The Student Room Group

MRCP Additional Atempt

can any one guide me,I have exhausted all my six attempts of Mrcp2 i will take a change and give an additional attempt in march19.
can any one help me out
What would you like help with? Resources and revision strategies, or help with logistics of a seventh attempt?

Sorry you’re in this situation. I’ve been close to where you are - I passed my paeds part 1B on the 6th (last) allowed attempt. And so I’d spent a lot of time looking at logistics of subsequent allowed attempts etc and what might happen.

The significance of 7+ attempts will depend somewhat on if you’re hoping to CCT on a UK training programme. If you’re overseas and not planning to work towards CCT in the UK, then it’s less of a problem (except if your local training scheme has any opinion on the matter). If you want to CCT in the UK and need MRCP as part of that, it becomes trickier. CCT requires trainees to have passed membership within the allowed attempts, and therefore inclusion in the specialist register would need to happen via alternate means (CESR etc).

Logistically, if you’re training in the UK, you will need an educational supervisor to sign a form to confirm that you’ve done additional study / preparation that in their eyes makes you more likely to pass if an additional attempt is awarded. In paeds for MRCPCH it also needs signing by head of school. If you’re entirely overseas and not training I believe requesting a further attempt is more straightforward.

Logistics aside, if you haven’t done so already, now is the time to sit down and have a big honest reflection to yourself.
- Have you honestly studied hard?
- Have you used the right resources?
- Has anything got in the way? Family commitments, personal illness, other life commitments?
- Have you studied smart? At this stage it’s likely that you know what your learning techniques are as you’ve passed med school and part 1. Have you played to your strengths? Have exams been a struggle in the past? If so, what strategies did you use then?
- Have you ever had an assessment for dyslexia? Several of my friends were diagnosed as adults when they were sent for assessments due to exam struggles.

One of the most useful things I did when I was approaching my sixth attempt and scared of not getting it, was to step back and take some time off the exam treadmill.exams are expensive, they make you weary, and I had got into a cycle of perpetually studying for exams with no break. I stepped back, had a good break, and didn’t do exams for 8 months. I then relioked at the way I’d been studying, tried some additional book / computer resources, went to a revision course (wouldn’t normally recommend these for written exams, but it was useful for me). And generally made a big effort to eat well, sleep well, and study effectively rather than just hard. I was also slightly more selfish at work - I’d been one of those people who would always work extremely hard to get everything done. I still did things well, but also took some quieter moments to study and do what I needed to do for myself rather than necessarily always finding myself jobs to do. And people understood that I was doing exams.

Afraid I don’t have any specific study tips about MRCP as I didn’t do it, but there are plenty of other people here who’ve done it and can hopefully help you.

Best of luck to you.
Are you referring to the written exam or paces?
I assumed part 2 written - didn't know PACES was also referred to as part 2! OP may mean PACES then, in which case what I wrote was slightly less relevant.
Original post by junior.doctor
I assumed part 2 written - didn't know PACES was also referred to as part 2! OP may mean PACES then, in which case what I wrote was slightly less relevant.

Nowadays you can sit paces before the part 2 clinical also
Reply 5
Original post by junior.doctor
What would you like help with? Resources and revision strategies, or help with logistics of a seventh attempt?

Sorry you’re in this situation. I’ve been close to where you are - I passed my paeds part 1B on the 6th (last) allowed attempt. And so I’d spent a lot of time looking at logistics of subsequent allowed attempts etc and what might happen.

The significance of 7+ attempts will depend somewhat on if you’re hoping to CCT on a UK training programme. If you’re overseas and not planning to work towards CCT in the UK, then it’s less of a problem (except if your local training scheme has any opinion on the matter). If you want to CCT in the UK and need MRCP as part of that, it becomes trickier. CCT requires trainees to have passed membership within the allowed attempts, and therefore inclusion in the specialist register would need to happen via alternate means (CESR etc).

Logistically, if you’re training in the UK, you will need an educational supervisor to sign a form to confirm that you’ve done additional study / preparation that in their eyes makes you more likely to pass if an additional attempt is awarded. In paeds for MRCPCH it also needs signing by head of school. If you’re entirely overseas and not training I believe requesting a further attempt is more straightforward.

Logistics aside, if you haven’t done so already, now is the time to sit down and have a big honest reflection to yourself.
- Have you honestly studied hard?
- Have you used the right resources?
- Has anything got in the way? Family commitments, personal illness, other life commitments?
- Have you studied smart? At this stage it’s likely that you know what your learning techniques are as you’ve passed med school and part 1. Have you played to your strengths? Have exams been a struggle in the past? If so, what strategies did you use then?
- Have you ever had an assessment for dyslexia? Several of my friends were diagnosed as adults when they were sent for assessments due to exam struggles.

One of the most useful things I did when I was approaching my sixth attempt and scared of not getting it, was to step back and take some time off the exam treadmill.exams are expensive, they make you weary, and I had got into a cycle of perpetually studying for exams with no break. I stepped back, had a good break, and didn’t do exams for 8 months. I then relioked at the way I’d been studying, tried some additional book / computer resources, went to a revision course (wouldn’t normally recommend these for written exams, but it was useful for me). And generally made a big effort to eat well, sleep well, and study effectively rather than just hard. I was also slightly more selfish at work - I’d been one of those people who would always work extremely hard to get everything done. I still did things well, but also took some quieter moments to study and do what I needed to do for myself rather than necessarily always finding myself jobs to do. And people understood that I was doing exams.

Afraid I don’t have any specific study tips about MRCP as I didn’t do it, but there are plenty of other people here who’ve done it and can hopefully help you.

Best of luck to you.



Such a blessing your are to explain me in such detail. No i am not in UK, I have taken break for Good 1 year. want to attempt one last time in March
Thanks for the advice, yes i have difficulty reading long questions i do jump on to concussions. I am working on it
i hope i will over come this problem .
Regards Sadia
Reply 6
Original post by fishfacesimpson
Are you referring to the written exam or paces?

written
Reply 7
Original post by junior.doctor
I assumed part 2 written - didn't know PACES was also referred to as part 2! OP may mean PACES then, in which case what I wrote was slightly less relevant.


No what you wrote is a Big help
I am a UK based consultant and I teach a lot of PACES, and this is a bit of a plug, but there are loads of resources out there for you to try.

The MRCP PACES are a big stumbling block for lots of people so you are not alone.

One of the key parts of the revision process I tell all candidates is to get a PACES buddy. Someone to study with as you'll help each other as well as critique each other and get better as a result (and motivate the other when you feel down).

Good luck with the exam, and I will be checking back on this thread regularly, and can answer any questions.
In answer to this, for the clinical examinations, spending lots of time on questions is not of much help as it is the clinical exam. i would suggest focusing on the clinical examination, and the presentation (lots of non UK trained doctors struggle on the presentation portion due to cultural differences).
Reply 10
Hello ..how was your experience of the 7th attempt.

Quick Reply