TL;DR: There are two MRCEM Primary diets in 2026: 22 April 2026 (applications open 10:00 UK on 11 December 2025 and close 16:00 UK on 18 December 2025; results 4 June 2026) and 27 October 2026 (applications open 10:00 UK on 15 July 2026 and close 16:00 UK on 22 July 2026; results 1 December 2026). The exam costs £429 for UK members, £485 for international members, £525 for UK non-members, and £609 for international non-members. Both diets are delivered as a 3-hour, 180-question single best answer paper at Surpass Assessment test centres worldwide — Surpass replaced Pearson VUE in January 2026. The dates you actually need to set alarms for aren’t the exam days, they’re the seven-day application windows. Miss one and you wait six months.
What are the MRCEM Primary 2026 exam dates at a glance?
Two diets, two seven-day application windows, two results dates. Every figure below is verified against the RCEM exam calendar as of 30 May 2026.
| Diet | Exam date | Applications open (10:00 UK) | Applications close (16:00 UK) | Results released | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | 22 Apr 2026 (Wed) | 11 Dec 2025 | 18 Dec 2025 | 4 Jun 2026 | Surpass test centres worldwide |
| October 2026 | 27 Oct 2026 (Tue) | 15 Jul 2026 | 22 Jul 2026 | 1 Dec 2026 | Surpass test centres worldwide |
For what to expect on results day, see our RCEM exam results release timeline.
Application windows open at exactly 10:00 UK time and close at exactly 16:00 UK time on the dates shown. The RCEM portal rejects late submissions automatically and there is no appeals route for a missed window — you wait six months.
For more on this, see our guide to MRCEM OSCE exam dates 2026.
If you are reading this in May 2026, the April diet has passed and results land on 4 June 2026. The next opportunity is the October 2026 diet, with applications opening on 15 July 2026.
When is the MRCEM Primary in April 2026?
The first 2026 diet sits on Wednesday 22 April 2026. The application window ran from 10:00 UK on 11 December 2025 to 16:00 UK on 18 December 2025, with results released on 4 June 2026. The exam is delivered as a single three-hour sitting at any Surpass Assessment test centre worldwide with availability — you choose your specific centre and time slot once RCEM has approved your application.
This is the diet most UK candidates aim for if they need the result on their portfolio before the August/September deanery cycle.
When is the MRCEM Primary in October 2026?
The second 2026 diet sits on Tuesday 27 October 2026. The application window opens at 10:00 UK on 15 July 2026 and closes at 16:00 UK on 22 July 2026, with results published on 1 December 2026. Same Surpass test centre network, same three-hour format, same fee.
If you sat the April 2026 diet and didn’t pass, the October application window opens roughly six weeks after your result lands — enough time to debrief your domain-level breakdown and put a focused 12-week revision plan together.
When do MRCEM Primary applications open and close in 2026?
April diet: 10:00 UK on 11 December 2025 through 16:00 UK on 18 December 2025. October diet: 10:00 UK on 15 July 2026 through 16:00 UK on 22 July 2026. Each window is exactly seven days. The RCEM portal applies an automatic hard cut-off at 16:00:01 UK on the closing date. Plan to submit on day one, not day seven.
When are the MRCEM Primary 2026 results released?
April releases on 4 June 2026 by 17:00 UK. October releases on 1 December 2026 by 17:00 UK. Both turnarounds are roughly six weeks. RCEM publishes results to your candidate portal at rcem.ac.uk — never by phone, email, or text.
How much does the MRCEM Primary cost in 2026?
The MRCEM Primary fee for 2026 is £429 for UK RCEM members, £485 for international members, £525 for UK non-members, and £609 for international non-members. Same fee both diets, paid at the point of application via the RCEM portal.
For more on this, see our guide to RCEM exam centre locations UK.
| Membership status | Fee (2026) | Saving vs non-member |
|---|---|---|
| UK member | £429 | £96 cheaper than UK non-member |
| International member | £485 | £124 cheaper than international non-member |
| UK non-member | £525 | — |
| International non-member | £609 | — |
Two cost traps that catch candidates every diet:
RCEM membership must be paid at least 24 hours before the application window opens. If you join or renew on the morning the window opens, your account will still show non-member status when you submit and you’ll be charged the higher rate with no retrospective refund. Pay the week before.
International candidates may have country-of-residence VAT or GST added on top. RCEM lists the headline price in sterling but is required to collect local digital services taxes where they apply — 5–20% depending on jurisdiction, determined by your country of residence, not the exam location. See the RCEM International Sales Tax Q&A.
Where is the MRCEM Primary delivered in 2026?
At Surpass Assessment test centres worldwide. Surpass replaced Pearson VUE as the RCEM delivery partner from January 2026, so the test centre network looks different from previous years. You no longer book through Pearson VUE — applications go through RCEM, and once approved, you get an invitation from Surpass Scheduler to choose your centre and time slot.
A practical note from the April 2026 diet: several candidates reported 24–48 hour delays between the booking window opening and the Surpass Scheduler email arriving. Check your spam folder, then log directly into the Surpass candidate portal rather than waiting for the email. If you have no Surpass access 48 hours after the booking window opens, contact exams@rcem.ac.uk — not Surpass, which cannot resolve issues without RCEM authorisation.
Popular centres in major exam cities (London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Dublin, Mumbai, Karachi, Lagos, Cairo, Riyadh) book out within hours, not days. Book as soon as the Surpass invitation arrives.
For more on this, see our guide to MRCEM exam fees breakdown 2026.
Am I eligible to sit the MRCEM Primary in 2026?
Eligibility for MRCEM Primary is the simplest of the RCEM exams. You need:
- A primary medical qualification (PMQ) recognised by the GMC for registration purposes.
- Current medical registration (provisional or full) with the GMC or any equivalent regulator worldwide.
- The application fee.
You do not need GMC registration specifically, you do not need clinical experience, and you do not need to be on a training programme. Final-year medical students with a confirmed PMQ and FY1 doctors are both eligible. Many international candidates sit MRCEM Primary before pursuing GMC registration.
The exam is delivered in English. RCEM advises IELTS Level 7 as the expected standard, but there is no formal English language test at the application stage for Primary.
You get up to six attempts at MRCEM Primary. Failed Primary attempts do not count against your SBA or OSCE limits — each component has its own count.
What is the exam format and what should I expect on the day?
The MRCEM Primary is a single three-hour computer-based paper of 180 single best answer (SBA) questions. Five answer options per stem, one single best answer. No negative marking: correct answers score 1, anything else scores 0.
The blueprint is heavily weighted toward two domains. Of the 180 marks, approximately 60 are anatomy and 60 are physiology — two-thirds of the paper. The remaining 60 marks cover pharmacology, microbiology, pathology, and evidence-based medicine. Candidates who pass on first attempt almost universally front-load anatomy and physiology and treat the smaller domains as top-up in the final fortnight.
The exam is mapped to the RCEM Basic Sciences Curriculum (June 2010). The official blueprint and sample questions are in the MRCEM Primary Regulations and Information Pack.
The pass mark is set using the Angoff method — there is no fixed percentage. Each diet’s pass mark is determined by an expert panel judging item difficulty. Scores in the 65–70% range have historically been around the pass line, but the cut moves between diets.
What’s the application process step-by-step?
You apply via RCEM during the seven-day window; only once eligibility is approved do you book your Surpass slot. You cannot book directly with Surpass.
- Week before: Confirm RCEM membership is paid and showing on your account. Update portal profile (GMC number, address, contact details).
- 10:00 UK on the published date: Log in, open the MRCEM Primary application, upload PMQ certificate, registration certificate, and ID as PDFs.
- Submit and pay. Confirmation email within an hour. No email means no submission — log back in and check status.
- Wait 1–3 weeks for eligibility approval. RCEM emails if anything is missing.
- Surpass Scheduler email arrives on approval (usually within 24 hours) with your login link to book a centre and slot.
- Book early — popular centres fill within 48 hours.
- Two weeks before exam day: Work through the Surpass demo from the candidate portal so the interface is familiar.
Sign up for RCEM exam reminders at the RCEM email reminders page. Bookmark rcem.ac.uk/exam-calendar-fees/ for monthly checks.
What if I miss the deadline or can’t sit on the day?
Miss the seven-day window and you cannot sit that diet — no late entries, no appeals. If you’ve applied but need to defer or cancel, RCEM’s cancellation policy (for exams booked from 11 December 2025 onwards) works like this:
| Situation | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Deferral ≥30 days before exam day | £50 admin fee; remaining fee transfers to the next diet |
| Cancellation <30 days before exam day | Forfeit 50%; remaining 50% credited to your RCEM account |
| No-show or withdraw on the day | Forfeit 100% of the fee |
The credit balance sits on your RCEM account against your next application fee. It does not expire, but it is non-transferable and non-refundable to your bank. If you defer ≥30 days out, your eligibility approval carries over — you don’t reapply from scratch.
How does the MRCEM Primary fit into the wider MRCEM pathway?
The MRCEM Primary is the first of three exams required for College Membership (MRCEM). Components must be sat in order: Primary, then SBA, then OSCE. You can’t apply for SBA without passing Primary, and you can’t apply for OSCE without passing both.
| Exam | 2026 dates | Format | Eligibility extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| MRCEM Primary | 22 Apr / 27 Oct 2026 | 180 SBAs, 3 hours | None beyond PMQ + registration |
| MRCEM SBA | 21 Jan / 16 Sep 2026 | 180 SBAs, 2 × 2-hour papers | 2 years post-PMQ + Primary pass |
| MRCEM OSCE | 6 diets (London, India, Malaysia) | 16 stations, 8 min each | 6 months post-Foundation EM + Primary + SBA passes |
Pass all three and you achieve MRCEM and become eligible for College Membership. MRCEM is also a prerequisite for UK Higher Specialty Training in Emergency Medicine and, eventually, FRCEM. The full 2026 calendar including SBA, OSCE, and FRCEM dates is in our FRCEM exam dates 2026 article.
If you previously took the exam under its old name — FRCEM Primary, which it was called between August 2016 and July 2021 — your pass is still valid and counts toward MRCEM in 2026.
How does the 2026 MRCEM Primary differ from previous years?
The biggest change is the delivery partner. Surpass Assessment replaced Pearson VUE for all RCEM theory exams from January 2026. The April 2026 MRCEM Primary was the first Primary diet delivered through Surpass. Content, format, blueprint, marking, and attempt limits are unchanged from 2024 and 2025. What changed:
- Booking flow: Surpass Scheduler invitation by email, then booking via the Surpass candidate portal — not Pearson VUE.
- Test centre network: largely overlaps with the old Pearson VUE network, but some centres changed and new ones were added.
- On-screen interface: different navigation, different flag-for-review system, different on-screen calculator. Work through the Surpass demo before exam day.
- Cancellation policy: tightened for exams booked from 11 December 2025 — £50 admin deferral fee and the 30-day cliff edge for 50% refunds are the new defaults.
MRCEM Primary exam dates 2026 FAQ
How many MRCEM Primary diets are there in 2026?
Two: 22 April 2026 and 27 October 2026, both delivered worldwide via Surpass Assessment test centres, both the same fee.
What is the deadline to apply for the October 2026 MRCEM Primary?
16:00 UK time on 22 July 2026. The window opens at 10:00 UK on 15 July 2026 — exactly seven days earlier. No late applications. Miss it and the next opportunity is the April 2027 diet.
How much does the MRCEM Primary cost in 2026?
£429 UK member, £485 international member, £525 UK non-member, £609 international non-member. Same fee for both diets. Local digital services tax (VAT/GST) may apply on top depending on your country of residence.
Where is the MRCEM Primary delivered in 2026?
At Surpass Assessment test centres worldwide. You choose your centre and time slot after RCEM approves your application, via the Surpass Scheduler invitation. Surpass replaced Pearson VUE in January 2026 — old Pearson VUE links no longer work.
How long do I wait for MRCEM Primary results?
Approximately six weeks. April 2026 results release 4 June 2026; October 2026 results release 1 December 2026. Both by 17:00 UK time, on your portal at rcem.ac.uk — never by phone or email.
How is the MRCEM Primary marked?
Machine marked, 1 mark per correct answer, 0 for incorrect or blank. No negative marking — always answer every question. The pass mark is set using the Angoff method; the cut moves between diets and is published with each result release.
How many attempts do I get at the MRCEM Primary?
Six attempts. Failed Primary attempts do not count against your MRCEM SBA or OSCE limits — each component has its own count.
Do I need GMC registration to sit the MRCEM Primary?
No. You need a GMC-recognised PMQ and current registration with any equivalent regulator worldwide. Final-year medical students with a confirmed PMQ are eligible. Many international candidates sit Primary before pursuing GMC registration.
What should I revise for the MRCEM Primary?
Anatomy and physiology — together they make up around two-thirds of the 180 marks. Pharmacology, microbiology, pathology, and evidence-based medicine make up the rest. Map your revision to the blueprint weighting; spend the bulk of your study on anatomy and physiology and treat the smaller domains as top-up in the final fortnight.
What’s the difference between MRCEM Primary and FRCEM Primary?
None — they are the same exam under different names. “FRCEM Primary” was the name used from August 2016 to July 2021. The exam was renamed MRCEM Primary when membership and fellowship pathways were separated in 2021. A pass under the old name still counts.
When will the 2027 MRCEM Primary dates be released?
RCEM typically publishes the following year’s calendar between September and November. Expect the 2027 MRCEM Primary dates on rcem.ac.uk/exam-calendar-fees/ by late autumn 2026. The April 2027 application window will likely open in early-to-mid December 2026.
Facts last verified
All exam dates, application windows, results dates, fees, and policy details in this article were verified against the RCEM exam calendar and fees page and the RCEM MRCEM exams page on 30 May 2026. RCEM occasionally adjusts dates for operational reasons — always cross-check the official calendar before submitting your application.
What to do next
Pick your diet from the table above, set a phone calendar reminder for 10:00 UK on the application opening date (not the closing date), and confirm your RCEM membership is paid up at least 48 hours before. Work through the Surpass demo on the candidate portal at least two weeks before exam day. When you’re ready to start structured revision built specifically for the 2026 MRCEM Primary blueprint, explore the EM Final Exams question banks and mock papers — designed around the anatomy and physiology heavy weighting that decides this paper.
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