FRCEM Primary Exam
The FRCEM Primary will be replaced by the MRCEM Primary from August 2021 – find out more here
Exam Structure
The FRCEM Primary examination consists of a 3 hour, multiple choice question (MCQ) paper of 180 single best answer questions (SBAQ).
FRCEM Primary Sample Questions are available on the Royal College of Emergency Medicine website.
Learn more about our FRCEM/MRCEM Primary Revision Course
Exam Content
The FRCEM Primary examination is mapped to the RCEM Emergency Medicine 2015 Curriculum with more detailed information provided in the RCEM Basic Sciences Curriculum (June 2010).
All applicants for the FRCEM Primary examination are strongly advised to familiarise themselves with the Basic Sciences Curriculum in preparation for sitting the FRCEM Primary examination.
Eligibility Criteria
A candidate will be eligible to enter the FRCEM Primary examination provided he/she holds a medical qualification approved by the General Medical Council (GMC) for the purposes of registration.
The examination is conducted in English and candidates are advised that IELTS Level 7 is the expected standard for completion of the FRCEM examinations.
For more information regarding eligibility, please refer to the FRCEM Primary Regulations and Information Pack on the Royal College of Emergency Medicine website. For further queries, please contact the Royal College of Emergency Medicine by email: [email protected] or phone: +44 (0) 20 7067 1268.
Exam Dates and Fees
| Exam Date | Application Dates | Results Date |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd December 2020 | 13th July 2020 – 25th September 2020 | 22nd January 2021 |
| 24th June 2021 | 22nd February 2021 – 16th April 2021 | 15th August 2021 |
Fees (N.B. Candidates sitting the examination in an overseas centre may be required to pay additional local fees):
- FRCEM Primary – £330.
Up to date FRCEM Primary Exam Dates and Fees are published on the Royal College of Emergency Medicine website.
Exam Regulations
The FRCEM Primary Regulations and Information Pack can be found on the Royal College of Emergency Medicine website. For further queries, please contact the Royal College of Emergency Medicine by email: [email protected] or phone: +44 (0) 20 7067 1268.
Exam Applications
Online applications for the examination will open at approximately 10.00am (GMT time) on the application opening date and close automatically at 5.00pm (GMT time) on the listed closing date. Applications received after this will not be accepted.
The link to the FRCEM Primary Application Form will be made available on the Royal College of Emergency Medicine website on the given day (see above) the application is due to open.
Exam Results
The FRCEM Primary Results will be published on the Royal College of Emergency Medicine website on a pre-advised day (see above) approximately three weeks after the date of the examination. Result letters and feedback will be posted to candidates within four weeks of the publication of results.
Pass Mark
The FRCEM Primary examination is standard set using the Angoff Method. This means the pass mark varies between exam diets.
Detailed FRCEM Primary Examination Reports can be found on the Royal College of Emergency Medicine website.
