All About MRCPCH-CLINICAL Exam

What Is the MRCPCH Clinical Examination?

The MRCPCH Clinical examination is a key component of the MRCPCH qualification and is designed to assess whether candidates can practise safely and effectively as paediatricians. The examination evaluates the application of knowledge, clinical judgement, communication skills, and professional behaviours in line with the standards set by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).

 Format of the MRCPCH Clinical Examination

• 1 examiner per station. 

• Candidates assessed by a different examiner at each station 

• 12 examiners for each circuit, 1 additional examiner (senior examiner) for quality assurance / back up

• 24 candidates can be examined each day (12 during AM – 12 during PM)

• One candidate will be placed in every station of the circuit (Development and History x 2) and will begin their rotation through the circuit from that point, making 12 candidates in total. 2 candidates at a History station and 2 at a Development station at any one time (Red & Blue). Both these stations are 22 minutes in length - the other 8 stations are 9 minutes long.

• 4-minute breaks between each station, including an initial 3-4 minutes of preparation time before each circuit begins (stations 6-10 include a scenario to read) • Under optimum conditions the entire circuit will take approx. 160 minutes to complete (all participants should prepare themselves for some delays and be flexible with their travel arrangements)

 • 6 station rooms require ‘real’ patients (Clinical 1-4 and Development x 2)

• History and Communication stations require role-players

• History, Communication and Video stations are all scenario based

 • Video station equipment:RCPCH provide laptops with 1 video clip for Video A and 1 video clip for Video B

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Essential prerequisites for your application

• Successfully completed a two-and-a-half-year training period following the graduation date on your medical qualification diploma.
• Spent no less than 12 months in posts involving the care of emergency paediatric patients (it is desirable that at least six months in a post with a strong emphasis on responsibility for unselected emergency admissions) within the five years prior to your exam date - note this does include clinical attachments
•      Served as a house paediatrician for half of your first year following graduation; alternatively, you must have spent another half of that time in a position where you were responsible for the treatment of pediatric emergency cases.
•      For UK trainees, you must not have sat your exam six or more times. If you have, you need to contact the Clinical Assessment team at clinicalexams@rcpch.ac.uk
•      Applicants should also be aware of the seven-year registration rule, which stipulates that the MRCPCH Clinical examination must be passed within seven years of successfully    completing the final theory examination (FOP, TAS, or AKP). Candidates whose eligibility period has elapsed are advised to contact the examinations team prior to applying.

Sponsor Requirements

All MRCPCH Clinical candidates are required to provide information regarding their sponsor on their application form. The sponsor is an individual who, based on personal acquaintance and reputation, can confirm that the candidate is prepared to undertake the examination. In addition, the sponsor must consent to receiving confidential feedback by email regarding examination performance, including any concerns identified once results have been finalized.

Your sponsor should ideally be:

•     Your present educational supervisor or senior colleague with whom you have collaborated for a minimum of three months.
•     An RCPCH member or fellow (where possible)

Sponsor will be informed if you receive a deferred mark or if there is a concern over unprofessional conduct. Therefore, ensure you have obtained their consent to provide their information. Sponsors will be informed in writing or via email to offer any assistance or direction they can regarding the feedback received for a candidate from the examiner or examiners. This is usually available within a candidate's examination score report. Sponsors can also support a candidate who received an unprofessional conduct concern by reviewing and acting upon feedback received from the examiner who awarded it (from mark sheets).

• Permission from your sponsor is necessary to provide the information specified below. You will be required to provide:
•      Complete name
•      Relationship to you (for example, educational supervisor or senior colleague)
•      Position (for example, senior consultant or professor)
•      Place of work
•      Email address

2026-EXAM DATES

Check RCPCH website for exam dates: https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/mrcpch-clinical-exam-how-apply#_026-exam-dates

2026-EXAM FEE

Availability and Allocation of MRCPCH Clinical Examination Centers

The MRCPCH Clinical exams are conducted in hospitals throughout the UK, including England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, as well as in various other countries.

Every exam centre offers a limited number of slots available each day. The availability and location of host centres for exams in the UK can differ from one exam diet to another.

Upon the successful completion of your application, you can expect to receive an admissions document via email containing the full address of the centre about four weeks prior to your exam. Candidates may need to travel to the designated exam host center assigned to them. A candidate is unlikely to be assigned an exam location at a hospital where they are currently employed or have recently been employed. Exams can take place on any date during the specified exam period, including weekends. Make sure that all travel and accommodation arrangements you make are fully refundable. Travel and accommodation costs will not be reimbursed by the College in case of cancellation or if you are unable to attend the exam. 

The College recognises that, on occasion, candidates may have unavoidable prior commitments—such as significant personal events or family responsibilities—that limit their availability on specific dates. Where such constraints are clearly communicated in advance of the application window closing, every reasonable effort will be made to avoid allocating candidates to the specified dates.

Candidates who wish to declare date restrictions or placement-related considerations must record these details in the Notes section of the application form and notify the Clinical Examinations team by email at clinicalexams@rcpch.ac.uk without delay. Requests submitted after the closure of the application window cannot be accommodated, and applications for date changes, swaps, or transfers will not be approved once the window has closed.

Following confirmation and payment of an application, transfers between examination centres are not ordinarily permitted. Requests for cancellation will only be considered after the application period has concluded and will be processed in accordance with the College’s published cancellation policy.

Countries in which MRCPCH Clinical exam takes place

 Not all countries will offer the exam during each exam diet:

•         UK
•         Egypt
•      Hong Kong
•          India
•          Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
•      Malaysia
•      Nepal
•         Oman
•         Pakistan
•      Singapore
•          United Arab Emirates

Exams held in Myanmar and Sudan are currently on hold until further notice. Keep an eye on the RCPCH website for further details.

Candidates should allocate approximately 4.5 hours at the examination centre, which encompasses: 1 hour for registration and preparation prior to the examination, 2.75 for the examination itself, and 0.5 hours for post-examination debriefing.

For examinations conducted at international centres, start and end times may differ according to local arrangements. Full details, including session timing and reporting requirements, will be provided in the candidate’s admissions or placement letter. Prior to submitting your application, Discover the schedule for the next MRCPCH Clinical exam in your area - check out the upcoming exam dates listed above and also on RCPCH official website. Applications are accepted exclusively during the designated application period.

·    Feel free to save your application and return to it later, but remember, the deadline for submission is crucial. Applications submitted after the deadline will be removed.

·    After submitting your application, editing or deleting it will no longer be possible. If the exam event you want to apply for isn't showing up in your available bookings, consider deleting any previous draft applications you may have. To accomplish this, simply take a look at your recent bookings displayed in the chart on the right side of the page. To view all of your bookings, simply click the View All button. If you see any items marked as draft, simply click the view button, and you can delete them from the page that appears.

·  Slots for MRCPCH Clinical are restricted, and submitting your application does not ensure a spot. You'll receive your assigned date for the exam during the designated period. Candidates in the UK can be assigned to various locations across the country, contingent upon the availability of host centres, prior positions held, and participation in preparatory courses.

·    Please note that if you decide to withdraw your application after the application period has closed, RCPCH cannot assure you of a refund for your exam fees.

·    Upon the successful placement of your application, you will receive an automated request to submit your payment details. If you are chosen for placement, you will need to promptly log back into the booking system to update your application with your payment details within a limited timeframe. Attention candidates sitting in the UK: Please be aware that the payment receipt you receive following your payment may include a listed exam location. This message serves to confirm the area designated for your examination. Please hold tight for the official admissions document, which will provide you with specific details regarding the exam venue, date, and time.

·    In the event that your application does not succeed, rest assured that we will not require any payment. We will keep you updated on your status as soon as possible.

·   Candidates who frequently withdraw from the exam may be given lower priority in the next allocation to ensure that all available spots are filled by those committed to taking the exam.

·  The RCPCH maintains the authority to prohibit a candidate from participating in any examination if there are valid concerns regarding the candidate's suitability to obtain the MRCPCH qualification. Reasons like misrepresenting your country of work or residence, as well as previous qualifications or experience, are included. RCPCH will verify this information and take appropriate action against candidates if there is evidence of any falsification.

·  Any candidate found to have misrepresented information on their exam application form will undergo a comprehensive investigation upon the presentation of evidence. Investigations may result in a permanent prohibition from undertaking any future attempts at the MRCPCH Clinical examination. Subsequent measures may involve the suspension of candidate exam accounts on the RCPCH exam booking platform and notifying the medical regulatory authority in the candidate's country of registration on the outcome.

The MRCPCH qualification is pivotal to the career progression of doctors practising paediatrics in the United Kingdom, particularly those enrolled in the UK paediatric training programme. Accordingly, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) ensures that the allocation of candidate places for the MRCPCH Clinical examination in the UK reflects these professional imperatives.

Criteria for Allocation of Examination Places

Places are allocated according to the following hierarchical criteria:

•      Applications from trainees who are on an outcome 3, 10.1, or 10.2 of their most recent ARCP due to delayed examination progression. Trainees in this category will have their names submitted to RCPCH via Heads of School.
•      Applications from candidates working in the UK who are at a career-critical stage, i.e., trainees within six months of progression to ST5, or non-trainees working in the UK and applying for ST4/ST5 posts (when available) who do not yet hold a confirmed offer. Trainees fitting this category will have their names submitted via Heads of School to the Clinical Assessments team. Non-trainees must have their supervisor, service lead, or clinical director email RCPCH at clinicalexams@rcpch.ac.uk to confirm. It is the responsibility of each candidate to ensure that the relevant authority is aware of their intentions and can confirm them for prioritisation.
•       Applications from UK trainees who have completed all MRCPCH theory examinations (FOP, TAS, AKP) and are not addressed in numbers 1 or 2 above.
•      Applications from candidates working in the UK based on their current stage of career or training, with priority given to those nearing the end of their 7-year registration period (trainees and non-trainees).
•       Applications from candidates living, but not working, in the UK, with priority given to those nearing the end of their 7-year registration period.
•       Applications from candidates working overseas in countries where the exam is not offered, with priority given to those nearing the end of their 7-year registration period.
•       Applications from candidates working overseas in countries where the exam is offered, with priority given to those nearing the end of their 7-year registration period.

Candidates who are UK trainees or non-trainee doctors will be asked on the application form whether their application is career-critical and to provide their current ST or career level. For RCPCH purposes, career-critical refers to:

•        Any trainee who has already progressed to ST4 without having passed the MRCPCH Clinical exam.
•       Any non-trainee with an offer of a post commencing within the next six months for which the MRCPCH qualification is required

Candidates should indicate “career-critical” only if these criteria apply. RCPCH works with Heads of School to identify and confirm career-critical applicants among trainees and non-trainees known to them.

There may also be other exceptional circumstances, such as pending parental leave or planned medical leave, where a candidate is more than six calendar months from progressing to ST5. These cases will be reviewed individually on a case-by-case basis.

Anyone who believes they are career-critical or have exceptional circumstances should contact the Clinical Assessments team at clinicalexams@rcpch.ac.uk as soon as they submit an application, so that RCPCH can fully understand their situation prior to making allocations. Candidates must email the team each time they apply to provide updated information.

If a candidate is not initially allocated a place, they will be placed on a waitlist for the applied examination, ordered according to the criteria above. Should any allocated candidates withdraw, or should additional places become available, candidates on the waitlist will be contacted and offered these places in order, up to two weeks before the examination.

Overseas Clinical Exam Place Allocation

Places for MRCPCH Clinical examinations held overseas are allocated according to the following hierarchy:

•      Applications from candidates working in the host country who are within the final two years of their 7-year registration period.
•      Applications from candidates working in countries without an established MRCPCH Clinical exam who are within the final two years of their 7-year registration period.
•      Applications from candidates working in the host country, irrespective of registration period.
•      Applications from candidates working in countries where there is no established MRCPCH Clinical host centre, irrespective of registration period.
•      Applications from candidates working in countries with an established MRCPCH Clinical host centre who are within the final two years of their 7-year registration period.
•      Applications from candidates working in countries with an established MRCPCH Clinical host centre, irrespective of registration period.

Important Notes:

•     For all centres, a deferment score of 52 or below results in an automatic deferment for the next available diet. Candidates with a deferment score must not apply for the subsequent diet and may reapply for the next available diet thereafter.
•      Malaysia: Candidates who have not failed in the previous diet are prioritised. Those based in Malaysia are prioritised over candidates based outside the country due to high demand.
•       Middle East: Candidates based in Middle Eastern countries are prioritised over those applying from outside the region.
•        India and Pakistan: Candidates based in India or Pakistan are prioritised for their respective centres over candidates applying from outside these countries.
•       Primary employment location: Candidates must list only their main employment country and role on the application. Occasional locum or short-term positions abroad should not be included.
•    Placement on a waiting list does not guarantee allocation. Waitlisted applications remain valid until two weeks before the exam, unless the candidate withdraws in writing. Candidates on the waitlist may not apply to other centres.

Reasonable Adjustments

To request a reasonable adjustment, provide details and supporting evidence in the reasonable adjustment section of the online application form.

• After the application period closes, the Clinical Assessments team will contact candidates to discuss the request.
• A reasonable adjustment form must be completed and returned no later than seven weeks before the exam date. Requests received after this date cannot be guaranteed.
• For post-submission requests or queries, contact clinicalexams@rcpch.ac.uk.

For full details, refer to the RCPCH Reasonable Adjustments Policy for Education and Training Activities.

Accessing the Exam Booking System

RCPCH recommends using modern browsers (Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Safari). Internet Explorer is not supported.

Steps to access:

1. Log in to your RCPCH account.
2. Navigate to Account in the header.
3. From the dashboard, select the Exams block and click Register or Book Exams.
4. On first access, click Continue on the launch screen.
5. The booking system dashboard will display:
• Exam Progress: Shows pending and completed exams (may require logout/login to update).
• Available Bookings: Shows eligible exams currently open for applications. Expired registration requires re-sitting the AKP theory exam. Draft applications may need to be deleted to see available exams.
• My Recent Bookings: Shows saved applications.

Applying for an Exam

1. In the booking system, locate the desired exam and click View → Apply.
2. Complete all required fields:
• Country of residence
• Current hospital/workplace
• Start and end dates of current employment
• Past hospital/workplace (if in current post <18 months)
• Future hospital/workplace (if confirmed)
• Exam preparation courses attended/planned
• Sponsor details (to confirm readiness)
• Reasonable adjustments (if applicable)
3. Click Submit. Incomplete forms will display a notice.
4. After submission, a confirmation email is sent. The application dashboard will indicate placement status; payment is not required at this stage.

Paying for an Exam

Once a place is allocated:

1. RCPCH will send an email with instructions to log in and make payment via credit or debit card (bank transfer/draft not accepted).
2. Payment is typically requested up to four weeks after the application period closes.
3. Log in → My Bookings → View → Card Payment → Continue to Payment, following the on-screen instructions.

After Submitting Your Application

• If successful: RCPCH will request payment and confirm the exam place. A final placement letter with date, venue, schedule, and map will be sent 3–4 weeks prior. Do not book travel or accommodation before receiving this letter.
• If on the waiting list: No payment is taken. If a place becomes available, the candidate will be contacted, issued a final placement letter, and required to pay.
• If rejected: The application will be removed, and the candidate must reapply during the next application period.