What happens in the PACES exam
PACES is the clinical part of MRCP(UK): a half-day exam of five stations and eight patient encounters, lasting 125 minutes including 5 minutes between stations. There are two 10-minute communication encounters with no examiner questions, two 20-minute consultations (15 minutes with the patient, then 5 minutes of examiner questions) and four 10-minute physical examination encounters. Two independent examiners at each station grade the skills tested as Satisfactory (2), Borderline (1) or Unsatisfactory (0).
Checked against the official sources on 24 September 2026.
The parts, in order
You read written instructions in the five minutes before the station, then talk with a patient, relative or surrogate (such as a healthcare worker) for 10 minutes. The examiners observe and do not ask questions.
You examine a patient's respiratory system following brief written instructions, with up to 6 minutes for the examination and at least 4 minutes of questions from the examiners.
After reading a short note or referral letter, you have 15 minutes to take a history, carry out a relevant examination and respond to the patient's concerns, followed by 5 minutes of questions from the lead examiner.
You examine a patient's cardiovascular system following brief written instructions, with up to 6 minutes for the examination and at least 4 minutes of questions from the examiners.
You examine a patient's nervous system following brief written instructions, with up to 6 minutes for the examination and at least 4 minutes of questions from the examiners.
The same format as the Station 1 communication encounter: 10 minutes with a patient, relative or surrogate, observed by the examiners with no questions.
You examine a patient's abdominal system following brief written instructions, with up to 6 minutes for the examination and at least 4 minutes of questions from the examiners.
The same format as Station 2. One of the two consultation stations is likely to be a patient with an acute presentation and the other is likely to be less acute.
How it is marked
Ten examiners, two at each station, complete a marksheet for each of the eight encounters and record their marks independently without conferring. Each skill tested is graded Satisfactory (2 marks), Borderline (1 mark) or Unsatisfactory (0 marks), and the grades are totalled to give a score for each of seven skills (A physical examination, B identifying physical signs, C clinical communication, D differential diagnosis, E clinical judgement, F managing patients' concerns, G maintaining patient welfare) and a total score. The communication encounters test skills C, E, F and G, the physical examination encounters A, B, D, E and G, and the consultations all seven.
Passing
Candidates must reach the pass mark in each of the seven skills (A 16/24, B 14/24, C 11/16, D 15/24, E 20/32, F 10/16, G 28/32) and an overall score of at least 126 out of 168. This standard was agreed in May 2024 and applies to all assessment periods from 2024/02 onwards.
Worth knowing
- You must have passed the MRCP(UK) Part 1 written exam before taking PACES.
- You can start at any of the five stations and move to the next every 20 minutes until you have completed the carousel.
- The current format (previously called PACES23) has been used since the third diet of 2023.
Sources
- Format - PACES (Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK)
- PACES (Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK)
- MRCP(UK) Part 2 Clinical Examination (PACES23) Guidance notes for candidates, revised 24 January 2025
- MRCP(UK) PACES Pass Standard
- Pass marks explained
Formats change. MedMock is not affiliated with any examining body; always check the current regulations on the official site before you book.
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