Membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (MRCPsych) Examination Guide

Membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (MRCPsych) is one examination family with three components: Paper A, Paper B, and the Clinical Assessment of Skills and Competencies (CASC). Paper A assesses the scientific and theoretical basis of psychiatry; Paper B covers clinical topics and critical review; CASC assesses clinical skills and applied knowledge in timed stations.

The College’s regulations say candidates from outside the UK may take the examinations, which are structured around the UK Core Psychiatry curriculum. Passing the examinations is distinct from completing UK specialist training and obtaining a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT).

Syllabus transition: Written exams through December 2026 use the current syllabus. The revised theory syllabus applies to Paper A and Paper B from January 2027. Choose the syllabus for your sitting before setting your study plan.

For CASC, the morning circuit has six management, one examination, and one history-taking station. Each station has four minutes to read and seven minutes to perform the task. The afternoon circuit has four examination and four history-taking stations, with 90 seconds to read and seven minutes to perform the task. The College reserves the right to change circuit order.

The CASC pass criteria require meeting or exceeding the total borderline-regression standard and passing at least 12 stations. The written-paper marking page describes criterion-referenced standard setting using the Modified Angoff method.

These are the College’s 2026 written-paper weightings. They apply through December 2026, not to the revised syllabus beginning in January 2027.

Paper A: 2026

Paper B: 2026

CASC blueprint

The CASC blueprint sets minimum frequencies across running orders, not a fixed station sequence for every sitting. Communication is assessed throughout. Each running order includes at least one station focused on risk assessment or safety planning, one on cognitive examination or capacity assessment, and one on physical-health history or physical examination. It also includes at least one station in each of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, General Psychiatry, Psychiatry of Intellectual Disability, Old Age Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, Medical Psychotherapy, and Addiction Psychiatry.

The published 2027 syllabus revises content across the theory examinations. For Paper A, it combines behavioural science and sociocultural psychiatry with human development into Psychology and Human Development. Use the revised syllabus for 2027 sittings rather than carrying forward the 2026 weighting tables.

The College sets different eligibility requirements for each component. Check the current regulations and eligibility page for your training route before applying.

For candidates in approved training, CASC sponsorship is linked to satisfactory training progress. Candidates outside an approved UK training program must provide their sponsor evidence of equivalent competencies; the regulations describe maintaining a logbook or portfolio and assessed clinical experience. Confirm the evidence and sponsor requirements for your route with the College.

The theory papers may be taken in either order. After the first theory pass, candidates normally have six years from publication of the result to complete the remaining components. Each component is limited to six attempts, subject to the College’s exceptional-attempt process; no more than two CASC attempts are permitted in a calendar year.

Passing all components and meeting the experience requirement are separate from UK specialist training. A pass obtained outside an approved training post can count toward MRCPsych, but the regulations state that counting it toward a UK CCT requires re-entry to training within seven years of publication of the result.

1. Choose the syllabus for your sitting. For a written exam through December 2026, use the 2026 syllabus and weightings. For an exam from January 2027, use the revised theory syllabus; do not assume the 2026 weighting tables carry over.

2. Allocate revision time using the applicable blueprint. For Paper A in 2026, Basic Neurosciences and Clinical Psychopharmacology each account for 25% of the paper. For Paper B in 2026, Critical Review accounts for 33.5% and General Adult Psychiatry for 20%. Include the remaining sections in proportion to the blueprint.

3. Practice both written formats. Use timed MCQ and EMI practice. For Critical Review, work on interpreting research methods, results, and evidence in relation to the question being assessed. Review the reasoning behind missed items by syllabus area.

4. Rehearse CASC as timed clinical performance. Use role-play for history-taking, examination, formulation, management, risk, capacity, safety planning, and legal and ethical management. Practice both reading periods—four minutes in the morning circuit and 90 seconds in the afternoon—followed by seven minutes for the task.

5. Practice communication throughout CASC work. The blueprint assesses communication at every station. Use feedback to check that you respond to cues, communicate respectfully, and give clear information while staying focused on the station task.

Written-question practice and timed station role-play serve different assessment formats; plan for both rather than treating one as a substitute for the other.

The College allows candidates from outside the UK to take MRCPsych, while using the UK Core Psychiatry curriculum as its examination framework. Overseas and other candidates outside GMC-approved training should check the applicable registration, sponsorship, and equivalent-competency evidence requirements. The CASC blueprint says candidates are not expected to know specific mental-health or capacity laws because they vary by jurisdiction; it expects knowledge of the principles involved in involuntary admission and treatment and decision-making capacity.

Use the College’s application page to check current dates, application periods, fees, and venue arrangements. These details are sitting-specific and can change. Candidates outside the UK should also review the relevant delivery and booking instructions for the examination they plan to take.

MRCPsych examinations are not the same as UK specialist training or a CCT. Candidates pursuing UK training should check the separate training and regulatory requirements that apply to their circumstances.