By Dr. Bilal Akil, MD — Emergency Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University · founder of mccQbank
Short answer: the MCCQE (formerly MCCQE Part I, often searched as “MCCQE1”) is a 6.5-hour appointment. It has 230 multiple-choice questions in two sections of 115, with up to 2 hours 40 minutes per section and an optional 45-minute break between them. That works out to about 1 minute 23 seconds per question (MCC: exam day).
Checked against mcc.ca on 24 September 2026.
How long is the MCCQE? The exact breakdown
The MCC describes each 6.5-hour appointment as including (MCC: exam day):
| Part of the appointment | Time |
|---|---|
| Check-in, then a tutorial on the exam software and a test-security video | Before the first section |
| Section 1: 115 multiple-choice questions | Up to 2 h 40 min |
| Optional break | 45 min |
| Section 2: 115 multiple-choice questions | Up to 2 h 40 min |
| Optional survey | At the end |
Each section includes pilot questions, also called pre-test items, mixed in with the rest. Each question has three to five options and one best answer. Within a section you can move freely between questions and flag them to come back to (MCC: multiple-choice questions). The MCC doesn’t describe it as adaptive. Because you can move back and forth freely within a section, it doesn’t work like an adaptive test.
What changed in 2025
Until October 2024 the exam was a 9-hour appointment that included a Clinical Decision-Making (CDM) section of 38 cases. From April 2025 the MCC removed CDM, shortened the appointment to 6.5 hours and split the MCQs into two sections of 160 minutes (MCC update; MCC: changes in 2025). Any guide that mentions CDM, or a 4-hour morning block, describes the old exam.
Pacing: 1 minute 23 seconds a question
Each section is 160 minutes for 115 questions, which is about 83 seconds per question. In practice:
- Check at the halfway point. You should be past question 57 by about 80 minutes in.
- Don’t get stuck. Flag a question you can’t settle within about two minutes, answer your best guess, and move on. There’s no penalty for a wrong answer, so never leave one blank.
- Keep five minutes at the end of each section to revisit flagged questions.
Exam day: what to expect
- The break is optional, but take it. The MCC says that during the break you can get to food, drinks, your phone and medication (MCC: exam day). Eat something, even if you feel fine.
- Notes: you get a dry-erase board for working during the exam.
- Water: Prometric allows water in the test room in a clear, label-free container.
- Build stamina beforehand. Do at least two full practice sittings of 2 × 115 questions, timed, with the 45-minute break. The MCC’s own $1 Preparatory Examination is a full 230-question paper and works well as one of them.
How long do results take?
Results come out 4 weeks after the last day of the January, August and October sessions, and 5 weeks after the April session. The long August to October 2026 session releases results in three batches (MCC: results). Details by session are in MCCQE results 2026.
How long is the MCCQE valid?
The MCC publishes no expiry date for an MCCQE pass. What residency programs and regulators check, and how the LMCC fits in, is covered in how long the MCCQE is valid.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the MCCQE?
230 multiple-choice questions, in two sections of 115, including pilot questions.
How many breaks are there?
One optional 45-minute break, between the two sections.
Is the MCCQE computer-adaptive?
The MCC doesn’t describe it as adaptive. You can move freely between questions and flag them within each section.
How long is the MCCQE compared with before?
The appointment went from 9 hours to 6.5 hours in April 2025, when the CDM section was removed.
Is the MCCQE hard?
For the MCC’s 2025–26 year, the first-attempt pass rate was 91% for Canadian graduates and 48% for international graduates. Our pass-rate breakdown has the detail.
Want to practise at exam pace? Try 30 free MCCQE questions, in English or French.
