Medical Council of Canada

COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves in Canada and abroad, we continue to ensure we are doing our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19, to be mindful of the impacts on the medical community, and to ensure the safety of all involved in our exams.

The Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) Part I application is available on a continuous basis through your physiciansapply.ca account. Please note that the MCCQE Part I is offered through Prometric at available test centres or via remote proctoring. Recommended physical distancing and other personal protective measures are in place, where applicable, as per the guidelines set by local public health authorities.

MCCQE Part I

We are delivering the MCCQE Part I in Canada and internationally in over 80 countries through our vendor Prometric, an internationally recognized firm with more than 20 years’ experience in exam development and administration for professional sectors. Prometric ensures broad access for candidates to take the MCCQE Part I. The exam is offered during four sessions a year.

Candidates have the option to take their exam at an available Prometric test centre or through remote proctoring on a first come first serve basis.

You must take and pass the MCCQE Part I and meet the LMCC eligibility criteria to obtain the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC). Canadian Medical Regulatory Authorities may require you to have the LMCC to apply for a medical licence within their province or territory.

Visit our Application and eligibility page for the full list of MCCQE Part I requirements.

What is the MCCQE Part I?

The MCCQE Part I is a summative examination that assesses the critical medical knowledge and clinical decision-making ability of a candidate at a level expected of a medical student who is completing their medical degree in Canada. The examination is based on the MCC Examination Objectives, which are organized under the CanMEDS roles. Candidates graduating and completing the MCCQE Part I typically enter supervised practice. Aside from formal accreditation processes of the undergraduate and postgraduate education programs, the MCCQE Part I is the only national standard for medical schools across Canada and, therefore, is administered at the end of medical school.

The MCCQE Part I is a one-day, computer-based test. You are allowed up to four hours in the morning session to complete 210 Multiple-Choice Questions. You are allowed up to three and a half hours in the afternoon session for the Clinical Decision-Making component, which consists of 38 cases with short-menu and short-answer write-in questions.

The exam is based on a Blueprint that assesses your performance across two broad categories:

• Dimensions of care, covering the spectrum of medical care;
• Physician activities, reflecting a physician’s scope of practice and behaviours.

Each category has four domains, and each is assigned a specific content weighting on the exam:

Â	Â
	For more information on how to study for the MCCQE Part I, read our article Studying for the MCCQE Part I. You can also visit our exam preparatory resources page.

Examination at a glance

Below is a list of upcoming MCCQE Part I session dates.

* Dates are subject to change.

Results will be available approximately eight weeks after the session’s last day. Refer to the Results page for more information.

**As an exception for the August 23 to September 20, 2023 session only, the MCC will make results available six weeks after the session’s last day.