Morocco Medical Residency Exam

Morocco Medical Residency Exam (Concours de Résidanat)

More study resources

About this exam

The Moroccan medical residency entrance examination - commonly called the Concours de Résidanat - is the national competitive gateway through which medical graduates in Morocco secure a specialty training post. It is aimed at candidates who have completed their doctorate in medicine (or are in their final year, depending on the year's rules) and who want to enter a hospital-university specialty rather than general practice. Because places are allocated by ranking, the examination is a ranking instrument, not a pass/fail certification: your score matters relative to other candidates applying to the same specialty and city. The written paper samples broadly across the clinical and basic-science curriculum, with the largest shares usually falling to internal medicine, general surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics-gynecology and the medical and surgical subspecialties, alongside public health and the fundamental sciences. Preparation is best treated as a long, structured revision cycle: work from the national reference program for each discipline, drill written QCM/QCS formats under time pressure, and consolidate high-yield topics in the weeks before the exam. The organizing body publishes the current year's program, calendar, registration rules and scoring arrangements on its official site; always confirm those details there rather than relying on second-hand summaries.

What you'll study

Common questions

About Morocco Medical Residency Exam preparation

What exactly is the Concours de Résidanat used for?

It ranks medical graduates for entry into hospital-university specialty training. Your placement depends on your score relative to other applicants for the same specialty and training site, so the goal is maximizing rank, not merely clearing a threshold. Specialty and city choices are then made in rank order.

What is the format of the written paper?

Expect a written examination built from multiple-choice items, including single-best-answer and multiple-response questions, drawn from the published national program across clinical and basic-science disciplines. Some years and specialties have applied negative marking, so read the instructions on the paper carefully before answering.

How many questions are there and how long is the exam?

Those figures change from year to year and by specialty, so no fixed number should be assumed. The organizing body publishes the current format, timing and scoring rules for each session on its official website; check it before you build a timing strategy for exam day.

How difficult is it, realistically?

It is a competitive ranking exam, so difficulty is relative: the paper rewards breadth and accuracy rather than deep subspecialty knowledge. Candidates who cover the full program systematically and practice timed question sets generally find the content familiar; those who revise only their intended specialty usually lose points across the other disciplines.

Can I retake the exam if I am not ranked high enough?

Retake rules are set by the organizing body and can vary by session and by candidate category. Do not assume an unlimited number of attempts. Confirm eligibility conditions, any limits on attempts and the registration requirements for your situation on the official site before planning a second attempt.

In what order should I revise the disciplines?

Start with the highest-weight, broadest subjects - internal medicine, general surgery, pediatrics and obstetrics-gynecology - because they anchor both their own questions and much of the subspecialty content. Then move through cardiology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, neurology, endocrinology and nephrology-urology, and keep public health and basic sciences in a rolling review so they are not left to the final weeks.

What are the most common reasons candidates underperform?

Three recurrences: neglecting low-weight disciplines and therefore dropping easy points; practicing recognition rather than recall, so items with multiple correct responses expose gaps; and poor time management on the day, especially where negative marking makes guessing costly. Simulating full papers under real timing is the most reliable fix for all three.

How should I use past papers and question banks?

Use them as diagnostics, not as a syllabus. Work a timed set, mark every error by discipline and by error type - unknown fact, misread stem, or faulty reasoning - then return to the reference program for those topics. Re-test the same areas later to confirm retention rather than accumulating new questions endlessly.

Where do I find the official program, calendar and registration rules?

Only the organizing body's official website carries authoritative information on the current program, examination calendar, registration documents, fees and scoring. Treat faculty summaries, social media groups and commercial courses as secondary; verify every administrative detail against the official publication before deadlines.