MRCPCH Part 1 Examination

The MRCPCH 1, or the Member of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health exam, is divided into two parts; the MRCPCH Paper 1A and the MRCPCH Paper 1B. MRCPCH Paper 1A is the Basic Child Health paper which concentrates on the community or primary care practices. MRCPCH Paper 1B, or the Extended Paediatrics section, concentrates on the more multifaceted paediatric problem-solving skills that Junior Doctors would come across during their hospital practice, and on the scientific knowledge which is the groundwork paediatrics.

Before entering the MRCPCH Part 2 examination, doctors must have passed both Paper A and Paper B for the MRCPCH Part 1. If an applicant fails one of either Paper A or Paper B, but passes the other one, it will be necessary only to re-sit the failed paper.
Applicants are given a period of seven years within which to complete all sections of the MRCPCH, the seven year period will begin upon the successful completion of MRCPCH Paper 1B.

Composition of the MRCPCH Part 1 Exam
The MRCPCH Part I examination consists of two papers which are each two and a half hours in length. Each paper is composed either Multiple True-False questions (T/F), Best of Five questions (BOF) and/or Extended Matching Questions (EMQ). From the 1st of January 2006, the MRCPCH Paper 1A and MRCPCH Paper 1B will consist of the following number of questions:

• 35 multiple true-false questions worth 5 marks each (1 per item)
• 25 best of five questions worth 4 marks each
• 8 extended matching questions worth 9 marks each (3 per item)