The three Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom share a common membership examination in general medicine: this is the examination for the Diploma of Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom. Successful candidates are eligible to apply for the award of the MRCP(UK) Diploma.
The three Royal Colleges of Physicians have been holding membership examinations for many years. In the London College the Censors, helped by other examiners, had the duty to carry out the assessment of candidates and advise the College. The MRCP(London) examination began in 1859 with a numerical marking system devised in 1893. In the late 1960s the need to have a single recognised membership examination throughout the United Kingdom was recognised. Such an examination made it unnecessary for junior doctors to enter several membership examinations and removed the suggestion that the standards of the examination at the three Colleges were different. In October 1968 the three UK Colleges set up a common Part 1 examination. The common Part 2 examination was divided into general medicine and paediatric options. In 1993 Part 1 was also divided into these two options. From 2004 the paediatric option will be transferred entirely to the Royal College of Paediatric and Child Health.
The MRCP(UK) Examination is divided into two parts but has three separately assessed components. These are:
MRCP(UK) Part 1 Examination
MRCP(UK) Part 2 Written Examination
MRCP(UK) Part 2 Clinical Examination
and,you have to pass each test to proceed to the other.
for further detailed information about the examination,regulations,dates and venue. please visit the official website.
mrcpuk