MCCQE

To obtain a license for practicing medicine in Canada include the successful completion of the following three exams:

MCCEE (Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Exam)

MCCQE Part 1 (Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Exam Part One)

MCCQE Part 2 (Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Exam Part Two)

The MCCEE is a multiple choice test, offered as a computer-based exam. The MCCEE is designed as a general assessment of the candidate’s basic medical knowledge of the principal fields of medicine. These fields include medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery and preventive medicine and community health.

The exam consists of 180 multiple-choice questions. Each multiple-choice question has a stem and five options, of which only one is correct. The exam is 4 hours in length.

Note: The MCCEE is required only of International Medical Graduates (IMGs). The MCCQE Part 1 and MCCQE Part 2 are required of all physicians (IMGs and Canadian medical school graduates).

MCCQE PART 1

The MCCQE Part 1 consists of multiple-choice questions and Clinical Decision Making (CDM) cases. This exam tests the medical knowledge of medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery and population health, legal, ethical, and organizational aspects of Canadian medicine.

The MCCQE Part 1 is a one-day computer-based test. The candidate is allowed up to 3.5 hours in the morning session to complete the 196 multiple choice questions component. The 196 questions are divided into 7 blocks of 28 questions. Each block consists of 7 testlets (one testlet from each of the 6 categories and 1 experimental testlet). Each testlet has 4 questions.

Each multiple-choice question has a stem and five options, of which only one is correct. Certain test items will have pictorial material presented in the form of photographs, diagrams, x-rays or electrocardiograms.

Four hours are allowed in the afternoon session for the Clinical Decision Making (CDM) component, which consists of cases that have a longer set of answer choices; and, some have short answer write-in questions. The CDM portion consists of approximately 55-60 cases with a maximum of 80 questions total. Each case has 1-4 questions.

MCCQE PART 2

The MCCQE Part 2 is not a multiple-choice, computer-based test like the MCCEE or MCCQE Part 1. It is a test where you encounter patients and take a history, do a physical exam and then write a summary note of your findings. There is also a set of questions that you have to answer regarding the patients you will see.

There are two types of stations where you encounter patients: Couplet Stations and Ten-Minute Stations.

Couplet Stations consist of a Five-Minute Clinical Encounter plus a Five-Minute Post-Encounter Probe (PEP). Five-minute clinical encounter is where you obtain a focused relevant history and a focused physical examination while being observed by a Physician Examiner who uses a standardized checklist to assess each candidate’s performance. Five-minute post-encounter probe is a written station where questions are in a short-answer write-in format. Candidates are requested to record their findings from the previous station, suggest a differential diagnosis, interpret labs and imaging and suggest an investigation or management plan.

Ten-Minute Stations assess the candidate’s ability to obtain a history and/or conduct a physical examination to demonstrate interviewing and communication skills, or to apply management skills. These stations are structured for the candidate to interact with the patient for 10 minutes, or for 9 minutes, followed by a 1-minute period in which the Physician Examiner asks the candidate one to three brief questions related to the case being presented. Physician Examiners observe the encounter and use a standardized checklist to assess each candidate’s performance.

On average, the MCCQE Part 2 is comprised of 6 Couplet Stations and 8 Ten-Minute Stations.

Visit: http://www.mcc.ca/en/