MCCQE1 Question Banks Compared: Price, Questions and Features (2026)
Educational Content
A fair side-by-side look at the main MCCQE1 question banks: how many questions each states, what they cost, free trials and the features that matter, with sources and dates.
How to choose an MCCQE question bank
The right question bank is the one you will actually finish. For an international medical graduate (IMG) preparing for the MCCQE (still widely called the MCCQE1 or MCCQE Part 1), five things matter most: how many realistic questions you get, how good the explanations are, what you pay, whether you can try it first, and whether the tools help you find and fix weak areas.
This guide compares the main options using what each provider publishes. IMGQBank is one of them, so we state our own limits as plainly as the others. Prices and counts change, so use the links on each provider's site to confirm before you buy.
What we compared, and when
Everything below was read from public pages on 13 October 2026. Where a figure comes from a third-party comparison rather than the provider's own page, we say so. A blank means the provider does not publish it on the pages we read, not that it does not exist.
| Question bank | Questions (as stated) | Published prices | Free trial or demo |
|---|---|---|---|
| IMGQBank | 2,400+ across 20 subjects | CAD 11.99 per month, CAD 89.99 per year (limited-time pricing, everything included) | 14 days, 25 questions a day, no card |
| CanadaQBank | 3,500+ | CAD 205 for 3 months, 295 for 6, 460 for 12 (reported by a third party) | Free demo |
| Ace QBank | 2,950+ | 339 for 3 months (basic), 439 for 6 months (with self-assessments); currency not shown | 5-day free demo |
| mccQbank | 2,400+ (English and French) | CAD 119 for 30 days, 299 for 90 days, 499 for 180 days | 30 free questions, no card |
| QBankMD | 3,000+ (English and French) | Not published on the pages we read | 20 free questions reported |
| iatroX | Not stated for the MCCQE alone | About 29 a month or 99 a year (vendor blog) | Free daily sample questions |
| QE1Bank | 7,000+ (vendor claim) | Not published on the page we read | Trial offered |
Price: the biggest difference
Published prices vary by roughly an order of magnitude. A three-month plan from the established Canadian banks is typically a few hundred dollars. IMGQBank is built to be affordable: CAD 11.99 a month, or CAD 89.99 for a full year, at limited-time pricing. Both plans include exactly the same things: unlimited access to 2,400+ questions, both self-assessments and the CDM cases.
A lower price does not make a bank better by itself, so read the next sections too. But if cost is a real constraint, which it is for many IMGs who are also paying exam, travel and credentialing fees, it is a fair reason to start with a free trial and judge the quality for yourself.
Question count: useful, but not the whole story
A bigger number sounds better, and some providers advertise thousands more than others. Two cautions:
- Stated counts are claims. Pages also describe counts differently (for example "scenarios" versus "questions"), and some pages show older numbers beside newer ones.
- You can only do so many. Finishing 2,400 questions with careful review is realistic over a few months. Finishing 7,000 is not, for most people.
What matters more than the headline is whether the questions look like the exam: single-best-answer multiple choice, a clinical vignette, plausible distractors, and an explanation that teaches why the other options are wrong.
Explanations and review tools
Every serious bank explains answers. Look for four things:
- An explanation of why the correct option is right
- An explanation of why each other option is wrong
- Short key points you can revisit
- A way to see your accuracy by subject so you know where to spend time
IMGQBank gives a full explanation for every question, with key points and a reason each wrong option fails, plus accuracy tracking by subject. It has study mode (feedback after each answer) and timed exam mode (graded at the end), a study planner and notes.
What IMGQBank does not have
Fair comparisons include the gaps. Today IMGQBank is English only, does not have flashcards, does not have a dedicated mobile app (the site works in a phone browser), does not use an AI tutor, and does not offer a pass guarantee. Some competitors offer one or more of these, and if they matter to you, weigh them.
A sensible way to decide
- Try two banks free. Do the same 20 questions in each and read the explanations. Notice which one you would rather keep going with.
- Check the format. The exam is now all multiple choice, so practise on single-best-answer questions under time.
- Match the plan to your timeline. Long timelines suit a yearly plan; short ones may suit a monthly or 30-day plan.
- Do not pay for features you will not use. A study planner you ignore is worth nothing.
If you want to see how IMGQBank feels, start the 14-day free trial or work through the free sample questions first. No card is needed for either.
Sources and updates
This page reflects what the providers published on 13 October 2026. Prices, question counts and features change. If you spot something out of date, contact us and we will correct it.