MCHK Licensing

Overview

The Licensing Examination is run by the Licentiate Committee of the Medical Council of Hong Kong. It is the route by which doctors who qualified outside the Hong Kong system can show they meet local standards before being registered as medical practitioners. The exam is held twice a year, and only in Hong Kong. Each sitting has three parts: a written test of professional knowledge, a written Medical English test, and a clinical examination.

Who can apply

Under the Medical Registration Ordinance, a candidate must satisfy the Council that they are of good character and meet one of two conditions.

• They have completed at least 5 years of full-time medical training of a type the Council approves, including an approved internship, and hold a medical qualification the Council accepts.

• Alternatively, if they are a Hong Kong permanent resident, they hold a medical qualification that counts as recognised under section 14C of the Ordinance.

New applicants use Form 1A for the first route and Form 1B for the second. Re-sit applicants use Form 2. A criminal conviction or a finding of professional misconduct, in Hong Kong or elsewhere, is assessed case by case.

Exam pattern

Each sitting has three parts. Parts I and II must both be passed before a candidate can apply for Part III.

In Part III, candidates choose on the application form whether to answer in English, Cantonese or Putonghua. Single-discipline re-sits are allowed for re-sit candidates.

Syllabus

Part I tests professional knowledge in basic sciences, medical ethics and community medicine, medicine, surgery, orthopaedic surgery, psychiatry, paediatrics, and obstetrics and gynaecology. The published syllabus lists 20 subject areas, including anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, pathology, microbiology, pharmacology, epidemiology, medical law, general practice, anaesthesiology, emergency medicine, diagnostic radiology, ophthalmology, and ear, nose and throat.

Paper I carries more questions on medicine, psychiatry and paediatrics, while Paper II carries more on surgery, orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and ethics and community medicine. Basic sciences feature in both papers.

Marking and results

In Part I, a correct answer earns 1 mark, and wrong or blank answers earn and lose nothing. To pass, a candidate needs at least 50% (60 marks) in each paper and 60% (144 marks) across both papers combined.

Part III has places for only 130 candidates per sitting. If more apply, seats are given in priority order: first those who already passed three Part III subjects in the earlier sitting of the same year and hold a valid Part I pass; then those whose Part I pass will lapse after the year ends or who have already sat the clinical exam four times; then everyone else. Lots are drawn within a category when needed, and applicants who miss out gain a priority point for next time.

Important dates

For the 2026 second sitting, the Council's guidance notes give these tentative dates.

• Part II, Medical English: 31 August 2026.

• Part I, Professional Knowledge: 1 and 2 September 2026.

• Part III, Clinical Examination: within a two-week window from late November to early December 2026.

• Applications for Form 1A, 1B and 2, and for Part I and Part II: 1 to 30 April 2026.

• Applications for Part III: 16 to 30 September 2026.

In a typical year, Parts I and II are held in early March and early September, and Part III in mid-May and mid-November.

Fees

For the 2026 second sitting, all fees are in Hong Kong dollars and are subject to the rates on the payment date.

The application fee is paid with the application. Examination fees are paid when the Council notifies you that you are eligible. Payment is by bank draft payable to the Director of Health (Boards and Councils Office) or by telegraphic transfer; cash and other currencies are not accepted. The application fee cannot be refunded, and examination fees are refunded only in exceptional circumstances or if an exemption is granted for that part.

How to apply

Download the form from the Council's website or collect it from the Licentiate Committee Secretariat at the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine Jockey Club Building in Aberdeen. New applicants must also send notarised copies of supporting documents, such as identity papers, certificates and transcripts, and a declaration of truth. Send the application by registered post or deliver it by hand. Applications by fax or email, late applications, incomplete ones, and ones without proof of payment are not accepted.

After the exam

Anyone who passes all three parts must complete a period of assessment in an approved hospital or institution, set by the Council and lasting no more than 12 months. It normally begins on the following 1 January or 1 July unless deferral is granted. After completing it and meeting the other requirements, candidates who sat the exam under the first route can apply for full registration, and those who sat under the Hong Kong permanent resident route can apply for special registration.

Appeals against a decision of the Licentiate Committee must be made within 14 days of being told of it.

Preparation tips

• Work from the published Part I syllabus, since both papers mix basic sciences with clinical subjects.

• Remember that wrong answers are not penalised in Part I, so answer every question.

• Practise medical writing in English for Part II.

• Plan the sequence of parts carefully, because a Part I pass is valid only for a limited period and Part III seats are limited.