Best Books for MRCP Part 1 (Recommended by People Who Have Actually Passed the Exam)

MRCP or Membership of the Royal College of Physicians is a membership degree awarded by MRCPUK. The MRCP consists of 3 exams, namely MRCP Part 1, MRCP Part 2 (both of them are written exams consisting of Best of Five MCQs) and finally the PACES Exams (which is a clinically oriented exam). The MRCP Part 1 is an “entry-level” exam which can be taken one year after the date of your graduation. No prior hospital job experience is required to sit MRCP Part 1 Exam. This is a little introduction to MRCP, in the following part of this article, we’ll share with you the best books for MRCP Part 1 exam preparation.

We did a thorough research on Google and contacted our alumni training abroad for PACES and compiled this list of MUST HAVE books MRCP Part 1 exam preparation. The following list is based on the recommendations of people who have actually passed MRCP Part 1 exam.

Best Books for MRCP Part 1 Exam Preparation

Below is the list of recommended books and resources for MRCP Part 1 exam preparation. We hope you’ll find it useful. 🙂

Online Subscriptions: PassMedicine, Pastest and OnExamination

PassMedicine, Pastest and OnExamination are online QBank Subscriptions.

The PassMedicine is considered as the Bible of MRCP Part 1 Exam and it is the best resource to get started with. It is the standard BoF Q-Bank for MRCP Part 1 Exam. You have to revise it at least 2 to 3 times. You can get printed copy of it divided into subject categories. Each question comes with short answer explanations which are very helpful.

These are three separate PAID subscriptions meaning they can be heavy on your pocket (if you’re broke. 😀 ). PassMedicine combined with one of the other is recommended!

Essential Revision Notes for MRCP by Professor Philip A. Kalra

The Essential Revision Notes for MRCP by Phiip A. Kalra is considered as a definitive guide for those preparing to take MRCP Part 1 exam. It covers almost all areas of the MRCP Part 1 exam syllabus in note format with hints and tips for the exam as well.

Here’s a quick overview:

• Concise and easy-to-understand presentation of the information.
• High-yield facts are presented in an attractive fashion for ease of memorization.
• Special “revision checklists” for each subject.

The Only MRCP Notes You Will Ever Need 4th Edition

The Only MRCP Notes You Will Ever Need (click here) is basically based on the summaries and explanations of PassMedicine questions shaped into a book. The best way to utilize this book is to read a chapter from it and then solve BoF multiple choice questions of the said chapter from PassMedicine. This works best as it will complement and consolidate what you have learned in a conceptual way.

Basic Medical Sciences for MRCP Part 1 by Philippa J. Easterbrook

This revision book has been written keeping in mind the essential basic sciences and covers almost all of it. The book puts great emphasis on areas which frequently appear in MRCP Part 1 exam. It includes a chapter on Clinical Pharmacology discussing drug-induced diseases (i.e hepatitis, lupus and Parkinsonism etc). The Pharmacology revision tables are really helpful for quick revision material. In addition, it also has a chapter on Epidemiology and Statistics — not offered in any other books.

Things you should keep in mind:

• All basic science questions are clinically oriented. So mere memorization of the facts is not going to help if you are taking MRCP Part 1 Exam.
• Basic Sciences is the trickiest aspect of MRCP Part 1 exam. And if you identify this as one of your weak areas then you must dedicate more time reading particularly the subjects i.e Pharmacology, Oncology, Genetics, and Statistics. You may consult the standard textbooks only for reference purpose.
• Do as many best of five questions (Check: Best of Five MCQ Books for MRCP Part 1) as you can. This will not only help in self-assessment but also in reinforcing high-yield facts.

Best of Five MCQs for MRCP Part 1

** PRO TIP: You should practice as many Best of Five MCQs as you can in each specialty and repeat over time so that you remember the high-yield facts and recurring themes.

Here are the highly recommended Best of Five MCQ Books for MRCP Part 1:

MRCP 1 Best of Five Multiple Choice Revision Book by Dr. Khalid Binymin

This book consists of “best of five” questions reflecting the new exam format of MRCP Part 1. It is based on actual exam content which is of great help for testing your knowledge and improving your weak areas. Each exam question is accompanied with high-yield answer explanations.

MRCP 1 Best of Five Clinical Sciences by Geraint Rees

Authored by Geraint Rees, the MRCP 1 Best of Five Clinical Sciences contains new best of five questions focused on the MRCP Part 1 syllabus. It consists of MCQs on the following clinical science subjects:

1. Clinical Anatomy
2. Clinical Physiology
3. Clinical Biochemistry
4. Genetics
5. Immunology
6. Epidemiology
7. Evidence-based Medicine

Best of Five Questions for MRCP Part 1 (Helen Fellows, Simon Noble, Harry Dalton)

Another highly recommended best of five MCQ book for MRCP Part 1 Exam. It puts great emphasis on important recurring themes and topics. The answer explanations are very good and high-yield.

That’s it! GOOD LUCK! 🙂

Did we miss something? Please let us know if you think a book needs to be on our list by commenting below. Share with us your experience! 🙂