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The MRCP SCE Acute Medicine Examination

• January 06, 2021

This Blog outlines everything you need to know about the MRCP SCE Examination!

It is firstly important to note that the Royal College of Physicians SCE certificates are not something that you can use for your GMC registration. However, having an SCE certification on your CV is extremely valuable and will definitely attract prospective NHS employers. Additionally, the SCE certifications will also benefit any Doctor who is planning on becoming a Consultant and progressing through the CESR route.

What are the entry requirements?

There are no official entry requirements for the SCE in Acute Medicine. That said, a UK Trainee will normally sit the examination towards the end of their specialty training at around ST5/ST6 level. With this in mind, it is advisable that you take this exam when you are already practicing at a Senior Level or even as a Consultant.
 

How much is the exam?

The cost of the SCE exam if you're in the UK is £665 and if you're sitting it overseas is £883
 

Where can I sit it?

UK: There are 137 different SCE Test Centers within the UK, which applicants choose from when booking the examination. The test centre bookings operate on a first come first serve basis so the RCP recommend booking earlier to get your preferred location.

International: Candidates are given a choice of regions from which to select, and are then asked to nominate a particular city in that region as the desired location for their test. You will receive a confirmation of your final test centre via email at least three weeks before the date of the examination.
 

What is assessed?

The exam tests candidates on a wide range of common and important disorders as set out in the syllabus, which can be found on the RCP website here.

The SCE in Acute Medicine exam comprises of 200 questions and the composition of the paper is as follows:

Topic	Number of Questions
Cancer and Palliative Care and Haematology	10
Cardiovascular Medicine	20
Clinical Pharmacology and Poisoning	10
Critical Care Medicine	10
Diabetes and Endocrine Medicine	14
Gastroenterology and Hepatology	20
Infectious Diseases	14
Medicine in the Elderly	18
Musculoskeletal system	12
Neurology and Ophthalmology	20
Renal Medicine	10
Respiratory Medicine	20
Others (Allergy/Clinical Genetics/Dermatology/Immunology/Psychiatry/Risk Management/Patient Safety/Public Health)	22

How do I best prepare?

Preparation for the SCE requires a wide breadth of knowledge around the curriculum and should involve reading of textbooks, journals and guidelines. Experience of the MRCP(UK) examination provides an excellent background to the format of the examination.

The Royal College of Physicians suggest using three main forms of revision: Website, Textbooks and Guidelines. The following list comprises of revision sources recommended by both the RCP and the Society of Acute Medicine.

Websites:

• Joint Royal College of Physicians Training Board: Acute Internal Medicine & Sub-specialty of acute medicine
• MRCP website: www.mrcpuk.org
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) website: www.nice.org.uk
• Royal College of Physicians: Acute Medicine
• Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) website: www.sign.ac.uk
• Society for Acute Medicine: Document Library

Textbooks:

• Ramrahka, P.; Moore, K. & Sam, A. (2010) “Oxford Handbook of Acute Medicine” Oxford University Press: Oxford
• Roseveare, C (2009) “Acute Medicine: Clinical Cases Uncovered” Wiley-Blackwell: Chichester
• Warell, D.; Cox, T. & Firth, J. (2010) “Oxford Textbook of Medicine” Oxford University Press: Oxford
• Lane N., Powter L., Patel S. (2016) “Best of Five MCQs for the Acute Medicine SCE” Oxford University Press: Oxford

Journals:

• Acute Medicine Journal (Rila)
• Clinical Medicine Journal (Royal College of Physicians)
• Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

Documents (PDF)

• Ahmad Maatouk (2017) Acute Internal Medicine guidelines for SCE- 2017
• Joint Royal College of Physicians Training Board (2012) Speciality training curriculum for acute internal medicine
• MRCP (May 2013) Speciality Certificate in Acute Medicine Sample Questions
• MRCP (2012) SCE in Acute Medicine Blue Print
• Nicola Cooper (no date) Recommended reading and courses for acute medicine registrars

There are a number of guidelines which may help you in your preparation for the examination which can be found here.

References:

Society of Acute Medicine. 2020. Specialty Certificate Examination | Society Of Acute Medicine. [online] Available at: <https://www.acutemedicine.org.uk/specialty-certificate-examination/> [Accessed 23 December 2020].

Mrcpuk.org. 2020. Acute Medicine | MRCPUK. [online] Available at: <https://www.mrcpuk.org/mrcpuk-examinations/specialty-certificate-examinations/specialties/acute-medicine> [Accessed 23 December 2020].