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Modified Essay Question (MEQ)

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About the Modified Essay Question module

The MEQ module is entering retirement and the July 2024 sitting is only open to those candidates who require a re-sit of the September 2023 paper. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility for this module, or other queries, please email the Exams Team at micgpexam@icgp.ie

The MEQ module consists of eight questions that deal with problems typically encountered in general practice in Ireland. The content may vary, from common clinical problems, to conflict with members of the primary care team, to an environmental issue that impacts on the community.

This module is designed to test decision-making skills. It aims to assess the candidate's ability to identify the issues involved and logically resolve them using their own skills and those of others. The questions are based on real-life situations that have occurred in everyday general practice often in one of the examiner's practices.

Questions and answers including marking schedules are produced by a group of examiners coordinated by an MEQ Convenor. Each question is then reviewed by another group of examiners before being submitted to the exam. The ideal answer is formed by the group of examiners agreeing on a number of ideas and themes that they as ordinary general practitioners consider important to the issue at hand. For the purposes of marking, these are called constructs.