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 pages 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
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 stated on
various documentation including your acknowledgement letter,
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 application forms for the Papers 2 &
3?
No, you should complete and
submit one application. You should indicate in Section B that you
wish to sit both examinations. However, if paying my cheque,
two separate cheques should be submitted for each paper. If paying
by card, we will deduct two separate exam fees.
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 also 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 form?
During application periods
an applications received list is published on the Exams 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 and provide details about the venue and
timings.
When will I
receive my admission documents/hall ticket?
For the written
examinations, these are emailed approximately 2 weeks before
the date of the examination. For the CASC examination, it is
aproximately 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
2011
UK and Ireland Centres
Paper 1* - £400
Paper 2* - £400
Paper 3* - £400
CASC Examination - £920
Hong Kong Centre
Written Examination -
£565
CASC Examination - £1455
* Please
send separate cheques for each written paper entry and
remember to write your name and candidate number (if applicable) on
the back of the cheque.
Can I pay
the application fees by credit/debit card?
Yes. The College accepts
payments by 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
examination?
For 2011:
The UK centres are: London,
Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh/Glasgow
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 calculator during the
MRCPsych Paper 3 exam. Calculators are not permited 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 2012?
The venue for the CASC 2012
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 sitting 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 (Written) or
Examinations Co-ordinator (CASC) 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 in writing to
the Examinations Operations Manager, in relation to the
Written Papers or the Examinations Co-ordinator (CASC) in relation
to the CASC examination.
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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