Many candidates preparing for the MCCQE Part I find the pass mark confusing. This is often because the score is reported on a numerical scale and is not influenced by how other candidates perform. Understanding what the MCCQE1 pass mark means requires knowing how it is set and how results are determined.
This article explains the MCCQE1 pass mark using only official information from the Medical Council of Canada.
What Is the MCCQE1 Pass Mark
The MCCQE Part I result is based on a defined pass score.
- Your total MCCQE Part I score is reported on a scale from 300 to 600
- The pass mark for MCCQE Part I is 439
A candidate passes the exam if their total score is equal to or greater than this pass mark.
What Passing the MCCQE Part I Means
Passing the MCCQE Part I means that a candidate has demonstrated:
- The necessary knowledge
- The necessary skills
- The necessary attitudes
This demonstration is required as part of the process for medical licensure in Canada to enter supervised clinical practice.
How the MCCQE1 Pass Mark Is Determined
Criterion Referenced Scoring
The MCCQE Part I is a criterion-referenced exam.
This means:
- Each candidate’s score is compared to a fixed standard
- The standard is represented by the pass mark
- Results are determined regardless of how other candidates perform
A candidate can pass or fail independent of overall exam performance trends.
Standard Setting by Physician Panels
Every few years, the Medical Council of Canada conducts a formal standard-setting exercise to establish the pass mark.
Key facts about this process include:
- A panel of physicians defines an acceptable level of performance
- The panel represents different faculties of medicine, specialties, and levels of experience
- In July 2025, a panel of 23 physicians completed a standard-setting exercise
- The panel recommended a pass mark of 439 on the 300 to 600 scale
- The Exam Oversight Committee approved this recommendation
The pass mark remains in place until the next standard-setting exercise.
How Scores Are Calculated Before Applying the Pass Mark
Before the pass mark is applied, total scores are calculated using a structured scoring process.
Important points include:
- Each exam question contributes to the total score
- Question difficulty is taken into account
- Total scores are reported as scaled scores
- The score scale has a mean of 450 and a standard deviation of 30
Simply counting correct answers does not determine the final score because question difficulty is considered.
Consistency Across Exam Sessions
Results from the April 2025 session and later sessions use the same scoring scale and pass mark.
This allows:
- Consistent reporting of results
- Comparison of candidate performance across sessions beginning with April 2025
Quality Assurance and Result Verification
The Medical Council of Canada applies multiple safeguards to ensure accurate results.
These include:
- A highly rigorous scoring system
- A robust quality assurance process
- Multiple levels of verification before results are released
- A post-exam quality assessment review
If required, scoring frameworks may be adjusted to ensure the validity or integrity of the examination.
What the MCCQE1 Pass Mark Does Not Represent
It is important to understand the limits of the pass mark.
The MCCQE1 pass mark:
- Does not depend on how other candidates perform
- Does not change from one exam session to another until a new standard-setting exercise is completed
- Does not reflect the relative ranking among candidates
The pass mark represents a fixed standard, not competition.
Summary of the MCCQE1 Pass Mark
In summary:
- The MCCQE1 pass mark is 439 on a scale of 300 to 600
- Passing reflects meeting a defined standard of competence
- The exam uses criterion-referenced scoring
- The pass mark is set through a physician-led standard-setting process
- Results are verified through multiple quality assurance steps
All scoring standards and pass mark decisions are established by the Medical Council of Canada and applied consistently across exam sessions.