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MRCPI Part 1 (General Medicine) written examination

Ireland's physicianly entry examination. Heavily overlapping with MRCP(UK) Part 1 in content but with its own regulations, sampling and question style — which is exactly why reskinned UK banks serve it badly.

IrelandRoyal College of Physicians of Ireland written

Coming soon. This bank is still in build and not on sale yet. The banks live now are PLAB 1, MRCP Part 1 and AMC MCQ.

What is on the MRCPI Part 1?

Questions or stations100 verified 2026-08-10 Source says: “one paper with 100 Single Best Answer (best of five) questions” check it yourself
Time180 minutes verified 2026-08-10 Source says: “You have three hours to complete the exam” check it yourself
FormatOne paper, 100 best-of-five questions, no negative marking
Adaptive deliveryNo
Pass markSet by RCPI per sitting. verified 2026-08-10 check it yourself
BlueprintRCPI examination regulations and training curricula, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland

One three-hour paper of 100 best-of-five questions. Confirm the current regulations with RCPI before you book.

Verification status. All 3 published figures on this page have been read in the source document and dated above. Source of truth: RCPI examination regulations and training curricula, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. How we verify.

The MRCPI Part 1 curriculum, section by section

Every question in this bank is tagged to one of the sections below, and the tag traces to RCPI examination regulations and training curricula. That is what makes a coverage claim checkable instead of a marketing line. The table shows exactly how many items exist in each section today, including the sections where the answer is none.

Coverage today: 12 of 14 sections. We publish the gap rather than hiding it.

Free sample questions

Full explanations for every option, including the ones you didn't pick. The option you nearly chose is usually the one you needed explained. Read these before paying for anything.

A 62-year-old man has an ejection fraction of 30% on echocardiography following a myocardial infarction six months ago. He is on ramipril, bisoprolol and a statin, and remains NYHA class II. Which addition gives the greatest mortality benefit?

  1. A loop diuretic Essential for congestion and symptom control, but it changes how a patient feels rather than how long they live.
  2. A mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist correct Correct. With persisting symptoms on an ACE inhibitor and beta blocker, adding an MRA such as eplerenone or spironolactone gives a further mortality reduction. Monitor potassium and renal function after starting.
  3. Amlodipine Neutral at best in HFrEF, and the non-dihydropyridines are actively harmful because of their negative inotropy.
  4. Digoxin Reduces hospitalisation in selected patients but has never demonstrated a mortality benefit in sinus rhythm.
  5. Ivabradine Has a role, but later and narrower: heart rate 75 or above in sinus rhythm despite maximally tolerated beta blockade, with benefit on hospitalisation and cardiovascular death rather than the broad mortality effect of an MRA at this stage.

The point: HFrEF prognostic therapy: ACE inhibitor or ARNI, beta blocker, MRA, SGLT2 inhibitor. Diuretics treat symptoms. Know which drugs change the curve and which change the day.

Source: ESC guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure European Society of Cardiology · tier 2, specialty society or college

A 34-year-old woman presents with fatigue, weight loss, dizziness on standing and increased pigmentation of her palmar creases and buccal mucosa. Sodium 128 mmol/L, potassium 5.6 mmol/L, glucose 3.1 mmol/L. Which investigation will confirm the diagnosis?

  1. Overnight dexamethasone suppression test Wrong direction. That tests for cortisol EXCESS in suspected Cushing syndrome.
  2. 24-hour urinary free cortisol Again a test for excess rather than deficiency, and unhelpful at the low end of the range.
  3. Random cortisol alone Unreliable in isolation because cortisol is pulsatile and diurnal. A 9am cortisol can be suggestive at the extremes but does not confirm the diagnosis.
  4. Plasma metanephrines Wrong. These investigate phaeochromocytoma, which causes episodic hypertension, headache, palpitations and sweating.
  5. Short Synacthen test correct Correct. The picture is primary adrenal insufficiency: hyponatraemia, hyperkalaemia, hypoglycaemia and pigmentation from ACTH excess. The short Synacthen test demonstrates a failure of cortisol to rise adequately after synthetic ACTH.

The point: Pigmentation distinguishes primary adrenal failure (high ACTH) from secondary (low ACTH, no pigmentation, and aldosterone preserved so potassium is normal). Take blood for cortisol and ACTH, then treat immediately in a crisis, do not wait for the result.

Source: Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline — primary adrenal insufficiency Endocrine Society · tier 2, specialty society or college

Where MRCPI Part 1 sits in the pathway

Ireland physician training (MRCPI) runs MRCPI Part 1 → MRCPI Part 2. One DocPasser account covers all of them, so moving to the next stage does not mean a new subscription and a progress history you can no longer see.

MRCPI Part 2

Questions people actually ask about MRCPI Part 1

Can I prepare for MRCPI Part 1 with an MRCP(UK) question bank?

Partly. The internal medicine core overlaps heavily, so most cardiology or renal material transfers. What does not transfer is Irish prescribing and service context, and the sampling weight RCPI applies — which is why every question here is tagged to a section rather than dumped into one pile.

Is MRCPI recognised outside Ireland?

It is a recognised postgraduate diploma in a number of jurisdictions, but recognition is decided by each regulator. Check with the regulator you intend to register with, not with a question bank.

What does MRCPI Part 1 preparation cost?

MRCPI Part 1 is a flat £20 for 12 months of access — one price, one purchase, no tiers. The first 10 questions are free, with the full explanation for every option, so you can judge the quality of the explanations before paying for anything.

DocPasser is exam preparation material, not clinical guidance. Nothing here should be used to make a decision about a real patient. Always work from your own local guidelines and seniors.