Licensing Examination

General Information

All medical graduates who wish to register as medical practitioners with the Medical Council of Hong Kong (the Council), with the exception of graduates of the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, are required to pass the Council’s Licensing Examination and successfully complete a period of pre-registration internship training and assessment in approved hospitals or institutions.

Eligibility

No person is eligible for taking the Licensing Examination unless :

1. he makes an application in that behalf to the Council and pays to the Registrar a prescribed fee for taking the Licensing Examination ; and
2. he satisfies the Council -
1. (i) that at the time of the application he has satisfactorily completed not less than 5 years full time medical training of a type approved by the Council and is the holder of a medical qualification acceptable to the Council ; and
2. (ii) that he is of good character.
3. For the purpose of (b)(i), the 5 years full time medical training shall include a period of internship as approved by the Council.

In accordance with Medical Registration Ordinance, the Council may prohibit a person from taking the Licensing Examination if the person has taken any one part of the Licensing Examination 5 consecutive times and has failed each time.

Examination

The Licensing Examination is held twice annually and comprises the following 3 parts :

Part I : The Examination in Professional Knowledge
It consists of two papers, each of which comprises 120 multiple-choice questions. It is designed to test candidates’ professional knowledge in basic sciences, medical ethics/ community medicine, medicine, surgery, orthopaedic surgery, psychiatry, paediatrics and obstetrics & gynaecology.

Part II : The Proficiency Test in Medical English
It is a written English paper designed to ensure that the candidates’ command of English is adequate for professional purpose.

Part III : The Clinical Examination
It is designed to test candidates’ ability to apply professional knowledge to clinical problems in medicine, surgery (including cases on orthopaedic surgery), obstetrics & gynaecology and paediatrics.

Having passed the Licensing Examination, candidates will be required to undergo 12-month training and assessment in approved hospitals as interns. During this period, candidates will receive clinical instructions to enable them to be familiarized with the local medical system and commonly found diseases. Upon successful completion of the internship assessment, candidates may apply to the Council for full registration.

Guidelines on Licensing Examination

Guidelines 1- Eligibility to Take Licensing Examination

Guidelines 2- Exemption in Licensing Examination (revised in May 2015)

Guidelines 3- Period of Assessment: Exemption, Reduction, Deferment of Internship Training (revised in May 2015)
(apply to person who has passed the Licensing Examination and the latest date when he/she ought to have started undergoing the prescribed period of assessment will fall on or after 1 January 2016)

Sample Questions

Sample Questions (Part I)

Enquiry

Further information regarding the Licensing Examination is available from the secretariat of the Licentiate Committee of the Council.

Address:	4/F., Hong Kong Academy of Medicine Jockey Club Building, 99 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen
Telephone numbers:	(852) 2873 4797 (852) 2873 4742
E-mail address:	mc-exam@dh.gov.hk