Irish College of General Practitioners (Irish College of GPs)

Membership of the Irish College of General Practitioners

The MICGP is the criterion-referenced membership examination taken during the four-year National Specialist Training Programme in General Practice. For trainees who started on or after 12 July 2021 it has two modules, the Core Knowledge Test (CKT) and the Clinical Competency Test (CCT); the Modified Essay Question (MEQ) module was retired with a final sitting in July 2025. Passing both modules is required for completion of GP training and the CSCST.

2

Parts

Awarded by: Irish College of General Practitioners (Irish College of GPs)

Cost: Not published on the public site (fees are behind the member login); null

Who can sit it

Candidates must be enrolled on (or within two years of completing) an Irish College of GPs programme: the National Specialist Training Programme in General Practice, the Malaysia Ireland Training Programme, the Faculty of Military Medicine, or the International Medical Graduate Rural GP Programme. CKT from Year 2 of training; CCT from Year 3 with at least six months as a GP registrar. Both modules must be passed, each within five attempts, and all modules completed within two calendar years of finishing the programme.

When NCHDs sit it

GP training in Ireland is a four-year scheme entered after internship. Trainees usually sit the CKT in Year 2 (hospital rotations) or early Year 3, and the CCT in Year 3 or 4 once they have at least six months of GP-registrar experience. Both modules must be passed for the CSCST and no later than two years after finishing the programme; five attempts per module.

The parts

Core Knowledge Test (CKT)Not published on the public site; fee schedule sits behind the member login (null) · Not published publicly; the exam calendar is member-login only/yr

Single best answer paper (one of five options), no negative marking. The College exam page states 180 questions; the 2024/2025 regulations state 200 questions. Topics span the Core Curriculum for Irish General Practice (clinical surgery, consultation skills, dermatology, emergency medicine, ENT, general medicine, infectious diseases, O&G/women's health, ophthalmology, paediatrics, palliative care, practice management, psychiatry, rheumatology, sexual health, therapeutics). · 3 hours

Open to trainees in Years 2, 3 or 4 of the National Specialist Training Programme (Rural IMG programme Years 1-2; Military Medicine Years 2-5) who have not yet passed it, and to candidates up to two years post-programme. Maximum five attempts per module for post-July-2021 entrants (educational supervisor input required before a fifth attempt). Confirm the next sitting and application deadline with the College.

Clinical Competency Test (CCT)Not published on the public site; fee schedule sits behind the member login (null) · Not published publicly; the exam calendar is member-login only/yr

Six simulated consultations with actor patients in a mock consulting room: four dual-scenario cases (two independently marked issues each) and two longer single-scenario cases. Each case is 17 minutes with about a 3-minute gap. Candidates bring their own doctor's bag equipment and a BNF/MIMS. Format as updated Spring 2024; stations are recorded. · About 2 hours

Open to trainees in Year 3 or 4 of the Irish (and Malaysian) programme with a minimum of six months in a GP rotation (Rural IMG programme from Year 2), and to candidates up to two years post-programme. Maximum five attempts. The College may impose additional gaps between CCT sittings for candidates who have failed. Confirm the next sitting and application deadline with the College.

Needed for

GP Training

Preparation resources

Resources for each exam part, with access details, costs and suggested priorities.

ICGP MICGP Examination pages, regulations and Moodle prep courseCollege resourceFree to trainees
The CKT and CCT format pages, exam regulations and the ICGP Moodle Prep Course are the college's own description of marking and station structure; nothing else is written to the CCT.
Prescription Revision MICGP CKT and CCT modulesCourseCKT €275 for 3 months to €595 for 12 months; CCT €475 for 3 months to €795 for 12 months; TSS reimbursableCKT, CCT
Founded by an MICGP examiner; 60 worked CCT cases and 20 high-yield CKT topics with videos and podcasts, and it is the resource most Irish trainees cite for the CCT.
GPExamPrep.ie CKT mock examsQuestion bankCKT
Timed mock CKT papers written by Irish GPs to the ICGP blueprint; the only question bank built for the CKT rather than the AKT.

Passmedicine MRCGP AKTQuestion bankAbout £35 for 4 monthsCKT
Over 4,500 UK AKT items; the CKT overlaps heavily with the AKT so Irish trainees use it for volume, but check Irish guidelines where prescribing and screening differ.
GP Exam Simulator mock CCT consultationsCourseCCT
Bookable 17-minute Zoom mock consultations with coached actors run to current CCT conditions; direct rehearsal for the OSCE-style CCT.
ICGP Quick Reference Guides and clinical guidelinesNotesFree to members
Irish-specific management the examiners expect in both papers, especially chronic disease and prescribing.
HSE Antibiotic Prescribing guidelines (antibioticprescribing.ie)NotesFree
Irish community antimicrobial guidance is a recurring CKT and CCT topic; UK banks give NICE answers that differ.

Pastest MRCGP AKTQuestion bankCKT
Second AKT bank with stronger explanations for candidates wanting more than Passmedicine.
SCA Revision MICGP CCT practice casesQuestion bankCCT
Large library of AI role-play consultation cases adapted for the CCT; useful for volume between group practice sessions.
Oxford Handbook of General PracticeBook
Broad reference for CKT gaps and consultation content; not exam-specific.

NICE Clinical Knowledge SummariesNotesFree
Quick reads for topics where no Irish guideline exists; align answers with ICGP or HSE guidance where they conflict.

Tiers are editorial: S = essential and closely mapped to the exam, A = strong, B = useful supplement, C = optional. No affiliate links; prices are indicative and change.

Preparing

CKT is a three-hour single-best-answer paper mapped to the Core Curriculum for Irish General Practice. The College points candidates to the curriculum topic list; most trainees combine a question bank with reading around Irish-specific guidance (HSE, ICGP quick reference guides, NCEC guidelines) since questions are set in an Irish practice context.

CCT is best prepared for by consulting: the College's own advice is that months of exposure to a broad GP caseload is the main preparation. Use the CCT Prep Course on Moodle and the example station video, practise 17-minute dual-issue consultations with peers or a trainer, and rehearse safety-netting, shared decision making and practice-management aspects. Bring a full doctor's bag and BNF/MIMS on the day.

Last verified 2026-08-18. Sources: https://www.irishcollegeofgps.ie/Home/Training-Assessment/MICGP-Examination https://www.irishcollegeofgps.ie/Home/Training-Assessment/MICGP-Examination/MICGP-Exam-Modules/Core-Knowledge-Test-CKT https://www.irishcollegeofgps.ie/Home/Training-Assessment/MICGP-Examination/MICGP-Exam-Modules/Clinical-Competency-Test-CCT https://www.irishcollegeofgps.ie/Home/Training-Assessment/MICGP-Examination/MICGP-Exam-Modules https://www.irishcollegeofgps.ie/Portals/0/Training%20and%20Assessment/Policies%20and%20procedures/MICGP%20Exam%20Regulations%202024%202025_Final.pdf https://www.irishcollegeofgps.ie/Home/Training-Assessment/MICGP-Examination/MICGP-Examination-Calendar (member login required; not accessible)