MDCN Exam study guide
MDCN Exam · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The MDCN Assessment Examination is the assessment route administered by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, the body whose stated mission is "To regulate the practice of Medicine, Dentistry and Alternative Medicine in the most efficient manner that safeguards best healthcare delivery for Nigerians." The exam is relevant to doctors and dental surgeons who must demonstrate fitness before proceeding through the Council's registration and licensing pathways, which the MDCN portal lists as provisional registration, full registration, temporary/limited registration, annual licence, life licence, certificate of good standing and change of name. Candidates access it through the Council's online "application for assessment examination" portal, and outcomes are published as pass lists - the MDCN homepage carries a news item titled "October 2026 assessment examination pass list released." Because the MDCN publishes no item count, duration, pass mark or fee on the material available here, this guide does not invent them. The MDCN Exam study guide has 4 sections and about 1,250 words.
01Regulation of Medical Practice and Registration/Licensing with the MDCN
The exam checks whether you can trace a doctor's path from graduate to licensed practitioner, name the governing legal instrument, and separate registration from licensing. The Medical and Dental Practitioners Act (Cap M8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004) creates the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) and empowers it to register, license, discipline and accredit.
321 words, about 2 min02Code of Medical Ethics in Nigeria and Professional Discipline
Questions test the MDCN Code of Medical Ethics as applied to scenarios, and the disciplinary route from complaint to sanction. Four principles frame the Code: beneficence, non-maleficence, respect for patient autonomy and justice.
333 words, about 2 min03Minimum Standards for Undergraduate Medical and Dental Education and Accreditation
This domain examines the MDCN Minimum Standards for undergraduate medical and dental education and how accreditation decisions follow from them. MDCN accredits medical and dental schools and their teaching hospitals against published minimum standards; NUC accreditation is separate and does not substitute for it.
299 words, about 1 min04Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Housemanship Training Requirements
Questions cover the twelve-month housemanship and the CPD obligations linked to annual licence renewal. Housemanship must be served in an MDCN-accredited hospital under supervision, with provisional registration held for the internship year.
297 words, about 1 min