Neurology is a topic many MRCP candidates find daunting, yet it is one of the most predictable parts of the exam. Questions in MRCP Part 1 and Part 2 reward a clear approach to localisation and a good grasp of a limited number of classic conditions.

Start with localisation

Before thinking of a diagnosis, ask where the lesion is:

  • Upper motor neurone signs (increased tone, brisk reflexes, upgoing plantars) point to the brain or spinal cord.
  • Lower motor neurone signs (wasting, fasciculation, reduced reflexes) point to the anterior horn cell, nerve root or peripheral nerve.
  • Fatigable weakness without sensory loss suggests the neuromuscular junction.
  • Proximal weakness with normal sensation suggests a myopathy.
  • Crossed signs (cranial nerve on one side, limbs on the other) suggest the brainstem.

High-yield MRCP neurology topics

  • Stroke and TIA – recognition, imaging, thrombolysis and secondary prevention.
  • Epilepsy – seizure types, first-line treatments, women of childbearing potential and DVLA rules.
  • Multiple sclerosis – presentation, diagnosis and relapse treatment.
  • Parkinson's disease and drug-induced movement disorders.
  • Guillain–Barré syndrome and myasthenia gravis – including warning signs of respiratory failure.
  • Headache – migraine, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, subarachnoid haemorrhage and giant cell arteritis.
  • Peripheral neuropathies, motor neurone disease and spinal cord compression.
  • Investigations – CSF interpretation, nerve conduction studies and MRI findings.

Revision tips

  • Draw simple diagrams of the brainstem and spinal cord tracts – they make localisation questions much easier.
  • Learn the "classic pairs": for example, ptosis with a dilated pupil (third nerve palsy) versus ptosis with a small pupil (Horner's syndrome).
  • Know the NICE guidance on epilepsy, MS and Parkinson's disease.
  • Do topic blocks of neurology questions, then mix them into timed papers.

Practise with License Medical

Our MRCP Part 1 and MRCP Part 2 question banks include neurology best-of-five questions with explanations, written and reviewed by UK consultant physicians. Specialty trainees can also use our Neurology SCE question bank.