General Medicine Part II Written

About MRCPI General Medicine Part II Written

The MRCPI General Medicine Part II Written exam consists of two papers, each containing 75 Single Best Answer questions about the diagnosis and management of patients.

The vignettes (clinical scenarios) in Part II questions are generally longer and more descriptive than in the Part I examination. Interpretation of investigation and quick data analysis are required. There are no basic science questions.

The exam lasts five hours in total; each paper is 2.5 hours long. There is a one-hour break between papers. You are not required to pass both papers individually.

There is no negative marking and each question is equally weighted so we advise you to attempt all questions.

COVID-19: Impact on RCPI exams

If you are due to sit an exam in March or April 2020, please check the status of your exam here.

Entry requirements for Part II Written

You must have passed MRCPI General Medicine Part I or MRCPI Paediatrics Part I within the last six years. If this six-year period has expired, you must re-sit MCRPI Part I

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

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).

Application fee

The fee to sit Part II Written is €650 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

Are you exempt from Part II Written?

If you hold FRACP you can apply for exemption from MRCPI General Medicine Part II Written.

If you require a visa

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.

How to prepare

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 and how questions are constructed will help you prepare and develop good answering strategies.

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

Marianna Kyjovská

Exams Coordinator

Tel: +353 (0)1 8639762

Contact Marianna for queries related to Public Health exams and General Medicine Part II Written exam.