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Eligibility and application 

Learn about the eligibility requirements, eligibility window, and applying to take the MCCQE Part I as a Canadian or international student or graduate.
Examinations and assessmentsMCCQE Part IEligibility and application 

Eligibility requirements

To apply to the MCCQE Part I, you must be a graduate from, or a student who is expected to complete all requirements to graduate from:

  • A medical school accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS); or
  • A medical school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools and identified by a Canada Sponsor Note indicating it is an acceptable medical school in Canada; or
  • A United States School of Osteopathic Medicine accredited by the American Osteopathic Association.

Limited exam attempts

You cannot retake the exam if you have a pass result.

You may take the MCCQE Part I up to a maximum of 4 times. After your third attempt, you will be required to wait 1 year from the time you receive the result before reapplying for the exam for your fourth attempt.

Exam attempts before 2018 do not count towards the total limit. Starting in 2018, the number of attempts count. A result of No Standing will not count as an attempt. However, a fail result or a Denied Standing are considered attempts.

Before applying: understanding the exam eligibility window

You will not be able to schedule your exam date until your application has been accepted. After your application is accepted, you will have a 12-month eligibility window to schedule and write the MCCQE Part I at an available Prometric test centre or through remote proctoring. All exam appointments are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Scheduling for an upcoming session opens approximately 5 months before the session start date. For example, if a session start date is on April 17, scheduling would open in early December of the previous year. Unless you extend your eligibility window, it will expire after 12 months or when you write the exam, withdraw from the exam, or are absent from the exam, whichever comes first.

If you are a student:

You can apply up to 15 months prior to your expected date of graduation. Once your application is accepted, your eligibility window will begin 12 months before your expected date of graduation. You can only schedule an exam appointment during this period.

For example:

  • Expected date of graduation: June 1, 2024
  • Application date: as early as March 1, 2023
  • Eligibility window: June 1, 2023 to June 1, 2024

Requesting a test accommodation in your exam application

If you have a documented functional limitation and associated accommodation need, you can request a test accommodation for the MCCQE Part I. Keep in mind that exam applications that include a request for test accommodations will require up to 9 weeks processing time, once all the eligibility requirements have been fulfilled and all the required supporting documentation has been received.

How to apply for the MCCQE Part I

If you meet the eligibility requirements, you can apply for the MCCQE Part I at any time through your physiciansapply.ca account by following the instructions below. If you do not already have an account, you will need to create one.

  1. Log into your physiciansapply.ca account.
  2. Click on Examinations from the main menu, then on Apply for an exam.
  3. Follow the steps to complete your application and submit payment for your MCCQE Part I application fee.
  4. Following the instructions on preparing your documents, send a Certified Identity Confirmation form and a certified copy of an acceptable identity document to the MCC by email ([email protected]).
  5. You will receive a message in your physiciansapply.ca account to confirm your documents were received.
  6. Please allow up to 4 weeks for your application to be processed. You will receive a message in your account once your application has been accepted to confirm that you can schedule your exam appointment with Prometric.
 
Information on applying to the 2025 CaRMS R-1 Main Residency

If you want to apply to the 2025 Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) R-1 Main Residency Match and verify your Canadian citizenship through the MCC and/or obtain a MINC, you must submit your MCCQE Part I application and the required documents no later than October 18, 2024 in order to obtain your Identity Validity Period (IVP) prior to the opening of file review on November 29, 2024.

Follow the steps below if you are an international medical student, a U.S. medical student or a student from a U.S. School of Osteopathic Medicine and would like to apply to take the
MCCQE Part I:

  1. Log into your physiciansapply.ca account.
  2. Click on Examinations from the main menu, then on Apply for an exam.
  3. Follow the steps to submit your application in your physciansapply.ca account.
  4. Complete payment for your MCCQE Part I application fee.
  5. Following the instructions on preparing your documents, send the below documents to the MCC by email ([email protected]):
    1. a Certified Identity Confirmation form
    2. a certified copy of an acceptable identity document
    3. a Student attestation form
  6. You will receive a message in your physiciansapply.ca account to confirm your documents were received.
  7. Please allow up to 4 weeks for your documents and application to be processed. You will receive a message in your account once your application has been accepted to confirm that you can schedule your exam appointment with Prometric.

If the MCC has previously reviewed all the necessary documentation, you may receive notification that your MCCQE Part I application has been accepted sooner.

> Learn how to schedule your exam

 
Information for IMGs applying for the 2025 CaRMS R-1 Main Residency match

If you want to apply for the 2025 Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) R-1 Main Residency Match and provide results for both the MCCQE Part I and the National Assessment Collaboration (NAC) Examination, you can choose to take the NAC Examination and the MCCQE Part I in the order that you prefer.

> Learn about CaRMS and MCC exams

Follow the steps below if you are an international medical graduate (IMG), a U.S. medical graduate or a graduate from a U.S. School of Osteopathic Medicine and would like to apply to take the MCCQE Part I:

  1. If you have not already done so, create a Source Verification Request (SVR) for your medical degree through your physiciansapply.ca account. You can proceed with the exam application as soon as you have submitted and paid for the SVR for your medical degree.
  2. From your physiciansapply.ca account, click on Examinations in the main menu, then click on Apply for an exam.
  3. Follow the steps to submit your application and complete payment for your MCCQE Part I application fee.
  4. Following the instructions on preparing your documents, send the below documents to the MCC by email ([email protected]):
    1. a Certified identity confirmation form
    2. a certified copy of an acceptable identity document
    3. a copy of your medical degree
  5. You will receive a message in your physiciansapply.ca account to confirm your documents were received.
  6. Please allow up to 4 weeks for your documents and application to be processed. Once your documents are approved and the status of your medical degree is reviewed and accepted in your physiciansapply.ca account, you will receive a message that your application is complete. At that time, you will be able to schedule your exam appointment with Prometric.

If the MCC has previously reviewed all the necessary documentation, you may receive notification that your MCCQE Part I application has been accepted sooner.

> Learn how to schedule your exam

 
Information for IMGs applying for the 2025 CaRMS R-1 Main Residency match

If you want to apply for the 2025 Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) R-1 Main Residency Match and provide results for both the MCCQE Part I and the National Assessment Collaboration (NAC) Examination, you can choose to take the NAC Examination and the MCCQE Part I in the order that you prefer.

> Learn about CaRMS and MCC exams

Reapplying for the MCCQE Part I

If you previously applied as:

  • An international medical student, a U.S. medical student, or a student from a U.S. School of Osteopathic Medicine, and your expected date for completion of medical degree requirements has changed since you first submitted your Student attestation form, you must submit a new form.
  • A student and are now a graduate, you must submit a copy of your final medical degree (diploma) to the MCC and create a SVR through your physiciansapply.ca account.
  • A graduate and you have already submitted your final medical degree diploma for source verification, you are not required to resubmit the diploma.
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