What Does MCCQE1 Cost? The Full Budget, Not Just the Exam Fee
MDReview Editorial — written with input from Canadian residents and medical students.
Candidates budget for the examination fee and then get surprised by everything around it. Here is the complete picture, so you can plan the year rather than the invoice.
The Medical Council of Canada sets the examination fee and revises it periodically. The current amount, in Canadian dollars, is published at mcc.ca — check it there rather than trusting a figure quoted in a forum post or, for that matter, in this article.
The costs to plan for
1. The examination fee. Paid through physiciansapply.ca when you apply. This is the largest single item for most candidates.
2. Credential source verification. International medical graduates pay for document verification through the portal, and sometimes pay their medical school or a third-party agency for issuing documents. Charged per document in some cases.
3. Translation and notarisation. If your documents are not in English or French, budget for certified translation.
4. Travel and accommodation. MCCQE1 is delivered at test centres. If the nearest available seat is in another city, add flights or fuel, a night's accommodation, and meals.
5. Study resources. A question bank, a review text, or both. This is the most controllable line in the budget and the one with the widest price range — see our comparison of MCCQE1 question banks and the cheapest options that actually work.
6. Rescheduling or a repeat sitting. Changing your date usually carries a fee, and a repeat attempt means paying the examination fee again. Worth holding a contingency rather than discovering it.
7. Time off work. Rarely counted and often the biggest real cost, particularly in the final two weeks.
Where to save without hurting your result
- Book travel early. The exam date is known well in advance; airfares are not.
- Don't buy three question banks. Coverage overlaps heavily. One bank you actually finish beats three you sample.
- Avoid rescheduling. Choose a date you can genuinely defend, because moving it costs money and momentum.
- Use free practice before you commit. Most banks, including MDReview, let you work through sample questions before paying — ten free questions at mdreview.ca.
Where not to save
Skimping on practice questions is a false economy when a repeat sitting costs more than any question bank. The cost per additional attempt — fee plus travel plus another study block — is the number to weigh study resources against.