Qualifying Examination Part I

The Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination Part I (MCCQE Part I) is a one-day, computer-based test that assesses the competence of candidates who have obtained their medical degree, for entry into supervised clinical practice in postgraduate training programs. The MCCQE Part I assesses knowledge, clinical skills, and attitudes as outlined by the Medical Council of Canada’s Objectives.

The candidate is allowed up to 3 ½ hours in the morning session to complete 196 multiple-choice questions. The candidate is allowed 4 hours in the afternoon session for the clinical decision making component, which consists of short-menu and short-answer write-in questions.

Examination at a glance

Dates Fee Application deadlines Examination centers*
Spring 2010 $720 CAD Main application deadline: 
5 January 2010
(up to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time)

Late applications
BC – Vancouver, Victoria, Prince George
AB – Calgary, Edmonton
SK – Saskatoon
MB – Winnipeg
ON – Toronto, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Ottawa, Sudbury, Thunder Bay
QC – Montréal, Québec, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières, Chicoutimi
NB - Moncton
NS - Halifax
NL – St. John’s
Week 1: 26-30 April
Week 2: 3-7 May
Week 3: 10-14 May

* The centers are subject to change.

Clarification regarding examination dates, centers and language:

  • All centers for the spring 2010 session will run a minimum of one day.

  • The number of days a particular center runs depends on the maximum daily space capacity and the demand for that center.

  • The number of days and specific dates a center runs varies from center to center.

  • The specific days a center runs depend on a number of factors including availability of their computer labs, and this may not necessarily be consecutive days.

  • It is anticipated that the majority of centers will mostly run on days in weeks 2 and/or 3; however, this is based on a number of factors including demand and space availability.

  • The examination may be taken in either English or French at any center. However, staff and technical support may be limited to a specific language. Centers in Quebec will offer support primarily in French, whereas centers in the rest of the country offer support primarily in English. The exceptions are the Ottawa center, which offers support in both official languages, and Montreal, which offers both an English and a French center.

Future proposed MCCQE Part I dates

Session Proposed Dates (to be confirmed)
2010 spring 26 April -14 May
2010 fall 25 October - 5 November
2011 spring 25 April - 13 May
2011 fall 24 October - 4 November.

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