Best Books for MRCP Part 1- Pattern, Syllabus details

MRCP is also called the Membership of the Royal College of Physicians. It is a membership degree given by the MRCP UK. The MRCP is conducted in three parts – Part 1, Part 2, and PACES Exam which is clinically oriented. It is an entry-level examination that is taken after one year of graduation. There is no clinical or job experience required to pass the test. However, to get good marks and get selected becomes quite difficult.

Most of the students feel stressed out while preparing for the exam. It becomes quite difficult for which book to refer to for preparation. So, to help you sort out and strategize your plan seamlessly, we have jotted down the best books for MRCP Part 1. These books are highly recommended by those who have cleared the exam. 

Recommended Books for MRCP Part 1 Exam

Aspirants can check the best books for MRCP Part 1 below, with honest feedback from the students. 

Basic Medical Sciences for MRCP Part 1 by Easterbrook

This is one of the best books for medical aspirants who are preparing for MRCP Part 1. It is a must-have for MRCP Part 1 preparation and revision. All the basic concepts are mentioned in an easy way. 

Essential Revision Notes for MRCP by Philip A. Kalra

It’s a well-written book with comprehensive knowledge. It is a must if you are in the revision phase. However, few chapters are written in a rush and are not explained properly. 

Mastering MRCP made Easy by Archith Boloor

Easy and comprehensive. The fundamentals are explained perfectly. It can be your perfect partner in preparing for the examination. 

Some other books that you can refer to are –

• Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine
• Kalra’s Essential Revision Notes for MRCP
• Essential Statistics for Medical Examinations by Brian Faragher, Chris Marguerie
• MRCP Part 1: Explanations to the Royal College of Physicians Past Papers by H.L.C., BSc MRCP Beynon, C.N., MRCP Ross
• Multiple True/false Revision Book by P. Kalra (Editor)
• MRCP Part 1 exam pattern book: Neurology, Psychiatry, Basic Sciences
• MRCP Part 1 Pocket Book: Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Nephrology
• Basic Medical Sciences for MRCP Part 1 written by Philippa Easterbrook
• MRCP 1 New Multiple Choice “Best of Five” Revision Book by K. Binyamin
• 300 Best of Five: Questions and Answers by Geraint Rees (Editor)
• MRCP Part 1 MCQs in Basic Sciences by P. Easterbrook, Kefah Mokbel
• The Practical Guide to Medical Ethics and Law for Junior Doctors and Medical Students by Chloe Baxter, Mark G. Brennan, Yvette Coldicott

If you are willing to prepare from the basics but also need guidance in the preparation, then check out our MRCP Package for Part 1. 

MRCP Part 1 Examination Format

The exam will take place online or in an exam center. It has a two-paper format. Each paper is 3 hours in duration and contains 100 multiple choice questions in the ‘best of five formats. The best of five refers to – when several choices may be plausible, but only one is the best answer.

The aim of conducting the exam is to test the core knowledge and comprehension and to assess the ability to interpret information and to solve clinical problems. Each correct answer carries one mark. However, there is no negative marking. Visit the official website- mrcpuk.org for more details.

Question Distribution of MRCP Part 1

Specialty	Number of questions*
Cardiology	14
Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics	15
Clinical sciences**	25
Dermatology	8
Endocrinology, diabetes and metabolic medicine	14
Gastroenterology and Hepatology	14
Geriatric medicine	8
Hematology	10
Infectious diseases	14
Neurology	14
Oncology	5
Medical ophthalmology	4
Palliative medicine and end of life care	4
Psychiatry	9
Renal medicine	14
Respiratory medicine	14
Rheumatology	14
	200

This should be taken as an indication of the likely number of questions – the actual number may vary slightly.

Clinical sciences comprise:

Cell, molecular, and membrane biology	2
Clinical anatomy	3
Clinical biochemistry and metabolism	4
Clinical physiology	4
Genetics	3
Immunology	4
Statistics, epidemiology, and evidence-based medicine	5

Syllabus details for MRCP Part-1 Course

Cardiology 

• Hypertension 
• Congestive heart failure 
• Pericardial disease
• Cardiomyopathy 
• Endocarditis
• Coronary artery disease (part -1, 2, 3, and 4)
• Rheumatic fever 
• Mitral stenosis 
• Mitral regurgitation & Mitral valve prolapse 
• Aortic stenosis & Aortic Regurgitation 
• Tricuspid, pulmonary valve lesions & PAH
• Heart sound, JVP, Murmur 
• ECG 
• Atrial arrhythmias
• Ventricular arrhythmia & Heart block 
• Cardiac- Pharmacology (part-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9)
• Congenital heart disease part-1 and 2)

PULMONARY 

• Pulmonary embolism parts -1 and 2
• Sarcoidosis 
• Lung cancer (part -1, 2, and 3)
• Fungal infections of the lung -1, and 2
• Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis, 
• Pneumoconiosis, 
• Interstitial Lung Disease,
• Pneumonia (Part-1 and 2)
• COVID-19
• Tuberculosis part-1 and 2
• ARDS
• Pleural effusion & Pneumothorax
• Pulmonary Function Test (PFT)
• Hypoxemia & Respiratory failure
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) (Part-1 and 2)
• Asthma (Part-1and 2)
• Bronchiectasis & Cystic Fibrosis
• Sepsis and Septic Shock
• Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
• Histiocytosis X and (BOOP)
• Respiratory Pharmacology

Acid-base

• Acid-base disturbance 
• Electrolyte disturbance 

Nephrology

• Glomerular diseases
• Chronic renal failure 
• Acute renal failure 

Infection disease 

• Chickenpox, Measles, Rubella, Mumps 
• Cholera, Typhoid 
• Malaria 
• Leishmaniasis
• Filarial worms’ infections
• Leptospirosis, Parvovirus, Psittacosis, Cat scratch disease, 
• Rabies, Anthrax, Infectious mononucleosis, Dengue 
• Tetanus, Diphtheria, Rickettsial diseases 
• HIV 
• COVID

Endocrine 

• Adrenal Gland (Part 1, 2)
• Thyroid Gland (Part 1 and 2)
• Parathyroid Gland (Part-1 and 2)
• Diabetes (part-1, 2, 3, and 4)
• Pituitary Gland
• Reproductive Endocrinology (Part-1, 2, 3, and 4)
• Lipid disorders (Part- 1, 2, 3, and 4)

Neurology 

• Spinal cord disease 
• Stroke 
• Parkinson, Shy Drager Syndrome, Supranuclear Palsy, Involuntary Movement Disorders 
• Meningitis, Encephalitis, Slow virus diseases
• Cerebral hemispheres, Speech, Motor neuron disease
• Multiple Sclerosis (Demyelinating Disorder)
• Seizure Disorders
• Dementia 
• Peripheral Neuropathy & Guillain-Barré syndrome
• Autonomic Nervous System Part -1, and 2
• Headache
• Raised intracranial pressure and Neurosurgery
• Brain Tumor
• Brain Herniation & Neurocutaneous Syndrome
• Myasthenia gravis and Muscle diseases
• Neuro-ophthalmology 
• Cerebellar Diseases
• Coma & Brain Death 
• Reticular activating system`
• Neuropharmacology (Part 1, and 2)
• Vertigo

Hepatology 

• Genetic Disorders Causing Jaundice & Liver Function Test 
• Viral hepatitis 
• Autoimmune Hepatitis, Alcoholic liver disease & NAFLD  
• NAFLD, Primary Biliary Cholangitis, Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis
• Portal Hypertension (Part- 1, 2, and 3)
• Budd-Chiari Syndrome, Wilson Disease, Hemochromatosis
• Liver abscess 
• Pregnancy-Associated Liver Diseases
• Drug-induced Liver diseases, Liver cancers 

GIT

• Esophageal Diseases
• The disease of the Stomach (Part-1, and 2)
• Diseases of the Small intestine (Part-1, 2, and 3)
• Diseases of the Large intestine (Part-1, 2, and 3)

Pancreas & Gallbladder 

• Disease of Pancreas 
• The disease of the Gallbladder (Part-1, and 2)

Rheumatology 

• Rheumatoid arthritis 
• Seronegative spondyloarthropathy 
• SLE, ALPA, Sjogren syndrome 
• Vasculitis (Part-1, and 2)
• Crystal arthropathy, Behcet syndrome
• Progressive Systemic Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, Marfan syndrome 
• Osteoporosis & Paget Disease
• Osteoarthritis & Avascular Necrosis
• Rickets & Osteomalacia 

Hematology

• Hepato-Oncology (part-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 5)
• Anemia (part -1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6)
• Bleeding disorder