Frequently Asked Questions
Eligibility Criteria
Applying for an Exam
Fees
Preparing for an Exam
Taking the Exam
Withdrawing from an Exam
Results
General
Eligibility Criteria
What are the requirements for
entry to the Written Examinations?
The mandatory requirements
for entry to sit MRCPsych Papers 1, 2 and 3 are:
Post foundation/internship
experience in Psychiatry in:
i. An approved Training
programme.
OR
ii. Posts Recognised by the
Hospital (Trusts where applicable) as incorporating within
contractual arrangements specified time and funding for
educational training. Job plans must include dedicated time for
academic and educational activities such as attending journal
clubs, grand rounds, attendance at an MRCPsych course or
equivalent, study leave and regular weekly educational
supervision.
Please refer to the
Eligibility Criteria & Regulations for MRCPsych
Examinations document from page 3 for full details of the
eligibility requirements regarding the particular exam you wish to
sit.
What are the requirements for
entry to the CASC examination?
The CASC eligibility
criteria can be found in
Eligibility Criteria and Regulations for MRCPsych Examinations
from page 7.
Are there any non-training posts
that the College does not count towards eligibility?
Foundation Programme, Trust
Grade and pilot ST posts do not count towards eligibility.
What kind of medical council
registration do I need to enter any MRCPsych examination?
All doctors in the UK must be
registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) when applying for
the MRCPsych Examinations. The College will verify that
registration is valid with the GMC.
Details regarding
registration can be found on the GMC website (http://www.gmc-uk.org)
Overseas trainees must be
registered with their national body. An original or attested copy
of their current registration certificate must be included with an
application to sit the examination.
I am an overseas candidate, can I
take the MRCPsych exams
Yes, trainees from any
country in the world can sit the MRCPsych Examinations providing
that they meet the eligibility requirements to sit the
Examination.
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Applying for an Exam
How do I complete the online
application for the Written Examinations?
The form will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. In
order to complete the form fully, you will need:
- Contact details
- Details of Primary Medical Qualification and Registration
- Details of training
- Credit/debit card details
In order to help candidates
with the online application process for the Written Examinations
Guidance Notes have been
created.
What is my Candidate
Number?
Your candidate number is
issued to you at your first sitting of any examination and remains
the same throughout your examination period. It is quoted in
various documents, including your admission document and
result letter. Candidates are expected to refer to this
documentation for their number before contacting the Examinations
Unit. If you are a new candidate (i.e. it is your first
examination) you will not have a number.
Do I need to complete
two separate online applications
for the Papers 2 & 3?
No, you should complete and
submit one application. You should indicate in Section D that
you wish to sit both examinations.
Which sponsorship form do I
complete?
Sponsorship is required for
the CASC examination only.
For the CASC,
Candidates in a training post (CT1/ST1 - 3 and LAT posts)
should complete section D. Candidates in non-training and overseas
posts, including those in Ireland, should complete section E.
Please note that sponsorship is not required for the MRCPsych
Written Exams.
Who can sign my sponsorship
form?
For trainees in training
posts, your College Tutor will need to sign your sponsorship form.
If you are in a non-training post you will need your Training Lead
and your Director of Medical Education to sign your sponsorship
form. Please note that sponsorship is not required for the MRCPsych
Written Exams.
When will I receive an
acknowledgement of my application?
For the Written Examinations,
candidates use an online application which generates an automated
acknowledgement email. If you have not received this email within
24 hours of submitting your application, please contact the
Examinations Unit.
For the CASC, during the
application period, an applications received list is published on
the Examinations pages of the College website and is updated on a
daily basis. Additionally, acknowledgement emails are sent within
one week of receipt of the application.
When will I receive my admission
documents?
For the written examinations,
these are emailed approximately 2 weeks before the date of the
examination. For the CASC examination, it is approximately 3
weeks before the exam.
If you have not received them
by then you should promptly contact the Examinations Unit.
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Fees
How much are the fees for the
examinations?
Examination Fees 2013:
UK and Ireland Centres
All PMPT Registered Trainees and
Affiliates
Written Examinations - £313
CASC Examination - £720
All non PMPT Registered Trainees and
non Affiliates
Written Examinations - £391
CASC Examination - £901
Hong Kong
Written Examinations - £551
CASC Examination - £1397
For more information on how to become an
affiliate of the college:
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/rollofhonour/aboutmembership/collegeaffiliateship.aspx
What is a PMPT?
PMPT stands for
Pre-Membership Psychiatric Trainee.
Some benefits of being a PMPT
include:
- Access to the
e-portfolio
-
Free online access to the College journals
-
Access to the members’ area of the College
website
-
Monthly eNewsletter
-
The opportunity to attend College meetings and
conferences.
Can I pay the application fees by
credit/debit card?
Yes.
For the Written Examinations'
online application, candidates are required to use either a
Visa or MasterCard credit/debit card.
For the CASC,
the College also accepts payments using either
a Visa or MasterCard credit/debit card for the
examination fees. The application form includes a section for
entering your card details.
How do I request a
receipt?
Your acknowledgement letter is also a receipt of
fees. If you require another receipt then please email
Examinations@rcpsych.ac.uk.
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Preparing for an Exam
What reading material do you
recommend as a study guide for the examination?
The College does not
recommend any books but candidates are asked to approach their
College Tutor for information about the MRCPsych course.
Where can I find sample
questions?
A selection of sample
questions provided. Please select the examination
below to view the corresponding sample questions.
Paper
1 Examination
Paper 2 Examination
Paper 3 Examination
For the CASC examination, a
guide is available here.
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Taking the Exam
Where can I sit the Written
Examinations in 2013?
UK centres: London,
Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh
Overseas centres: Dublin and
Hong Kong
NB Places are allocated on a
first come, first served basis.
Do I have to sit Papers 2
and 3 at the same time?
No, you do not.
Can I sit Papers 1, 2 and 3 in any
order?
Yes, the Written Papers can
be taken in any order.
What identification do I have to
take with me to the exam?
For the written exam you must
bring official photo identification (ID). This can
include: Passport, Driver’s Licence and Hospital ID only.
For the CASC, photo cards
will be produced and issued on the day of the examination.
Can I use a calculator during an
exam?
You may use a basic
calculator (non-scientific) during the MRCPsych Paper 3 exam.
Calculators are not permitted for any of the other exams.
What if I need a visa to get to my
examination centre?
If you need a visa, you will need to apply for
the examination at the beginning of the application period and
state clearly that you need a letter for your visa
application. If a visa is not granted, it does not warrant an
automatic refund as this is at the discretion of the Examinations
Operations Manager.
Where is the UK CASC being held in
2013?
The venue for the CASC 2013
will be in Sheffield.
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Withdrawing from an Exam
Can I transfer my fee or postpone
to the next examination?
No. Candidates, who need to, should withdraw
from the examination and request a refund. Please note that
any request for a refund must be made no later than 30 days after
the date of the examination. Please refer to the withdrawals
section of the Eligibility
Criteria and Regulations for MRCPsych Examinations.
I want to withdraw from the
examination, what do I do?
Withdrawals must be made in writing to
the Examinations Operations Manager stating the reasons for
withdrawal. Please refer to the withdrawals section of
the
Eligibility Criteria and Regulations for MRCPsych
Examinations.
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Results
When will the results be
published?
Dates for publication of results are published
with the
Examinations Calendar on the College website.
How do I get a replacement result
letter?
Trainees should refrain from
requesting replacement letters until the date specified on the pass
list. After that, requests should be made to the Examinations
Co-ordinator (Candidates).
Is feedback available once I have
sat the examination?
Feedback is available for
both the Written Papers and the CASC examinations. It is
provided with the result letter and only for those who have
been unsuccessful.
Can I get my overall ranking for
my recent sitting?
No, this information is not
provided.
How can I get my answer script
remarked?
Candidates should apply in
writing to the Examinations Operations Manager, with a cheque for
£120 made payable to 'The Royal College of Psychiatrists' no later
than 14 days after the publication of the results.
Can I make an appeal against the
result of my examination?
Candidates, who wish to make
representations with regard to the conduct of their MRCPsych
Examination, must initially submit an appeal to the Examinations
Operations Manager within 28 days of the date of
publication of the results of the Examination. Representations will
be dealt with according to the Appeals Procedure. Under no
circumstances are representations to be made to an examiner. For
further information please take note of the appeals
procedure.
Is the MRCPsych classified as a
Bachelors/Masters or PhD?
Neither, the MRCPsych examination provides
you with membership to the College which is a qualification for
entry into higher training in psychiatry.
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General
What are your contact
details?
- College address: 17 Belgrave
Square, London, SW1X 8PG, UK
- Telephone number: +44 (0)207
235 2351
- Fax number: +44 (0)207 235
9948
- E-mail addresses for
Examinations Unit staff can be found here
My contact details have changed.
What should I do?
If you wish to change
your mailing address and are a Pre-Membership Psychiatric
Trainee you can do so by logging in and updating your details
here.
Alternatively you can email Examinations@rcpsych.ac.uk
Where can I find out a list of
dates of examinations?
Please refer to the College
Examinations Calendar.
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