Breakdown of MRCP Part 1Qs

Breakdown of MRCP Part 1 questions according to specialty in 2003 (Diet 3),

Total questions: 199

1) Cardiology 15
2) Clinical haematology and oncology 15
3) Pharmacology and therapeutics 20
4) Clinical science 25
5) Dermatology 8
6) Endocrinology 15
7) Gastroenterology 15
8) Infectious disease and STD 14
9) Nephrology 15
10) Neurology 15
11) Ophthalmology 4
12) Psychitry 8
13) Respiratory medicine 15
14) Rheumatology 15

so.... what is the difference between Part 1 and 2? I think a few important points candidates must take note...

1) More questions about basic science are asked in Part 1 than Part 2. These questions include basic pharmacology such as side effects, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.

2) More questions about management of certain diseases are asked in Part 2. Therefore candidates should use more time to learn about the management in Part 2.

3) It is more difficult to pass Part 1 than Part 2. The passing rate in Part 1 is around 30% compared to Part 2 ( about 50%). This due to candidates' poor performance in answering basic science/pharmacology questions!