MRCEM Courses & Articles for UK Doctors

The pathway consists of the MRCEM Primary SBA (180 single-best-answer questions, 3 hours), the MRCEM SBA (180 questions across two 2-hour papers on the same day), and the MRCEM OSCE (16 active 8-minute stations, plus 2 rest stations). All three stages must be completed sequentially.

The OSCE uses domain-based marking, evaluating candidates across 7 core clinical domains. Up to four domains are tested per station, with examiners scoring your competence from 0 to 10 based on domain weighting. Crucially, you must pass at least one of the two resuscitation stations in the circuit to pass the overall exam.

Most candidates self-study for the Primary and Intermediate using question banks. The OSCE is where a course adds the most value — it uses domain-based marking, so practising stations with experienced examiners who can give feedback on the specific domains being assessed is particularly valuable.