Scoring
The MCCQE Part I is scored independently of the MCCQE Part II; the scores are not combined for the purpose of awarding the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC). The candidate must pass both the MCCQE Part I and Part II.
How are scores calculated for the multiple choice question component?
Scores are calculated using a weighting system. More difficult questions contribute slightly more in the calculation of scores and easier questions contribute slightly less.
How are scores calculated for the clinical decision making component?
There is a maximum of one point per question. Some questions, such as a question whose answer includes four correct elements, allow you to receive partial marks, in this case 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 or 1.
After scoring each question, the MCC scores each case, which may have between one and five questions. A case score is calculated using the average of all questions included in the case. Scores are also calculated for groups of cases covering the different disciplines (Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Psychiatry as well as Population Health, Legal, Ethical and Organizational aspects of Medicine).
How are overall scores calculated for the MCCQE Part I?
The total score is calculated by combining the multiple choice question and clinical decision making component scores. However, the multiple choice question component counts for 75 per cent of the score, while clinical decision making counts for 25 per cent of the score.
How is a Pass/Fail decision made?
A minimum passing level is established by the Central Examination Committee and applies to the total examination score only. A candidate’s standing (i.e. whether someone passes or fails the examination) is decided using the total examination score. Therefore, strong performances in some disciplines may compensate for weaknesses in other disciplines.
What will appear on the Statement of Results?
The total examination score will be provided on the Statement of Results. Furthermore, examination performance at the discipline level will be provided, albeit only as a graphical representation. Although candidates are not required to pass each discipline, the Statement of Results received by all candidates displays examination performance relative to the passing mark for all disciplines covered in the examination.
What is the Family Medicine sub-score?
The Statement of Results now incorporates a Family Medicine sub-score, in the form of a graph, created from the responses to questions identified as assessing core family medicine knowledge and skills. This means that some questions used to generate a sub-score in Psychiatry, for example, could also contribute in the generation of a sub-score in Family Medicine.
The candidate’s sub-score in Family Medicine is generated from a subset of questions from all disciplines covered in the examination. The MCCQE Part I examination has not incorporated new content in order to generate the Family Medicine sub-score; rather, existing questions from the current question bank were identified as being relevant to the Family Medicine discipline.
The Family Medicine sub-score is presented graphically on the Statement of Results, as is the case for all other multiple-choice discipline sub-scores. A bar graph will compare the candidate’s performance to the passing mark.
