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Canada for Doctors
The Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) is the single national standard for medical licensure in Canada. As of April 1, 2026, it was renamed from MCCQE Part I to simply MCCQE, and the former Part II clinical exam was discontinued in 2021. Passing the MCCQE is the gateway for international medical graduates to enter the Canadian residency match or the Practice-Ready Assessment route.
Pathway Snapshot
The MCCQE is a computer-based multiple-choice exam delivered at Prometric centres. After source-verifying your medical degree through physiciansapply.ca, you sit the exam, and with a pass you can apply to CaRMS for residency or pursue provincial Practice-Ready Assessment programs.
Complete Journey: Medical Graduation → physiciansapply.ca Account & Source Verification → MCCQE → CaRMS Match / Practice-Ready Assessment → LMCC (automatic for current applicants) → Full Provincial Licensure.
You must be a graduate, or expected graduate, of one of the following:
You can apply up to 15 months before your expected graduation date. Your 12-month eligibility window to schedule and sit the exam begins 12 months before graduation.
Source verification of your medical degree is done through your physiciansapply.ca account and typically takes 3 to 6 months. The exact time depends on how quickly your medical school responds. Start this step as early as possible — it has the longest lead time in the entire process.
The MCCQE tests clinical knowledge and decision-making across all major areas of medicine. The Clinical Decision-Making (CDM) component, which contained short-answer write-in questions, was permanently removed in April 2025. The exam is now entirely multiple-choice.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
Format | 100% multiple-choice (MCQ), single best answer |
Questions | 230 MCQs, split into 2 sections of 115 questions each |
Duration | 2 sections of 2 hours 40 minutes each, with one optional break (actual exam time 5 hours 20 minutes) |
Pass score | 439 on a 300–600 scale (mean 450, standard deviation 30), in effect since April 2025 |
Sessions | 4 per year (January, April, August, October). In 2026, the August and October sessions were combined into a single extended window due to the remote proctoring pause. Scheduling opens about 5 months in advance. |
Delivery | Prometric test centres only. Remote proctoring has been paused since the August 2026 session. |
What we offer
Full MCCQE question bank mapped to official MCC objectives, flashcards, self-assessments, trained AI companion, mentorship, medical library, and peer study groups.
Start MCCQE Prep →Physiciansapply.ca account → Source Verification Request (SVR) → application review → Prometric scheduling.
Create your account and pay the setup fee. Submit your medical degree for a Source Verification Request (SVR). Once your application is reviewed (about 4 weeks), you can schedule your exam appointment through Prometric on a first-come, first-served basis.
Passing MCCQE opens two routes forward.
Route 1 — CaRMS Main Residency Match
Apply for a residency position in any specialty through the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS). This is the standard route for
Canadian medical graduates, but it is highly competitive for IMGs, who are matched at significantly lower rates and compete for a limited
number of IMG-designated seats.
Route 2 — Practice-Ready Assessment (PRA)
Many IMGs who have already completed a residency and practiced independently in their home country take this route. PRA allows an
already-trained physician to move directly into independent practice without repeating a full Canadian residency. Most provincial PRA
capacity is in family medicine, though some provinces also run PRA streams in other specialties. Nine provinces currently offer PRA programs.
Requirements shared by both routes:
LMCC — now automatic: For applicants who applied for the MCCQE after January 26, 2026, the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC) is issued automatically by the MCC upon passing — no separate application, fee, or additional steps are required. The LMCC becomes relevant later, at the point of applying for full provincial licensure.
Every province sets its own additional requirements, and these change often. Always confirm current rules directly with the province you intend to practice in.
Verified directly from mcc.ca/fees. All figures in Canadian dollars (CAD).
| Item | Fee (CAD) |
|---|---|
Physiciansapply.ca account setup | $335.00 |
Source Verification Request (per credential) | $232.00 |
MCCQE application | $1,500.00 |
MCCQE withdrawal fee | $750.00 |
Eligibility window extension | $120.00 |
Candidates who pursue the PRA route face separate additional costs — the TDM Examination ($2,850 CAD) plus each province's own program fees.
Note on Fees: MCC fees are set by the Medical Council of Canada and are subject to periodic revision. Figures shown are current as of 2026. Always confirm exact fees on the MCC website before submitting your application.