Preparing for12 specialties

● General surgery · RACS

Pass your RACS fellowship
with conviction.

From the GSSE to the Fellowship Examination, RACS examiners reward what you would actually do, said plainly and inside the time. Practise here: GSSE anatomy, pathology and physiology MCQs, spot and short answer questions marked point by point, and operative and critical care vivas on the clock.

GSSE · Exams 1 and 2 Fellowship · Papers 1 and 2 Fellowship · Vivas and clinicals

Start free: 2 written cases, 20 MCQs and 3 stations, no card required.

Start free →or read a full marked case first

1500+

MCQs

Written cases

Stations

Curriculum areas

Reference topics

What we do

Every RACS exam, done thoroughly.

Each part of each exam, on its real format and clock, on the same engine trainees already use for the psychiatry fellowship.

Generic Surgical Sciences Examination: Exams 1 and 2

MCQ

Exam 1 Anatomy: 60 MCQs + 20 spot tests, 150 min · Exam 2 Pathology and Physiology: 125 MCQs, 150 min, next day.

Before SET as a selection requirement, or within the first 2 clinical years of SET

Open →

Fellowship Examination – General Surgery: Papers 1 and 2

Written

Paper 1: 25 image spots · Paper 2: 8 short answer questions · each 120 min + 10 min reading.

End of SET, pitched at a consultant in the first year of independent practice

Open →

Fellowship Examination – General Surgery: Vivas and clinicals

Clinical

3 vivas (operative, critical care and reasoning, imaging and anatomy) + 2 electronic clinicals (2 medium cases, 5 short cases) · no reading time.

End of SET, pitched at a consultant in the first year of independent practice

Open →

Fellowship Ready is independent and is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the RACS or any examining body.

How written marking works

You write the answer. Here it comes back marked.

The commonest way to lose marks is a generic answer: good medicine, for a different patient or a different question. The marking rewards only what the rubric rewards.

Your answer, typed under timingPaper 2

A 68-year-old man is day 5 after a laparoscopic anterior resection. He has new lower abdominal pain, a heart rate of 118 and a C-reactive protein of 290 mg/L. Outline your immediate management. (5 marks)

I would resuscitate him with fluids, take bloods and cultures, and discuss him with my consultant. I would arrange for the radiology team to review him and decide on imaging, and consider involving ICU…

Examiner-style marking, seconds later1 / 4

✗States anastomotic leak as the working diagnosis until proven otherwise0/1
✓Resuscitation: large-bore access, fluids, bloods including lactate, cultures, catheter and fluid balance1/1
✗Starts broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics now (e.g. piperacillin–tazobactam), not after imaging0/1
✗Orders CT abdomen and pelvis with intravenous and rectal contrast, and states the decision: contained collection → percutaneous drainage; peritonitis or ongoing sepsis → return to theatre0/2

Marking note: The answer describes a process and hands every decision to someone else. The paper is set at the level of a consultant: name the diagnosis, start the antibiotics, order the scan yourself and say what result takes him back to theatre.

Read a full marked case →Or start the free trial →

Why Fellowship Ready

Knowing the medicine isn't the same as passing the exam.

Candidates who fail are rarely told which sentence lost the mark. The commonest causes are not gaps in knowledge: a generic answer, a different question answered, an examination done out of order, the clock run out. Each is fixed by practice that is timed and marked.

Say what you would do

Rubrics reward the decision a consultant would make, so "I would discuss with my consultant" earns nothing on its own. Each answer is marked against the points examiners look for.

Both exams, one place

GSSE MCQs follow the anatomy, pathology and physiology blueprint. Fellowship practice covers spots, short answer questions, and operative, critical care and imaging vivas.

Practise to the clock

Spots get about 5 minutes and short answers about 15, as on the day. Vivas and short cases run on a timer, so you learn when to give your answer and move on.

The exam, on the clock.

Most candidates who fail know the medicine. They run out of time, answer a different question, or are not specific enough. Practice under the clock, marked the way examiners mark, is the fix.

01 · Vivas and clinicals

5 stations, on the real clock.

10:00 in the station, as on the day. Patients, relatives and examiners are played by an AI so you can practise alone, or a colleague runs the station with the script, the findings and the marking sheet.

Open the stations →Fellowship Examination – General Surgery

Fellowship · Live · vivaStation · 10:00

Operative viva: perforated sigmoid diverticulitis with purulent peritonitis

This is an operative surgery viva. You are the consultant general surgeon on call at a metropolitan hospital. Mr Colin Barker, 67, presents with 36 hours of left iliac fossa pain that became generalised 8 hours ago. He takes ramipril and atorvastatin. Pulse 112, blood pressure 104/66, temperature 38.7 degrees C, generalised peritonism. Lactate 2.9 mmol/L, white cell count 21 x 10^9/L. CT shows sigmoid diverticular disease with pericolic inflammation, free gas and free fluid throughout the abdomen and pelvis, and no discrete abscess. The examiner will ask you a series of questions about your management.

Classify the disease and outline your preoperative management.
Discuss the operative options and choose one for this patient.
Describe the key steps of your chosen operation, including how you avoid injuring the left ureter.

Marking guide

100%

02 · Papers 1 and 2

Write the answer. Get it marked.

Paper 1: 25 image spots · Paper 2: 8 short answer questions · each 120 min + 10 min reading. Every answer is marked point by point against a rubric that rewards what RACS examiners reward: specific points, the exact question answered, safe advice.

Try a case →Fellowship Examination – General Surgery

Paper 2 · marked against the rubric

“I would resuscitate him with fluids, take bloods and cultures, and discuss him with my consultant. I would arrange for the radiology team to review him and decide on imaging, and consider involving ICU…”

✗States anastomotic leak as the working diagnosis until proven otherwise0/1
✓Resuscitation: large-bore access, fluids, bloods including lactate, cultures, catheter and fluid balance1/1
✗Starts broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics now (e.g. piperacillin–tazobactam), not after imaging0/1
✗Orders CT abdomen and pelvis with intravenous and rectal contrast, and states the decision: contained collection → percutaneous drainage; peritonitis or ongoing sepsis → return to theatre0/2

Examiner note: The answer describes a process and hands every decision to someone else. The paper is set at the level of a consultant: name the diagnosis, start the antibiotics, order the scan yourself and say what result takes him back to theatre.

03 · Exams 1 and 2

Mocks weighted to the blueprint.

Exam 1 Anatomy: 60 MCQs + 20 spot tests, 150 min · Exam 2 Pathology and Physiology: 125 MCQs, 150 min, next day. Every option explained, including why the wrong ones are wrong, and your weakest areas come back first.

Practise by area →Generic Surgical Sciences Examination

Exams 1 and 2 mock · 205 questions · 5 h64%

Anatomy70%

Physiology53%

Pathology70%

Weighted to the blueprint. Your weakest areas go to the top of next week’s drills.

04 · Scores and classifications

Hinchey III is not Hinchey IV.

Tokyo 2018 grading, Clavien–Dindo, Hinchey, Rutherford acute limb ischaemia, Bethesda, AAST splenic injury, ATLS shock classes and more, each with the exam trap and what changes your management.

Open the scales →Included with every plan

Reference library

ATLS classes of haemorrhagic shock

AAST splenic injury scale (2018 revision)

Modified Glasgow (Imrie) score for acute pancreatitis

Tokyo Guidelines 2018: acute cholecystitis diagnosis and severity

Child–Turcotte–Pugh score

Modified Hinchey classification of perforated diverticulitis

Clavien–Dindo classification of surgical complications

Rutherford classification of acute limb ischaemia

05 · Reference

Critical view of safety, then the bail-out.

Bile duct injury, gallstone pancreatitis, adhesional obstruction, damage control resuscitation, compartment syndromes, thyroid haematoma, groin hernia and open disclosure, written for the viva.

Open the reference →Included with every plan

Reference library

ATLS classes of haemorrhagic shock

AAST splenic injury scale (2018 revision)

Modified Glasgow (Imrie) score for acute pancreatitis

Tokyo Guidelines 2018: acute cholecystitis diagnosis and severity

Child–Turcotte–Pugh score

Modified Hinchey classification of perforated diverticulitis

Clavien–Dindo classification of surgical complications

Rutherford classification of acute limb ischaemia

06 · Study plan

Your exam date, turned into weeks.

Tell it when you sit and how many hours you have. It spreads the curriculum by blueprint weight, slots in mocks, written papers and station circuits, and moves your weakest areas forward as your results come in.

Build your plan →Free with an account

Generic Surgical Sciences Examination in 14 weeks10 h / week

Week 9 · this week

AnatomyPhysiologyPathologyMock

Week 10

AnatomyAnatomyPhysiologyStations ×3

Week 11

PathologyAnatomyPhysiologyWritten ×2

The biggest blueprint areas come round most often; your weakest move to the front.

Fellowship · Live · vivaStation · 10:00

Operative viva: perforated sigmoid diverticulitis with purulent peritonitis

Classify the disease and outline your preoperative management.
Discuss the operative options and choose one for this patient.
Describe the key steps of your chosen operation, including how you avoid injuring the left ureter.

Marking guide

100%

Paper 2 · marked against the rubric

✗States anastomotic leak as the working diagnosis until proven otherwise0/1
✓Resuscitation: large-bore access, fluids, bloods including lactate, cultures, catheter and fluid balance1/1
✗Starts broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics now (e.g. piperacillin–tazobactam), not after imaging0/1
✗Orders CT abdomen and pelvis with intravenous and rectal contrast, and states the decision: contained collection → percutaneous drainage; peritonitis or ongoing sepsis → return to theatre0/2

Exams 1 and 2 mock · 205 questions · 5 h64%

Anatomy70%

Physiology53%

Pathology70%

Weighted to the blueprint. Your weakest areas go to the top of next week’s drills.

Reference library

ATLS classes of haemorrhagic shock

AAST splenic injury scale (2018 revision)

Modified Glasgow (Imrie) score for acute pancreatitis

Tokyo Guidelines 2018: acute cholecystitis diagnosis and severity

Child–Turcotte–Pugh score

Modified Hinchey classification of perforated diverticulitis

Clavien–Dindo classification of surgical complications

Rutherford classification of acute limb ischaemia

Reference library

ATLS classes of haemorrhagic shock

AAST splenic injury scale (2018 revision)

Modified Glasgow (Imrie) score for acute pancreatitis

Tokyo Guidelines 2018: acute cholecystitis diagnosis and severity

Child–Turcotte–Pugh score

Modified Hinchey classification of perforated diverticulitis

Clavien–Dindo classification of surgical complications

Rutherford classification of acute limb ischaemia

Generic Surgical Sciences Examination in 14 weeks10 h / week

Week 9 · this week

AnatomyPhysiologyPathologyMock

Week 10

AnatomyAnatomyPhysiologyStations ×3

Week 11

PathologyAnatomyPhysiologyWritten ×2

The biggest blueprint areas come round most often; your weakest move to the front.

Pricing

Pay monthly, or once until your exam.

An exam pass lasts until the day after your exam, up to six months, and never renews.

GSSE and written papers

A$39/mo

or A$249 once, until your exam

GSSE anatomy, pathology and physiology MCQs with timed mocks, plus Fellowship Paper 1 spots and Paper 2 short answer questions with examiner-style marking.

Choose GSSE and written papers

Vivas and clinicals

A$39/mo

or A$249 once, until your exam

Operative, critical care and imaging vivas plus medium and short clinical cases for the Fellowship Examination, timed, with marking against the examiner guide.

Choose Vivas and clinicals

Everything

A$59/mo

or A$399 once, until your exam

GSSE, written papers, vivas and clinicals, plus the reference tools and study plan.

Choose Everything

Prices include GST. Every plan starts free, no card required.

Try it before you decide.

Start free: 2 written cases, 20 MCQs and 3 stations, no card required.

Start free →Read a sample

Loading…

Preparing for12 specialties

● General surgery · RACS

Pass your RACS fellowship
with conviction.

GSSE · Exams 1 and 2 Fellowship · Papers 1 and 2 Fellowship · Vivas and clinicals

Start free: 2 written cases, 20 MCQs and 3 stations, no card required.

Start free →or read a full marked case first

1500+

MCQs

Written cases

Stations

Curriculum areas

Reference topics

What we do

Every RACS exam, done thoroughly.

Each part of each exam, on its real format and clock, on the same engine trainees already use for the psychiatry fellowship.

Generic Surgical Sciences Examination: Exams 1 and 2

MCQ

Exam 1 Anatomy: 60 MCQs + 20 spot tests, 150 min · Exam 2 Pathology and Physiology: 125 MCQs, 150 min, next day.

Before SET as a selection requirement, or within the first 2 clinical years of SET

Open →

Fellowship Examination – General Surgery: Papers 1 and 2

Written

Paper 1: 25 image spots · Paper 2: 8 short answer questions · each 120 min + 10 min reading.

End of SET, pitched at a consultant in the first year of independent practice

Open →

Fellowship Examination – General Surgery: Vivas and clinicals

Clinical

3 vivas (operative, critical care and reasoning, imaging and anatomy) + 2 electronic clinicals (2 medium cases, 5 short cases) · no reading time.

End of SET, pitched at a consultant in the first year of independent practice

Open →

Fellowship Ready is independent and is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the RACS or any examining body.

How written marking works

You write the answer. Here it comes back marked.

The commonest way to lose marks is a generic answer: good medicine, for a different patient or a different question. The marking rewards only what the rubric rewards.

Your answer, typed under timingPaper 2

Examiner-style marking, seconds later1 / 4

✗States anastomotic leak as the working diagnosis until proven otherwise0/1
✓Resuscitation: large-bore access, fluids, bloods including lactate, cultures, catheter and fluid balance1/1
✗Starts broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics now (e.g. piperacillin–tazobactam), not after imaging0/1
✗Orders CT abdomen and pelvis with intravenous and rectal contrast, and states the decision: contained collection → percutaneous drainage; peritonitis or ongoing sepsis → return to theatre0/2

Read a full marked case →Or start the free trial →

Why Fellowship Ready

Knowing the medicine isn't the same as passing the exam.

Say what you would do

Rubrics reward the decision a consultant would make, so "I would discuss with my consultant" earns nothing on its own. Each answer is marked against the points examiners look for.

Both exams, one place

GSSE MCQs follow the anatomy, pathology and physiology blueprint. Fellowship practice covers spots, short answer questions, and operative, critical care and imaging vivas.

Practise to the clock

Spots get about 5 minutes and short answers about 15, as on the day. Vivas and short cases run on a timer, so you learn when to give your answer and move on.

The exam, on the clock.

Most candidates who fail know the medicine. They run out of time, answer a different question, or are not specific enough. Practice under the clock, marked the way examiners mark, is the fix.

01 · Vivas and clinicals

5 stations, on the real clock.

Open the stations →Fellowship Examination – General Surgery

Fellowship · Live · vivaStation · 10:00

Operative viva: perforated sigmoid diverticulitis with purulent peritonitis

Classify the disease and outline your preoperative management.
Discuss the operative options and choose one for this patient.
Describe the key steps of your chosen operation, including how you avoid injuring the left ureter.

Marking guide

100%

02 · Papers 1 and 2

Write the answer. Get it marked.

Try a case →Fellowship Examination – General Surgery

Paper 2 · marked against the rubric

✗States anastomotic leak as the working diagnosis until proven otherwise0/1
✓Resuscitation: large-bore access, fluids, bloods including lactate, cultures, catheter and fluid balance1/1
✗Starts broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics now (e.g. piperacillin–tazobactam), not after imaging0/1
✗Orders CT abdomen and pelvis with intravenous and rectal contrast, and states the decision: contained collection → percutaneous drainage; peritonitis or ongoing sepsis → return to theatre0/2

03 · Exams 1 and 2

Mocks weighted to the blueprint.

Practise by area →Generic Surgical Sciences Examination

Exams 1 and 2 mock · 205 questions · 5 h64%

Anatomy70%

Physiology53%

Pathology70%

Weighted to the blueprint. Your weakest areas go to the top of next week’s drills.

04 · Scores and classifications

Hinchey III is not Hinchey IV.

Tokyo 2018 grading, Clavien–Dindo, Hinchey, Rutherford acute limb ischaemia, Bethesda, AAST splenic injury, ATLS shock classes and more, each with the exam trap and what changes your management.

Open the scales →Included with every plan

Reference library

ATLS classes of haemorrhagic shock

AAST splenic injury scale (2018 revision)

Modified Glasgow (Imrie) score for acute pancreatitis

Tokyo Guidelines 2018: acute cholecystitis diagnosis and severity

Child–Turcotte–Pugh score

Modified Hinchey classification of perforated diverticulitis

Clavien–Dindo classification of surgical complications

Rutherford classification of acute limb ischaemia

05 · Reference

Critical view of safety, then the bail-out.

Bile duct injury, gallstone pancreatitis, adhesional obstruction, damage control resuscitation, compartment syndromes, thyroid haematoma, groin hernia and open disclosure, written for the viva.

Open the reference →Included with every plan

Reference library

ATLS classes of haemorrhagic shock

AAST splenic injury scale (2018 revision)

Modified Glasgow (Imrie) score for acute pancreatitis

Tokyo Guidelines 2018: acute cholecystitis diagnosis and severity

Child–Turcotte–Pugh score

Modified Hinchey classification of perforated diverticulitis

Clavien–Dindo classification of surgical complications

Rutherford classification of acute limb ischaemia

06 · Study plan

Your exam date, turned into weeks.

Build your plan →Free with an account

Generic Surgical Sciences Examination in 14 weeks10 h / week

Week 9 · this week

AnatomyPhysiologyPathologyMock

Week 10

AnatomyAnatomyPhysiologyStations ×3

Week 11

PathologyAnatomyPhysiologyWritten ×2

The biggest blueprint areas come round most often; your weakest move to the front.

Fellowship · Live · vivaStation · 10:00

Operative viva: perforated sigmoid diverticulitis with purulent peritonitis

Classify the disease and outline your preoperative management.
Discuss the operative options and choose one for this patient.
Describe the key steps of your chosen operation, including how you avoid injuring the left ureter.

Marking guide

100%

Paper 2 · marked against the rubric

✗States anastomotic leak as the working diagnosis until proven otherwise0/1
✓Resuscitation: large-bore access, fluids, bloods including lactate, cultures, catheter and fluid balance1/1
✗Starts broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics now (e.g. piperacillin–tazobactam), not after imaging0/1
✗Orders CT abdomen and pelvis with intravenous and rectal contrast, and states the decision: contained collection → percutaneous drainage; peritonitis or ongoing sepsis → return to theatre0/2

Exams 1 and 2 mock · 205 questions · 5 h64%

Anatomy70%

Physiology53%

Pathology70%

Weighted to the blueprint. Your weakest areas go to the top of next week’s drills.

Reference library

ATLS classes of haemorrhagic shock

AAST splenic injury scale (2018 revision)

Modified Glasgow (Imrie) score for acute pancreatitis

Tokyo Guidelines 2018: acute cholecystitis diagnosis and severity

Child–Turcotte–Pugh score

Modified Hinchey classification of perforated diverticulitis

Clavien–Dindo classification of surgical complications

Rutherford classification of acute limb ischaemia

Reference library

ATLS classes of haemorrhagic shock

AAST splenic injury scale (2018 revision)

Modified Glasgow (Imrie) score for acute pancreatitis

Tokyo Guidelines 2018: acute cholecystitis diagnosis and severity

Child–Turcotte–Pugh score

Modified Hinchey classification of perforated diverticulitis

Clavien–Dindo classification of surgical complications

Rutherford classification of acute limb ischaemia

Generic Surgical Sciences Examination in 14 weeks10 h / week

Week 9 · this week

AnatomyPhysiologyPathologyMock

Week 10

AnatomyAnatomyPhysiologyStations ×3

Week 11

PathologyAnatomyPhysiologyWritten ×2

The biggest blueprint areas come round most often; your weakest move to the front.

Pricing

Pay monthly, or once until your exam.

An exam pass lasts until the day after your exam, up to six months, and never renews.

GSSE and written papers

A$39/mo

or A$249 once, until your exam

GSSE anatomy, pathology and physiology MCQs with timed mocks, plus Fellowship Paper 1 spots and Paper 2 short answer questions with examiner-style marking.

Choose GSSE and written papers

Vivas and clinicals

A$39/mo

or A$249 once, until your exam

Operative, critical care and imaging vivas plus medium and short clinical cases for the Fellowship Examination, timed, with marking against the examiner guide.

Choose Vivas and clinicals

Everything

A$59/mo

or A$399 once, until your exam

GSSE, written papers, vivas and clinicals, plus the reference tools and study plan.

Choose Everything

Prices include GST. Every plan starts free, no card required.

Try it before you decide.

Start free: 2 written cases, 20 MCQs and 3 stations, no card required.

Start free →Read a sample

Pass your RACS fellowshipwith conviction.

Every RACS exam, done thoroughly.

Generic Surgical Sciences Examination: Exams 1 and 2

Fellowship Examination – General Surgery: Papers 1 and 2

Fellowship Examination – General Surgery: Vivas and clinicals

You write the answer. Here it comes back marked.

Knowing the medicine isn't the same as passing the exam.

Say what you would do

Both exams, one place

Practise to the clock

The exam, on the clock.

5 stations, on the real clock.

Write the answer. Get it marked.

Mocks weighted to the blueprint.

Hinchey III is not Hinchey IV.

Critical view of safety, then the bail-out.

Your exam date, turned into weeks.

Pay monthly, or once until your exam.

Try it before you decide.

Pass your RACS fellowshipwith conviction.

Every RACS exam, done thoroughly.

Generic Surgical Sciences Examination: Exams 1 and 2

Fellowship Examination – General Surgery: Papers 1 and 2

Fellowship Examination – General Surgery: Vivas and clinicals

You write the answer. Here it comes back marked.

Knowing the medicine isn't the same as passing the exam.

Say what you would do

Both exams, one place

Practise to the clock

The exam, on the clock.

5 stations, on the real clock.

Write the answer. Get it marked.

Mocks weighted to the blueprint.

Hinchey III is not Hinchey IV.

Critical view of safety, then the bail-out.

Your exam date, turned into weeks.

Pay monthly, or once until your exam.

Try it before you decide.

Pass your RACS fellowship
with conviction.

Pass your RACS fellowship
with conviction.