PC or laptop
• You are confident you will not be disturbed during the examination, e.g. by traffic, construction work, or people

If you have one of the qualifications listed below, you are exempt from MRCPI General Medicine Part I, which means you are eligible to apply to MRCPI General Medicine Part II Written now.

As part of the application process you will be asked to upload an attested copy of your equivalent qualification(s).

• MRCP(UK)
• MRCPath
• MRCPCH
• MRACP
• FRCP(C)
• FCP(SA)
• Arab Boards in Medicine and Paediatrics
• Saudi Boards in Medicine and Paediatrics
• Omani Specialty Boards in General Medicine and Paediatrics
• Kuwait Boards of Medicine and Paediatrics
• MRCPsych
• FCPS in Medicine and Paediatrics (Pakistan)
• The American Boards in General (Internal) Medicine and Paediatrics
• MMed (Malaysia)