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100+ Free MRCP PACES Practice Questions
MRCP(UK) PACES (Practical Assessment of Clinical Examination Skills) practice questions are available now; exam metadata is being verified.
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A patient has a high-stepping gait, bilateral foot drop, wasting of the lower legs producing an 'inverted champagne bottle' appearance, pes cavus and absent ankle reflexes. What is the most likely diagnosis?
A
B
C
D
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Sample MRCP PACES Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to test your MRCP PACES exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1How many clinical stations and how many separate patient encounters make up the PACES (PACES23) carousel?
A.Four stations and six encounters
B.Five stations and eight encounters
C.Six stations and ten encounters
D.Five stations and five encounters
Explanation: PACES is a five-station carousel comprising eight patient encounters. Stations 2 and 5 each contain a single 20-minute consultation, while Stations 1, 3 and 4 each contain two 10-minute encounters, giving eight encounters in total.
2Which scoring values are awarded for each clinical skill on a PACES marksheet?
A.Satisfactory 3, Borderline 2, Unsatisfactory 1
B.Pass 1, Fail 0
C.Satisfactory 2, Borderline 1, Unsatisfactory 0
D.Excellent 4, Good 3, Adequate 2, Poor 1
Explanation: Each skill on each encounter is graded on a 0-1-2 scale: Satisfactory scores 2 marks, Borderline scores 1 mark and Unsatisfactory scores 0 marks. Examiners calibrate against the standard of a trainee ready to enter higher specialty training.
3PACES assesses seven core clinical skills labelled A to G. Which option correctly pairs a skill letter with its descriptor?
A.Skill A = Differential Diagnosis
B.Skill B = Identifying Physical Signs
C.Skill C = Clinical Judgement
D.Skill G = Managing Patients' Concerns
Explanation: The seven skills are A Physical Examination, B Identifying Physical Signs, C Clinical Communication, D Differential Diagnosis, E Clinical Judgement, F Managing Patients' Concerns and G Maintaining Patient Welfare. Skill B is correctly 'Identifying Physical Signs'.
4Which two stations are the 20-minute consultation stations in which all seven clinical skills are assessed?
A.Stations 1 and 4
B.Stations 3 and 4
C.Stations 1 and 3
D.Stations 2 and 5
Explanation: Stations 2 and 5 are the integrated consultation ('clinical consultation') encounters lasting 20 minutes each, and all seven skills A-G are assessed in them. Together they account for over one-third of the total marks, so weak performance there strongly threatens an overall pass.
5To pass PACES overall, a candidate must meet two requirements. What are they?
A.Achieve at least the overall minimum total mark only
B.Pass each of the seven clinical skills AND achieve the overall minimum total mark
C.Pass at least five of the seven skills and any total mark
D.Be graded Satisfactory on every single encounter
Explanation: Passing PACES is a conjunctive standard: the candidate must reach the pass mark for each of the seven individual skills AND reach the overall minimum total score (168 marks available, with 113 needed across the skill totals and at least 127 overall in PACES23). Failing either condition is a fail.
6In a Station 1 communication encounter, which set of skills do the two examiners assess?
A.A, B, D, E, G (physical examination skills)
B.All seven skills A to G
C.C, E, F, G (communication, judgement, concerns, welfare)
D.C and F only
Explanation: The communication encounters in Stations 1 and 4 assess skills C (Clinical Communication), E (Clinical Judgement), F (Managing Patients' Concerns) and G (Maintaining Patient Welfare). There is no physical examination, so skills A, B and D are not assessed in these encounters.
7How long is allowed for the physical examination itself in a 10-minute examination encounter (e.g. respiratory, cardiovascular or abdominal)?
A.A maximum of 6 minutes, followed by about 4 minutes of discussion
B.The full 10 minutes for examination with no discussion
C.8 minutes for examination and 2 minutes of discussion
D.4 minutes for examination and 6 minutes of discussion
Explanation: In a 10-minute physical examination encounter a maximum of about 6 minutes is allowed for examining the patient, followed by roughly 4 minutes of discussion with the examiner covering findings, diagnosis, investigations and management.
8How many examiners assess a candidate over the whole PACES carousel, and how are they distributed?
A.Five examiners, one per station
B.Eight examiners, one per encounter
C.Sixteen examiners, two per encounter
D.Ten examiners, two per station
Explanation: Each station has two independent examiners, giving ten examiners across the five stations. Each examiner completes a marksheet for the relevant encounter(s), and examiners calibrate against the patients/scenarios beforehand to agree the satisfactory standard.
9In the PACES23 communication encounters in Stations 1 and 4, what is the format regarding examiner interaction?
A.A 5-minute viva with the examiners follows the patient interaction
B.There is no examiner-candidate viva; marks are based on observation only
C.Examiners interrupt to ask questions during the encounter
D.The candidate presents a written summary to the examiners afterwards
Explanation: A key PACES23 change is that the 10-minute communication encounters have no candidate-examiner question-and-answer component. Examiners award marks based solely on their observation of the candidate's interaction with the patient or surrogate.
10Within a 20-minute Station 2 or Station 5 consultation, how is the time conventionally divided?
A.20 minutes with the patient and no examiner discussion
B.10 minutes history and 10 minutes examiner viva
C.15 minutes with the patient (history, examination, discussion) then a 5-minute discussion with a lead examiner
D.5 minutes with the patient and 15 minutes of viva
Explanation: In the consultation stations the candidate has 15 minutes with the patient to take a focused history, perform a relevant examination, explain the likely diagnosis/management and address concerns, with a 2-minute warning at 13 minutes. This is followed by a 5-minute discussion with the lead examiner.
About the MRCP PACES Practice Questions
Verified exam format metadata for MRCP(UK) PACES (Practical Assessment of Clinical Examination Skills) is pending. The practice questions above remain available while official exam length, timing, passing score, fee, and administrator details are reviewed.