The RACGP exams explained: format, timing and how they are passed

The FRACGP is awarded by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. On the way, GP registrars sit 3 examinations: Applied Knowledge Test; Key Feature Problem; Clinical Competency Exam. Here is how each is put together and how it is passed.

Applied Knowledge Test

When: During training once eligible; AKT and KFP in either order, both before the CCE.

AKT

150 single-best-answer questions · 5–10 options · 3 h 30 + 30 min allowance

How it is passed: The real paper is passed on a modified Angoff cut set by practising Fellows each sitting (about 66–67% in 2026); no quotas and no negative marking.

Key Feature Problem

When: The day after the AKT; AKT and KFP in either order, both before the CCE.

KFP

70 scenarios · one "choose 3" multiple-selection question each · 3 h 30 + 30 min allowance

How it is passed: The real paper is passed on a modified Angoff cut (about 62–63% in 2026). Extra selections are penalised, so choose only what the stem supports.

Clinical Competency Exam

When: Final exam, after passing the AKT and KFP.

CCE cases

9 cases on Zoom · 4 case discussions with an examiner + 5 clinical encounters with a role-player · 5 min reading + 15 min each

How it is passed: One aggregate pass mark across all nine cases (mean of the per-case borderline-regression cuts); no single-case hurdle.

What the exams draw on

Mental health · Cardiovascular health · Respiratory health · Endocrine and metabolic health · Women's, sexual and reproductive health · Children and young people's health · Older persons' health · Dermatology · Musculoskeletal health · Gastrointestinal and liver health · Neurological health · Emergency medicine · Palliative care · Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health · Preventive and population health · Professional, ethical and legal practice.

Answers are expected to reflect Australian and New Zealand practice. The references the questions assume include: RACGP Curriculum and Syllabus 2022 (5 domains + contextual units; no published blueprint weights); Therapeutic Guidelines, AMH, PBS authority rules, MBS; RACGP Red Book, Management of type 2 diabetes handbook, Silver Book; National Guide to preventive health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; Australian Immunisation Handbook; National Cervical Screening Program; Australian Asthma Handbook; Aus CVD Risk Calculator; AUSDRISK; Austroads Assessing Fitness to Drive; Medical Board Good Medical Practice; Ahpra mandatory reporting; AJGP; RACGP gplearning practice exams.

Formats change. Always confirm the current format, eligibility and dates on the RACGP website before you sit.

Where do you stand?

Thirty questions across every area, scored by area with a plain verdict. Free.

Am I ready? Free check →Read a marked sample

Next: Why candidates lose marks in the RACGP exams →

Not affiliated with the RACGP.