MRCPSYCH Study Guide 2026

Everything you need to pass the MRCPSYCH exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.

MRCPSYCH exam key facts

To pass the MRCPsych CASC, candidates must meet or exceed the total borderline regression score and achieve a passing score in at least 12 stations. Source
Candidates are allowed a maximum of six attempts for each MRCPsych exam. Source
Candidates have six years from the date their first theory paper result is published to complete all remaining parts of the MRCPsych. Source

Start the Timed MRCPSYCH Mock Exam →

📋 MRCPSYCH Exam Format at a Glance

150

Questions

180 min

Time Limit

68.00%

Passing Score

Take a Full MRCPSYCH Exam Simulation →

📚 MRCPSYCH Topics to Study (27)

Clinical Procedures and Protocols · 7 cards Clinical Procedures and Protocols · 7 cards Documentation and Record Keeping · 7 cards Documentation and Record Keeping · 7 cards Documentation and Record Keeping · 7 cards Documentation and Record Keeping · 7 cards Professional Ethics and Standards · 7 cards Professional Ethics and Standards · 7 cards Professional Ethics and Standards · 7 cards Professional Ethics and Standards · 7 cards Psychological Treatments and Psychotherapy · 7 cards Safety and Infection Control · 7 cards Safety and Infection Control · 7 cards Safety and Infection Control · 7 cards Safety and Infection Control · 7 cards Clinical Practice & Ethical Standards · 6 cards Clinical Procedures and Protocols · 6 cards Documentation and Record Keeping · 6 cards Education & Training · 6 cards Emergency Response Procedures · 6 cards Patient Assessment and Evaluation · 6 cards Patient Communication Skills · 6 cards Pharmacology Fundamentals · 6 cards Professional Development & Leadership · 6 cards Professional Ethics and Standards · 6 cards Safety and Infection Control · 6 cards Testing & Evaluation · 6 cards

✍️ Sample MRCPSYCH Questions & Answers

1. What is the ethical obligation regarding continuing education?

✓ Maintaining current knowledge and competence throughout ones career

Professionals have an ethical duty to maintain and update their knowledge and skills to provide competent service.

2. What does the acronym AED stand for?

✓ Automated External Defibrillator

An AED (Automated External Defibrillator) analyzes heart rhythm and delivers an electrical shock if needed to restore normal rhythm.

3. A psychiatrist learns that a patient was informally admitted but is now requesting to leave and staff are preventing discharge without legal authority. This constitutes:

✓ Unlawful deprivation of liberty if no formal detention order is in place

Detaining an informal patient without proper legal authority constitutes unlawful deprivation of liberty, requiring either a formal MHA section or MCA/DOLS authorisation.

4. A trainee psychiatrist is asked by a senior colleague to falsify a patient's clinical record to avoid a complaint. The trainee should:

✓ Refuse and escalate the request to a clinical supervisor or governance lead

Falsifying medical records is serious professional misconduct; the trainee must refuse and report the request through appropriate governance channels.

5. Which action constitutes a breach of client confidentiality?

✓ Sharing client information with unauthorized parties without consent

Sharing client information without consent or legal authorization violates confidentiality principles.

6. Which of the following describes 'defensive psychiatry' and its primary ethical concern?

✓ Clinicians making decisions primarily to avoid litigation rather than in the patient's best clinical interests

Defensive psychiatry occurs when clinical decisions are driven by fear of litigation rather than patient welfare, compromising the quality and ethics of care.

🎯 Free MRCPSYCH Practice Tests

Documentation and Record Keeping · 7 questions Documentation and Record Keeping · 7 questions Documentation and Record Keeping · 7 questions Clinical Procedures and Protocols · 7 questions Clinical Procedures and Protocols · 7 questions Safety and Infection Control · 7 questions Safety and Infection Control · 7 questions Safety and Infection Control · 7 questions Safety and Infection Control · 7 questions Documentation and Record Keeping · 7 questions

📖 MRCPSYCH Guides & Articles

Your MRCPSYCH Study Path

1. Learn with Flashcards → 2. Drill Practice Tests → 3. Take the Full Exam Simulation

🃏 MRCPSYCH Flashcards (177)🏆 MRCPSYCH Exam Simulation

What Practice Test Geeks adds beyond an AI chat for MRCPsych

An AI chatbot can quiz you, but it can't reproduce the exam conditions or keep your record. Here you get:

A timed, full-length MRCPsych mock exam — 150 questions in 180 minutes with a 68% pass mark, modeled on the official exam's question count and time limit, followed by a score report broken down by exam domain.
A fixed MRCPsych question bank: the same test every attempt, so your score is comparable from one try to the next instead of changing with every regenerated quiz.
Progress saved on your device: completed tests, scores and missed questions stay in My Progress, so you can retake only what you got wrong.
A printable MRCPsych cheat sheet you can print or save as a PDF.
MRCPsych flashcards built from the same question bank.
Free MRCPsych practice tests with the correct answer shown after each question.

Start the Timed MRCPsych Mock Exam →

Was this helpful?

How this page was made: written with AI tools and published by Nathan Beja, founder of Practice Test Geeks, who is responsible for its content. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy

Sources & references

Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy

rcpsych.ac.uk — Exam dates, fees, late registration, registration deadline, registration, score release, score validity, retake policy, exam format, passing score · verified Oct 2026