MCCQE Part 1 Surgery MCQs: Practice Questions With Explanations

Sample MCCQE Part 1 Surgery MCQs in clinical-vignette style, covering acute abdomen, hernias, and common surgical emergencies, each with the answer explained.

Surgery is tested on MCCQE Part 1 through the same clinical-vignette format as Medicine, Pediatrics and Psychiatry, and it's the largest MCCQE Part 1 subject in HighYield's question bank that doesn't yet have a dedicated practice post. Below is a sample set of Surgery MCQs grouped by theme, each with the correct answer marked and explained.

Acute Abdomen

1. A young woman has periumbilical pain that migrated to the right iliac fossa, with tenderness at McBurney's point. This history is classic for:

A) Acute cholecystitis
B) Acute appendicitis ✅
C) Ectopic pregnancy
D) Diverticulitis

2. Inspiratory arrest on palpation of the right upper quadrant (Murphy's sign) supports a diagnosis of:

A) Acute pancreatitis
B) Acute cholecystitis ✅
C) Perforated peptic ulcer
D) Acute appendicitis

Bowel Obstruction & Hernias

3. In a patient with a prior abdominal surgery, the most common cause of small bowel obstruction is:

A) A new hernia
B) Adhesions ✅
C) Malignancy
D) Volvulus

4. A hernia that can be manually pushed back into the abdominal cavity is described as:

A) Strangulated
B) Incarcerated
C) Reducible ✅
D) Obstructed

Breast & Vascular Surgery

5. The standard initial approach to any new palpable breast lump is:

A) Reassurance and follow-up in 6 months
B) Triple assessment — clinical exam, imaging, and biopsy ✅
C) Immediate mastectomy
D) A trial of antibiotics for presumed abscess

6. In a patient with a high pre-test probability for deep vein thrombosis (Well's criteria), the appropriate next step is:

A) D-dimer testing alone
B) Compression ultrasound ✅
C) CT pulmonary angiography
D) No further testing needed

Post-Operative Care

7. Fever within the first 24–48 hours after major surgery is most commonly caused by:

A) Atelectasis ✅
B) A surgical site infection
C) Deep vein thrombosis
D) A urinary tract infection

8. When a surgical incision is closed primarily with sutures and heals without granulation tissue, this is called healing by:

A) Secondary intention
B) Primary intention ✅
C) Tertiary intention
D) Contracture

Why Surgery Still Needs Dedicated Prep

Surgery makes up a smaller share of MCCQE Part 1's overall question volume than Pediatrics, Psychiatry or Medicine, but it's tested with the same vignette-heavy style — and candidates who concentrate only on the largest subjects often find that surgical emergencies like these are exactly where they lose otherwise-easy marks.

Prepare with HighYield

HighYield's MCCQE Part 1 question bank covers Surgery alongside Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Medicine and every other subject tested, with every question explained. For the full picture of exam fees, see our MCCQE Part 1 Fees guide. Try the first questions free, no sign-in required.