Please let us know any questions that you were asked in the MRCPsych examinations, and we will post them on the website for other trainees to see.
See "Page Navigation" on the left-hand side of the page in order to browse to the correct MRCPsych paper and year.
In order to contribute: Please email any exam questions to Sarah (see "contact details" at the foot of the page).
We will be most grateful and, unless you instruct us otherwise, your contribution will be acknowledged.
Last updated 290 days ago by The Cambridge MRCPsych Course
CASC Stations 21/10/2009 Wednesday M Rathnaiah
Linked Stations:
1 A) A middle-aged sports teacher recently suffered from M.I. He is now seems to be suffering from depressive episode (moderate severity). Please assess his symptoms. Focus on his attitudes to illness and IHD and his attitudes towards treatment. Please do not do risk assessment
Make notes as you have to speak with the consultant in your next station
B) You have just assessed a middle aged sports teacher who seems to be suffering from depressive episode after M.I. Please discuss management plan with the consultant
2 A) Middle aged man suddenly removed his clothes and jumped-off into river yesterday. His worried wife is here to speak to you. Please collect information from her to help your possible diagnosis. No need to take great details about the incident itself and to do risk assessment
B) You have seen the wife of middle aged man. Please do a cognitive assessment to rule out cognitive impairment mainly frontal lobe impairment
3 A) A Bank clerk has been referred by his G.P because he is struggling at work and he is anxious and depressed. Please assess him for control of his anxiety
B) You have just assessed bank clerk. Speak to his wife to collect information to help with your diagnosis. Explain management to her. Address her concerns
4 A) A young man Stewart has been diagnosed with treatment resistant schizophrenia. His father is not happy about his recent discharge and follow-up plan. Please speak to his CPN to collect information
B) Please speak to his father to elicit his concerns and address the concerns
Single stations:
1) A middle aged man has been tried on antidepressant before for his depression without any benefit. He is now on Amitriptyline. Your consultant would like to start him on Lithium. Please discuss Li augmentation with him. Address his concerns
2) A middle aged bank manager has been referred by his G.P because his wife is annoyed with his drinking habit and threatened to leave him if he does’nt get help. Assess him to get a history of alcohol use
3) A young lady is suffering from depressive symptoms. Please assess her suitability for Inter-personal therapy
4) Please read the C.T scan for an elderly lady who is suffering from drastic deterioration in her cognitive functions in the last 3 months. Please discuss C.T scan finding with her son. Ct scan showed tumour in temporal lobe with adjacent necrosis and metastatic deposits in parietal lobe
5) A young girl suffering from Anorexia Nervosa is admitted with weight loss and hypokalemia. Her mother is here to see you. Please discuss management plan with her mother. Address her concerns
6) Assess risk of violence in Samantha somebody who has been treated in the ward for last 3 weeks. She would like to go home
7) An elderly lady is brought to A&E by police because neighbours complained about her. She has been admitted in the ward after assessment by on-call SHO. Please assess her thought and perception problems as a ward doctor before your consultant starts the ward round
8) Assess this middle aged bank clerk who is not coping with his work and believes that he has made a mistake (OCD)
The Cambridge MRCPsych Course 262 days ago
CASC Stations on 21st October 2009 Karen Moreira
AM:
Linked Stations:
1a. (Treatment resistant Schizophrenia)
Speak to Melanie Williams, nurse and gather information regarding Stewart a patient on the ward, who has refused Clozapine tablets. He has recently been discharged from the ward. His father Mr Ramsay is not happy and is waiting to discuss with you at the next station.
1b Speak to Mr Ramsay about possible management of his son’s illness. Address his concerns
2a (Post Myocardial infarction- depression)
Speak to Mr Greg Henderson, he is depressed(Major depressive illness) HE recently suffered a myocardial infarction. Speak to him regarding his attitude to and towards his recent ischaemic heart disease. Takes notes to discus with supervising consultant at the next station
2b Speak to Dr Smith, Supervising consultant about possible management for Greg Henderson
3a (Head Injury/Indecent exposure)
Speak to Carol Robinson wife of middle aged man who took off clothes whilst on a boat trip and threw himself into the river. Rescues crew luckily in the vicinity saved him.
3b do a assessment of cognitive impairment- with focus on frontal lobe function for Mr Anthony Robinson
4a ( Morbid Jealousy/ Othello’s syndrome)
Speak to David Howard, he works in a clerical post for 10 years, has suddenly been unable to do hi work as has been anxious
4b speak to Mrs Howard, who Mr Howard has reluctantly consented for you to speak alone to her. Discuss concerns, diagnosis and Management
( Possibly)
PM
Stand-alone stations:
1. (Breaking Bad news)
Two cards were displayed one was of details of the task the other was the CT Scan report by Dr John Nelson, for the 77 yr old lady Mrs X who was found to have tumor and edema around it in the temporal lobe. Also spotted were small metastatic lesions in the scan
Task: Discuss with the daughter of the 77 yr old lady who was found wandering , self neglecting, has been confused.
Discuss CT Scan report with daughter with a possible diagnosis, management plan and other investigations you would suggest for her
2 (Anorexia Nervosa)
.Discuss with Mrs Jackie Mansfield, the mother of 16 yr old with anorexia nervosa. She was admitted with Hypokalemia and arrhythmia?
3. (Alcohol history)
Talk to this 55 yr old, ex bank manager as his wife is worried about his drinking and has threatened to leave him. Take a history of alcohol use/dependence
4. (OCD)
Explore psychopathology of 28yr old man, problem at work after a school inspection has been referred to you by GP as he thinks he would fit the diagnosis of Obsessive compulsive behavior
5(Lithium Augmentation/information giving)
Explain lithium addition to treatment of depression of this man (50 yrs old), who has had depression for 3 years and has been on Amytryptilline. Explain reasons, practicalities, and side effects of adding lithium.
6 Interpersonal psychotherapy/Assess suitability)
Discuss with this middle aged lady who is distressed elicit history to assess willingness and suitability and acceptance of Interpersonal Psychotherapy
7. (Late onset schizophrenia/Paranoid delusions)
Elicit history of delusional thoughts in this 75 years old lady Mrs Maynard who thinks her neighbors are watching her. She is admitted to hospital and wants to leave
8 (Risk assessment of violence)
This 24 yr old man was admitted to hospital for psychotic symptoms. He had attempted to attack girlfriend with a knife. Explore for psychotic symptoms, elicit a history with a focus on assessing risk of violence.
The Cambridge MRCPsych Course 262 days ago
Few questions from exams Dr Gagan Rajpal
-----Which drug is secreted from urine unchanged.
Pregabalin
Gabapentin
Fluoxetine
venlafaxine
( lithium was not on the list )
------What is the percentage of the personality disorder in community
-----What is the percentage of Paranoid personality in community.
-----A lady is suffering from schizophrenia
What chance is that her
Son will suffer from Schizophrenia
Her sister will suffer from schizophrenia
Her daughter son who is 4-5 years old and suffers from Downs syndrome will suffer from schizophrenia
-----Result of research on bullying ( most correct )
Is increased from primary to secondary school
Research has shown that people who bully are socially inept.
Most of the students who suffer from bully inform their teachers
----Which part of the brain is shown to be active on f MRI who suffer from depression.
----- Which part of the brain is effected in nominal aphasia
---- What was conclusion of Kane et al
Lithium
Clozapine
Chlorpromazine
-----You have been asked to prescribe drugs which effects Mu Receptors
Methadone
Buprenorphine
---- Lady suffers from depression was prescribed Venlafaxine followed by manic episode diagnosis ?
BPAD 1
BPAD 2
BPAD unspecified disorder
-----What percentage suffer from psychiatric disorder before they attempt suicide.
----- What percentage of people suffer from Anankastic personality disorder ?
---- Lady who is pregnant suffers from mania. No past hx.
What medication should be prescribed
Lithium
Valproate
Carbamazipine
Lamotrigine
----- Pt suffering from BPAD on lithium now presents with depression. Medication
Lamotrigine
Venlafaxine
TCA
-----
How long is cannabis detectable in urine after once abuse of cannabis (first time?)
1
2
3
7
14 days
The Cambridge MRCPsych Course 262 days ago
Few questions from exams Dr Gagan Rajpal
-----Which drug is secreted from urine unchanged.
Pregabalin
Gabapentin
Fluoxetine
venlafaxine
( lithium was not on the list )
------What is the percentage of the personality disorder in community
-----What is the percentage of Paranoid personality in community.
-----A lady is suffering from schizophrenia
What chance is that her
Son will suffer from Schizophrenia
Her sister will suffer from schizophrenia
Her daughter son who is 4-5 years old and suffers from Downs syndrome will suffer from schizophrenia
-----Result of research on bullying ( most correct )
Is increased from primary to secondary school
Research has shown that people who bully are socially inept.
Most of the students who suffer from bully inform their teachers
----Which part of the brain is shown to be active on f MRI who suffer from depression.
----- Which part of the brain is effected in nominal aphasia
---- What was conclusion of Kane et al
Lithium
Clozapine
Chlorpromazine
-----You have been asked to prescribe drugs which effects Mu Receptors
Methadone
Buprenorphine
---- Lady suffers from depression was prescribed Venlafaxine followed by manic episode diagnosis ?
BPAD 1
BPAD 2
BPAD unspecified disorder
-----What percentage suffer from psychiatric disorder before they attempt suicide.
----- What percentage of people suffer from Anankastic personality disorder ?
---- Lady who is pregnant suffers from mania. No past hx.
What medication should be prescribed
Lithium
Valproate
Carbamazipine
Lamotrigine
----- Pt suffering from BPAD on lithium now presents with depression. Medication
Lamotrigine
Venlafaxine
TCA
-----
How long is cannabis detectable in urine after once abuse of cannabis (first time?)
1
2
3
7
14 days
The Cambridge MRCPsych Course 262 days ago
contributed by Ian Harwood
1 Which of these drugs would you choose to use in the alcohol detoxification regime of a man with severe liver damage
A Chlordiazepoxide
B Carbamazepine
C Diazepam
D Haloperidol
E Oxazepam
2 A mother asks you to explain to her the theories behind her 12 year autistic son’s apparent lack of empathy for the feelings of those around him. Which of these theories would you use to explain this to her
A Social learning theory
B Operant Conditioning
C Theory of Mind
Can’t remember others
3Which wave pattern on the EEG is usually >13Hz
A Alpha
B Beta
C Gamma
D Delta
E Theta
4 A young man is seen by you with complex delusions, social isolation and auditory hallucinations. Which if these risk factors is most likely to be linked to condition
A Alcohol use
B Migration
C Low socio-economic class
D Homelessness
E Eldest son
5 What percentage of those people with Antisocial Personality Disorder take their own lives?
A 10
B 20
C 30
D?
E?
6 What percentage of those in prison are likely to have Antisocial Personality Disorder?
A 30
B 40
C 50
D 60
E 70
7 What is the risk factor for the disease in first degree relatives of Alzheimer’s Disease
A 1
B 2
C 3
D 4
E 5
8 A man is diagnosed as having a bilateral upper motor neurone lesion affecting Cranial Nerves IX, X, XI and XII. What is the most likely sign he displays?
A Brisk jaw jerk
B Tongue fasciculation
C Dribbling saliva
D Swallowing difficulty
E Facial palsy
9 Which gene is identified as linking Alzheimer ’s disease and Down’s Syndrome
A APP
B Presenilin 1
C Dysregulin
D Presenilin 2
E Neureglin
10 Which artery is most likely affected in a stroke where the patient is showing disinhibited and hypersexual behaviour
A Anterior cerebral
B Middle cerebral
C Posterior Cerebral
D Basilar
E Anterior communicating
11 What is the most appropriate way to describe the society in a country which accepts and valorises the different cultures of its people drawn from many other countries?
A Permissive
B Cultural pluralism
C Assimilation
D Melting Pot model
E Acculturation
12 Which if the following is not a feature of the behavioural components of Allport’s 5 stages of prejudice
A Antilocution – hostile talk, insults and racial jokes
B Discrimination means exclusion from housing, civil rights and employment
C Avoidance
D Stereotyping
E Physical Assault
13 A man experiences chest pain and palpitations. He feels frightened and is sweating. He is displaying?
A Sick role
B Illness
C Illness behaviour
D ?
E ?
14 Which of the following is not a components associated with the Sick Role
A Expected to seek appropriate help to recover
B Being excused from the social role during illness
C Right to help and care
D Is expected to want to get well
E ?
15 Which of the following is the most correct
A BDI is a health professional administered rating scale
B HAMD has 17 elements
C HADS concentrates on somatic symptoms of depression
D HAMD if effective in monitoring the effects of treatment with antidepressants
E MADRS is specifically designed to include items sensitive to the effects of antidepressant treatment
16 A woman suffering from agoraphobia has become able to leave her house following treatment. Which of the following is used to describe this
A Reciprocal inhibition
B Extinction
C Operant conditioning
D Exposure
E Thought stopping
17 Which if the following is most connected to the recognition of familiar faces
A Nucleus accumbens
B Amygdala
C Hippocampus
D Cingulate Gyrus
E Mesial Temporal Lobe
18 What is the risk factor for schizophrenia for those suffering from epilepsy?
A 1
B 3
C 5
D 8
E 10
A 0-10%
B 10-15%
C 15-20%
D 20-30%
E >31%
A young woman has been suffering from schizophrenia when she asks you the chances of the illness occurring in
20 Her younger sister
21 Her own children
22 The adopted son of her oldest sister – he is suffering from Down’s Syndrome
23 Varenicline Tartrate is
A Alpha 2 Beta 2 nicotinic partial agonist
B Alpha 4 Beta 2 nicotinic antagonist
C Alpha 4 Beta 2 nicotinic partial agonist
D Alpha 2 Beta 2 nicotinic agonist
?
24 You want to prescribe a partial opiod agonist to one of your patients attending the drug detoxification programme. Which one would you choose?
A Methadone
B Buprenorphine
C Naltrexone
D Bupropion
E Lofexidine
25 Lofexidine is a
A An alpha 1 adrenergic agonist
B An alpha 2 adrenergic antagonist
C An alpha 1 adreniergic agonist
D An alpha 2 adrenergic agonist
An alpha 1 and Alpha 2 adrenergic agonist
26 One of your patients attending the drug and alcohol service has reached the stage where he is ready to listen to advice about stopping drinking and actively wants to stop. What stage of Prochaska and Di Clemente’s Motivational Interviewing has he reached
A Contemplation
B Ready for Action
C Action
D Pre-Action
E Maintenance
A Lysosome
B Nucleus
C Nucleolus
D Mitochondria
E Cytoplasm
F Golgi apparatus
G Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
H Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
27 Where proteins are broken down in an acidic environment
28 Where proteins are processed
29 Glycosylation of proteins occurs here
30 A woman is concerned about how many more times likely is her adopted son to have alcohol dependence as his parents were alcoholic. Is it
A 1
B 2
C 3
D 4
E 5
31 Which of the following is least likely to be true
A Alcohol is connected with around 33% of A & E attendances
B Alcohol misuse is associated with 20-30% of male admissions to hospital
C Alcohol misuse is associated with 20-30% of female admissions to hospital
D 10-20% of those who drink alcohol excessively develop liver cirrhosis
E The numbers of deaths from liver cirrhosis has declined in Southern Europe
32 Which is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain
A GABA
B Acetylcholine
C Noradrenaline
D Dopamine
E Glutamate
33 Which if the following are found outside the CNS and Spinal chord
A Astrocytes
B Microglia
C Ependymal cells
D Scwann cells
E Oligodendrocytes
34 Which is the eye sign most commonly found in Nultiple Sclerosis
A Marcus Gunn Pupil
B Ptosis
C Myosis
D Internuclear opthalmoplegia
E Argyll Robertson pupil
35 What is the hereditability of Bipolar Affective Disorder
A 50%
B 70%
C 80%
D 85%
E 90%
36 What are the estimates for the percentage of those committing suicide having a diagnosable mental illness
A 50
B 70
C 80
D 85
E 90
37 A boy does understand that a volume of water contained in a tall thin vessel can have the same volume of that which has a lower level but is contained in a short, wide container. Which of Piaget’s stages is he in?
A Pre-operational
B Concrete Operational
C Formal Operational
D Sensorimotor
E Practical Operational
A Formal Operational
B Good boy Good girl orientation
C Conventional Morality
D Autism
E Avoidance of punishments
F Concrete Operational
G Sensorimotor
H Locus of Control
I development of Adult Sexuality
Choose the option(s) associated with the following
38 Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development (select three options)
39 Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development (three options)
40 Margaret Mahler (one option
41 A Pupil accommodates but does not react to light. What is the name for this type of pupi;?
A Marcus Gunn Pupil
B Ptosis
C Holmes Adie Pupil
D Internuclear opthalmoplegia
E Argyll Robertson pupil
A DISC1
B NOTCH
C Dysbindin
D PINK1
E Neuregulin
F Alpha synuclein
G UCHL1
Which of these genes are associated with the following
42 Schizophrenia (three options)
43 Parkinson’s Disease (three options)
44 CAPAL?
45 The following is not true regarding the Camberwell Family Interview
It is carried out with the family
B It is to assess levels of expressed emotion
C It is to assess hostility within the family
D It is carried out with the patient themselves
E Vocal tone is taken into account when rating the interview
46 What is the mechanism of inheritance when the mother passes on a disease to her son
A Autosomal recessive
B Autosomal Dominant
C Sex-linked dominant
D Sex-linked recessive
E Mitochondrial
47 What is the mechanism of inheritance when a father suffering from a disease passes carrier status to all his daughters
A Autosomal recessive
B Autosomal Dominant
C Sex-linked dominant
D Sex-linked recessive
E Mitochondrial
A Borrelia Bergdorferi
B Epstein-Barr Virus
C Plasmodium Falciparum
D Giardia Lamblia
E Leishmaniasis
F Bartonella Henselae
?
?
48 A man who had been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and arthritis but had failed to respond to treatment. It later emerged that he had discovered a ring-shaped lesion with a red pinpoint centre on his skin whilst on holiday in the USA the year before
49 A young woman whose red flaky patches on the palms of her hands did not respond to treatment with topical and oral corticosteroids
A 0-2%
B 2.1-4%
C 4.1-6%
D 6.1-8%
E 8.1-10%
F >10%
50 What is the best estimate for the overall prevalence of Personality Disorder in households in the UK
51 What is the prevalence in UK households of the PD diagnosed in a young man whose mother describes as rigid and inflexible? He is concerned with rules and regulations and wishes that others did things the same way as himself.
51 What is the prevalence in UK households of the PD displayed in a young woman who seems unable to maintain relationships, has a history of repeated episodes of deliberate self harm and complains of feeling ‘empty’ all the time
The Cambridge MRCPsych Course 262 days ago
Questions from Gagan Rajpal
--Which of the following is acceptable to be taken along with MAO inhibitors?
Mature cheese
Red wine
Grapefruit juice
Pickled Herring
Broad bean pods
In a patient being evaluated for neuropsychiatric disturbances, CT scan shows
atrophy of head of caudate nucleus. Which of the following is a likely diagnosis?
Pick’s disease
Huntington’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease
Wilson’s disease
Which of the following best describes lofexidine?
Natural opioid
Synthetic opioid
Opioid antagonist
Alpha 2 agonist
Alpha 1 antagonist
A old woman who is being treated for depression comes to A&E with
lethargy, cramps, poor memory and weight loss . She is taking
some unknown psychotropic medication for a long time. She is recently started on
‘water tablets’ for swelling in her legs. Which of the following is a likely cause of her
symptoms?
Hypernatremia
Hypokalemia
Hyponatremia
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
Serotonin syndrome
What is function of astrocytes?
The traits included in ‘big five’ theory include all except
Carefulness
Openness
Extraversion
Conscientiousness
Neuroticism
The EEG wave with a frequency 4 to 8 Hz
Alpha
Beta
Gamma
Theta
Delta
The MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool for Treatment (MacCat-T)
includes assessment of all of the following except
Appreciation
Understanding
Reasoning
Verbal memory
Expressing a choice
EMI
Substance misuse
Antipsychotics for relapse prevention
poor functioning
Genetic history in the relatives
Visual retention deficits
Education about early relapse signs
Long duration of prodromal symptoms
Episodic memory deficits
A high risk population with some symptoms suggestive of psychosis is
followed up for 12 months time. Choose answers for the following from the above list
1. Which is the most important predicting factor for full psychosis? (ONE)
2. Which are protective factors against psychosis? (TWO)
EMI The risk of schizophrenia to relatives
A.0-5
B.5-10
C.10-15
D.15-20
E.20-25
F.25-30
G.30-35
H.35-40
I.40-45
A lady with schizophrenia is keen to know the risk of schizophrenia to her family members.
What is the life time risk to each of the following relatives?
1. Her son
2. Her sister
3 Her sister son who suffers from Downs Syndrome
The Cambridge MRCPsych Course 256 days ago
The Cambridge MRCPsych Course
Profile
Friends
Friends of
Lecture handouts
Pages
CASC Stations on 21st October 2009
AM:
Linked Stations:
1a. (Treatment resistant Schizophrenia)
Speak to Melanie Williams, nurse and gather information regarding Stewart a patient on the ward, who has refused Clozapine tablets. He has recently been discharged from the ward. His father Mr Ramsay is not happy and is waiting to discuss with you at the next station.
1b Speak to Mr Ramsay about possible management of his son’s illness. Address his concerns
2a (Post Myocardial infarction- depression)
Speak to Mr Greg Henderson, he is depressed(Major depressive illness) HE recently suffered a myocardial infarction. Speak to him regarding his attitude to and towards his recent ischaemic heart disease. Takes notes to discus with supervising consultant at the next station
2b Speak to Dr Smith, Supervising consultant about possible management for Greg Henderson
3a (Head Injury/Indecent exposure)
Speak to Carol Robinson wife of middle aged man who took off clothes whilst on a boat trip and threw himself into the river. Rescues crew luckily in the vicinity saved him.
3b do a assessment of cognitive impairment- with focus on frontal lobe function for Mr Anthony Robinson
4a ( Morbid Jealousy/ Othello’s syndrome)
Speak to David Howard, he works in a clerical post for 10 years, has suddenly been unable to do hi work as has been anxious
4b speak to Mrs Howard, who Mr Howard has reluctantly consented for you to speak alone to her. Discuss concerns, diagnosis and Management
( Possibly)
PM
Stand-alone stations:
1. (Breaking Bad news)
Two cards were displayed one was of details of the task the other was the CT Scan report by Dr John Nelson, for the 77 yr old lady Mrs X who was found to have tumor and edema around it in the temporal lobe. Also spotted were small metastatic lesions in the scan
Task: Discuss with the daughter of the 77 yr old lady who was found wandering , self neglecting, has been confused.
Discuss CT Scan report with daughter with a possible diagnosis, management plan and other investigations you would suggest for her
2 (Anorexia Nervosa)
.Discuss with Mrs Jackie Mansfield, the mother of 16 yr old with anorexia nervosa. She was admitted with Hypokalemia and arrhythmia?
Discuss nature, signs, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
3. (Alcohol history)
Talk to this 55 yr old, ex bank manager as his wife is worried about his drinking and has threatened to leave him. Take a history of alcohol use/dependence
4. (OCD)
Explore psychopathology of 28yr old man, problem at work after a school inspection has been referred to you by GP as he thinks he would fit the diagnosis of Obsessive compulsive behavior
5(Lithium Augmentation/information giving)
Explain lithium addition to treatment of depression of this man (50 yrs old), who has had depression for 3 years and has been on Amytryptilline. Explain reasons, practicalities, and side effects of adding lithium.
6 Interpersonal psychotherapy/Assess suitability)
Discuss with this middle aged lady who is distressed elicit history to assess willingness and suitability and acceptance of Interpersonal Psychotherapy
7. (Late onset schizophrenia/Paranoid delusions)
Elicit history of delusional thoughts in this 75 years old lady Mrs Maynard who thinks her neighbors are watching her. She is admitted to hospital and wants to leave
8 (Risk assessment of violence)
This 24 yr old man was admitted to hospital for psychotic symptoms. He had attempted to attack girlfriend with a knife. Explore for psychotic symptoms, elicit a history with a focus on assessing risk of violence.
The Cambridge MRCPsych Course 268 days ago