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Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (FC Psych(SA) Part I) Study Plan [ Study Tips ](https://mdster.com/blog?category=study-tips) Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (FC Psych(SA) Part I) Study Plan ======================================================================= A practical, two-paper revision plan for busy psychiatry candidates [ MDster Editorial Team ](https://mdster.com/about) · Sep 23, 2026 · 6 min read · 547 [ Reviewed by Dr. Ali Ragab, MBBCH, MSc, MCAI ](https://mdster.com/medical-reviewers/dr-ali-ragab) [Editorial Policy](https://mdster.com/editorial-policy) \| [Corrections Policy](https://mdster.com/corrections) [ Study Tips ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=study-tips) [ Psychiatry ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=psychiatry) [ CMSA ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=cmsa) [ Psychiatry Exam Preparation ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=psychiatry-exam-preparation) [ FC Psych(SA) Part I ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=fc-psychsa-part-i) ![Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (FC Psych(SA) Part I) Study Plan](https://mdster.com/storage/blog/images/colleges-of-medicine-of-south-africa-fc-psychsa-part-i-study-plan.png) Share this article Share this post On this page 1. [ Build your plan around two separate passes ](#build-your-plan-around-two-separate-passes) 2. [ Make a four-column blueprint tracker ](#make-a-four-column-blueprint-tracker) 3. [ Use questions to find gaps—not just measure progress ](#use-questions-to-find-gaps-not-just-measure-progress) 4. [ Follow a realistic Study Schedule Template ](#follow-a-realistic-study-schedule-template) 5. [ Rehearse the digital paper, not an OSCE ](#rehearse-the-digital-paper-not-an-osce) 6. [ Avoid these common pitfalls ](#avoid-these-common-pitfalls) 7. [ Key Takeaways: act this week ](#key-takeaways-act-this-week) 8. [ Frequently Asked Questions ](#blog-faqs) 9. [ References ](#references-heading) On this page 1. [ Build your plan around two separate passes ](#build-your-plan-around-two-separate-passes) 2. [ Make a four-column blueprint tracker ](#make-a-four-column-blueprint-tracker) 3. [ Use questions to find gaps—not just measure progress ](#use-questions-to-find-gaps-not-just-measure-progress) 4. [ Follow a realistic Study Schedule Template ](#follow-a-realistic-study-schedule-template) 5. [ Rehearse the digital paper, not an OSCE ](#rehearse-the-digital-paper-not-an-osce) 6. [ Avoid these common pitfalls ](#avoid-these-common-pitfalls) 7. [ Key Takeaways: act this week ](#key-takeaways-act-this-week) 8. [ Frequently Asked Questions ](#blog-faqs) 9. [ References ](#references-heading) You can feel well prepared for psychiatry and still be caught out by FC Psych(SA) Part I. A common mistake is spending most of your revision on clinical cases while leaving neurophysiology, genetics or behavioural science until the final weeks. Start with the Part I blueprint, not the topics you encounter most often on the ward. As of September 2026, CMSA describes Part I as **two digital written papers**, with no oral examination. Its published regulations specify 100 questions and three hours per paper; possible formats include single-best-answer, multiple-choice, extended-matching and very-short-answer questions. Check your own sitting’s instructions before relying on a practice-paper format. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") Build your plan around two separate passes ------------------------------------------ Paper 1 covers clinical neurosciences: neuroanatomy and psychopharmacology form one 50-question grouping, and neurophysiology and genetics the other. Paper 2 divides its 100 questions between introduction to psychiatry and psychology/behavioural sciences. **You must pass each paper separately in the same sitting**; a strong Paper 2 cannot rescue a failed Paper 1, and there is no carry-over. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") ### Make a four-column blueprint tracker Copy the four groupings into a spreadsheet. Under each, list topics from CMSA’s Part I curriculum, then record your confidence and your score on a small set of practice questions. The blueprint is a guide rather than an exact question-by-topic promise, so use it to prevent omissions—not to predict the paper. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") - **Paper 1, grouping A:** Map brain structures and circuits; link psychotropic drug mechanisms to effects and adverse effects. - **Paper 1, grouping B:** Explain neuronal signalling and relevant psychiatric genetics rather than memorising isolated terms. - **Paper 2, introduction:** Practise phenomenology, classification and recognition of psychiatric emergencies. - **Paper 2, behavioural sciences:** Distinguish psychological theories, psychotherapy approaches and uses of psychometric tests. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") Set an initial minimum of two study blocks per grouping each fortnight. Then give additional blocks to groupings where you repeatedly miss questions. This protects both papers while directing limited time toward weaknesses. Use questions to find gaps—not just measure progress ---------------------------------------------------- Start each 45-minute block with 10–15 questions or short-answer prompts from **one blueprint topic**. For every error, write a one-line correction and identify what misled you: a missed fact, confused terminology, faulty reasoning or time pressure. Revisit that correction from memory after a few days, then again in a later mixed set. Use a current neuroscience or psychopharmacology textbook to repair specific gaps, rather than reading chapters indiscriminately. For introduction to psychiatry and behavioural science, use a core psychiatry text alongside the CMSA blueprint. A question bank is useful only if you check that its topics and question styles fit Part I; it should not become your unofficial syllabus. CMSA provides a Part I reading list, but advises candidates to seek recent editions. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") > **Pro Tip:** In a study group, exchange five original prompts each week: for example, “Differentiate a delusion from an overvalued idea” or “Explain the mechanism behind a specified adverse effect.” Answer independently before discussing. Retrieval and spaced repetition have evidence for supporting retention in medical education, although no particular flashcard schedule guarantees a Part I pass. [\[2\]](#cite-2 "Reference [2]") Follow a realistic Study Schedule Template ------------------------------------------ Treat this as a **12-week example**, not a CMSA requirement. If you have fewer weeks, shorten the first two phases but keep timed practice for *both* papers. Aim for four focused weekday blocks and one longer weekend block; swap days around calls rather than abandoning a paper for an entire week. WeeksMain taskEnd-of-week check1–4Cover all four groupings; complete topic-based questions after each block.Identify your weakest grouping in each paper.5–8Revisit errors; add mixed questions and short-answer retrieval.Record scores separately for Papers 1 and 2.9–10Complete a timed, 100-question practice paper for each paper.Review every uncertain answer, including correct guesses.11–12Repeat weaker topics and simulate both papers’ demands.Practise pacing and the digital submission sequence. Keep the weekly review short: choose your next two weakest topics, schedule them, and move on. If an on-call week cuts your available time, retain one question block for each paper and defer extra reading. That is more useful than repeatedly polishing your strongest subject. Rehearse the digital paper, not an OSCE --------------------------------------- Part I has **no oral or clinical station**. Put OSCE role-play aside for now and practise selecting answers, matching options and typing concise responses on a screen. Where a prompt asks for a very short answer, answer precisely rather than writing an unrequested essay. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") For a three-hour, 100-question paper, try a first pass within roughly 150 minutes, leaving 30 minutes to check flagged or unanswered items. Adjust that target during mocks: some questions will take longer than others. CMSA specifies **no negative marking**, so attempt every item; it also uses Angoff standard-setting for each paper, rather than a single fixed pass percentage you can safely target. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") Complete CMSA’s Speedwell training test before your sitting. Practise using its progress display, flagging a question, returning to it and finishing the paper; confirm the current login and access instructions through CMSA. Do not let your first encounter with the interface consume revision time on examination day. [\[3\]](#cite-3 "Reference [3]") Avoid these common pitfalls --------------------------- - **Studying as though Part I were Part II:** Give foundational neurosciences and behavioural science their own scheduled blocks, rather than concentrating on OSCE cases. - **Trusting an attractive question bank over the blueprint:** Check each topic against CMSA’s Part I curriculum before spending hours on it. - **Tracking only a combined mock score:** Keep separate Paper 1 and Paper 2 records because both require a pass. - **Rereading corrected answers:** Cover the explanation and reproduce it before checking whether you retained it. Key Takeaways: act this week ---------------------------- - Download the current FC Psych(SA) regulations and turn the Part I blueprint into a four-grouping tracker. - Complete a short diagnostic question set for each grouping; select one weak topic per paper. - Book separate, timed practice for Papers 1 and 2 in your calendar. - Open the CMSA Speedwell training test and rehearse flagging and submitting. You do not need a flawless first run through the syllabus. You need a plan that exposes weak areas early, revisits them deliberately and gives **both papers** a fair chance on the day. Frequently Asked Questions ---------------------------- ### Can a high mark in one FC Psych(SA) Part I paper offset a fail in the other? No. CMSA requires an individual pass in each paper, taken in the same sitting; Part I papers cannot be carried over. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") ### Should I prepare for an oral examination in Part I? No. CMSA lists two digital written papers and no oral examination for Part I. Prioritise written-question and digital-interface practice. [\[4\]](#cite-4 "Reference [4]") ### Are FC Psych(SA) Part I questions all single-best-answer questions? Do not assume so. CMSA’s regulations allow several formats, including single-best-answer, multiple-choice, extended-matching and very-short-answer questions. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") ### What should I do if I run out of time in a practice paper? Review whether slow questions came from knowledge gaps or overlong answers. Rehearse a first pass, flag difficult items and return to them; CMSA specifies no negative marking, so attempt every question. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") References (4) ------------------ 1. 1. [ Colleges of Medicine of South Africa. FC Psych(SA) Regulations and Part I Blueprint. ](https://cmsa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/01._FC_PsychSA_Regulations_20_11_2023.pdf) [↩](#cite-ref-1-1 "Back to text") 2. 2. [ Donker SCM, et al. Retrieval practice and spaced learning in medical sciences students. BMC Medical Education, 2022. ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35081944/) [↩](#cite-ref-2-1 "Back to text") 3. 3. [ Colleges of Medicine of South Africa. Speedwell Training – Mock Exam. ](https://cmsa.co.za/examinations/speedwell-training/) [↩](#cite-ref-3-1 "Back to text") 4. 4. [ Colleges of Medicine of South Africa. FC Psych(SA) fellowship examination overview. ](https://cmsa.co.za/fellowship-of-the-college-of-psychiatrists-of-south-africa/) [↩](#cite-ref-4-1 "Back to text") Study pathway Build momentum in Psychiatry with a focused study pathway ----------------------------------------------------------- - Exam‑style questions for Psychiatry - Smart review to target weak topics - Progress tracking that keeps you accountable Free 5-day trial No credit card required. 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