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[ Home ](https://mdster.com) 2. [ Blog ](https://mdster.com/blog) 3. [ Study Tips ](https://mdster.com/blog?category=study-tips) 4. Fellowship of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (Fellowship Written Exam): A Practical Study Plan [ Study Tips ](https://mdster.com/blog?category=study-tips) Fellowship of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (Fellowship Written Exam): A Practical Study Plan ================================================================================================================= Prepare separately for the SAQ and SCQ papers while building the clinical judgement expected of a junior consultant. [ MDster Editorial Team ](https://mdster.com/about) · Oct 15, 2026 · 6 min read · 27 [ 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) [ Emergency Medicine ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=emergency-medicine) [ Study Tips ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=study-tips) [ FACEM ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=facem) [ Fellowship Written Exam ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=fellowship-written-exam) ![Fellowship of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (Fellowship Written Exam): A Practical Study Plan](https://mdster.com/storage/blog/images/fellowship-of-the-australasian-college-for-emergency-medicine-fellowship-written-exam-a-pr.png) Share this article Share this post On this page 1. [ Build a curriculum map, not an endless reading list ](#build-a-curriculum-map-not-an-endless-reading-list) 2. [ Choose your first revision targets ](#choose-your-first-revision-targets) 3. [ Train SAQs as brief consultant decisions ](#train-saqs-as-brief-consultant-decisions) 4. [ Use a four-step SAQ drill ](#use-a-four-step-saq-drill) 5. [ Make SCQ practice diagnostic, not just repetitive ](#make-scq-practice-diagnostic-not-just-repetitive) 6. [ Use a study schedule that survives clinical shifts ](#use-a-study-schedule-that-survives-clinical-shifts) 7. [ Avoid the mistakes that cost answerable marks ](#avoid-the-mistakes-that-cost-answerable-marks) 8. [ Key Takeaways: actions for this week ](#key-takeaways-actions-for-this-week) 9. [ Frequently Asked Questions ](#blog-faqs) 10. [ References ](#references-heading) On this page 1. [ Build a curriculum map, not an endless reading list ](#build-a-curriculum-map-not-an-endless-reading-list) 2. [ Choose your first revision targets ](#choose-your-first-revision-targets) 3. [ Train SAQs as brief consultant decisions ](#train-saqs-as-brief-consultant-decisions) 4. [ Use a four-step SAQ drill ](#use-a-four-step-saq-drill) 5. [ Make SCQ practice diagnostic, not just repetitive ](#make-scq-practice-diagnostic-not-just-repetitive) 6. [ Use a study schedule that survives clinical shifts ](#use-a-study-schedule-that-survives-clinical-shifts) 7. [ Avoid the mistakes that cost answerable marks ](#avoid-the-mistakes-that-cost-answerable-marks) 8. [ Key Takeaways: actions for this week ](#key-takeaways-actions-for-this-week) 9. [ Frequently Asked Questions ](#blog-faqs) 10. [ References ](#references-heading) You finish a busy emergency department shift, open a textbook, and realise you could read for hours without getting faster at a single exam question. That is the trap in Fellowship Written preparation: knowing the medicine is not the same as retrieving, prioritising and expressing it under time pressure. Your plan needs two kinds of practice, because ACEM assesses a three-hour short-answer question (SAQ) paper and a separate three-hour select-choice question (SCQ) paper containing MCQs. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") Build a curriculum map, not an endless reading list --------------------------------------------------- Start with ACEM’s FACEM curriculum and its trainee resources, including past papers and exam reports. The Fellowship examinations test knowledge at the level expected of a junior consultant; use that standard to decide whether you can make a safe, prioritised decision, not merely recite a differential. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") ### Choose your first revision targets Make a spreadsheet with columns for curriculum area, recent question performance, confidence and next review date. Begin with time-critical presentations and domains you rarely see on shift; then check the rest of the curriculum systematically rather than guessing what will appear. - Group cases by decisions: immediate stabilisation, investigation, definitive management, consultation and disposition. - Test your coverage across adult and paediatric emergencies, trauma, toxicology, environmental illness and interpretation of investigations. ACEM’s curriculum includes these areas; the list is a revision framework, **not a prediction of question frequency**. [\[2\]](#cite-2 "Reference [2]") - Include less familiar curriculum areas, such as Indigenous health and culturally safe care, instead of treating them as optional extras. [\[2\]](#cite-2 "Reference [2]") After each question set, mark a topic red if you could not identify the urgent action, amber if you knew the action but missed supporting details, and green only if you answered accurately within time. Schedule red topics for your next study block. Train SAQs as brief consultant decisions ---------------------------------------- An SAQ answer must address the task actually asked. Before typing, underline the command word—*list, interpret, prioritise, justify*—and note whether the question asks for an initial action, a differential or a continuing plan. Then give distinct, clinically meaningful points rather than repeating the same idea in different language. ### Use a four-step SAQ drill 1. Read the stem and every subpart before answering; identify the sickest plausible patient and any explicit constraints. 2. Write a one-line answer plan, then lead with immediate threats or decisions when the question calls for them. 3. Allocate time according to the available marks **if marks are shown**. Move on when the allocation expires; an unfinished paper gives away opportunities you cannot recover. 4. Compare your response with the ACEM resource or a FACEM supervisor’s feedback. Record omitted actions, vague wording and answers that addressed the wrong question. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") For example, if a stem asks for *initial management* of a deteriorating patient, do not spend the first half of your answer on an exhaustive aetiology list. Practise writing what you would do now, how you would reassess, and when you would escalate—while staying within the question’s scope. > **Pro Tip:** Ask a FACEM colleague to review two timed SAQs each fortnight. Request one specific judgement on each: “What important decision could you not find in my answer?” Make SCQ practice diagnostic, not just repetitive ------------------------------------------------- The SCQ paper is MCQ-only, so practise selecting the best available answer from the information provided. Unlike SAQs, you do not earn extra credit for an elegant explanation you never had to write. ACEM describes the Fellowship SCQ as a separate 180-minute paper; protect time for it in your preparation rather than using MCQs only to warm up for SAQs. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") For each missed or guessed MCQ, write a short error label: knowledge gap, misread stem, premature closure or changed answer without new evidence. Look up the disputed point in a reliable emergency medicine textbook, current local guideline or curriculum-linked resource; then retry the question without seeing your previous choice. Use mixed, timed sets once you have revised several areas. After every set, review *why* the attractive distractor was wrong. That habit is more useful than collecting hundreds of questions whose explanations you never examine. Use a study schedule that survives clinical shifts -------------------------------------------------- The table is a **template**, not an ACEM-prescribed timetable. If you have fewer than eight weeks, shorten the first phase before cutting timed practice; if you have longer, expand your weakest curriculum areas. PeriodMain taskMinimum outputWeeks 1–2Map the curriculum and establish a timed baselineOne SAQ set, one MCQ set and an error logWeeks 3–5Alternate topic review with retrieval practiceTwo timed SAQ sessions and two mixed MCQ sets weeklyWeeks 6–7Rehearse both papers separatelyOne full-length SAQ and one full-length SCQ practice paper; review eachWeek 8Repair recurring errors and check exam logisticsReattempt red topics and practise using the expected answer interface On a shift-heavy week, preserve one 45-minute SAQ block and one 45-minute MCQ-review block. Do not replace both with passive reading: typing a concise answer and defending an MCQ choice expose different weaknesses. Avoid the mistakes that cost answerable marks --------------------------------------------- - **Revising as though this were the Primary Exam:** Keep basic science relevant, but centre practice on clinical decisions expected at Fellowship level. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") - **Writing everything you know in an SAQ:** Answer each subpart directly; use the requested number of points when specified. - **Treating a mock score as a verdict:** Use the missed decisions and error labels to choose next week’s work. - **Leaving logistics until the final week:** Check your ACEM candidate instructions, permitted materials and examination arrangements rather than relying on a colleague’s previous sitting. Key Takeaways: actions for this week ------------------------------------ - Download the current curriculum and locate ACEM’s trainee exam resources. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") - Complete one timed SAQ set and one timed MCQ set; log errors separately. - Book a FACEM review of two written answers and schedule your first full-length practice papers. - If targeting the **November 20, 2026** sitting, confirm that you are already registered: ACEM lists **September 18, 2026** as its application closing date. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") You do not need a perfect set of notes before starting. Make your next study session produce an answer, a decision and a clear target for the session after it. Frequently Asked Questions ---------------------------- ### Should I practise SAQs and MCQs in the same way? No. Practise SAQs by typing direct, prioritised answers to each subpart. For MCQs, make timed choices and review why each tempting alternative is incorrect. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") ### Where should I find official Fellowship Written practice material? ACEM directs trainees to past papers, exam reports and other resources in its eLearning area under “Resources for Trainees.” [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") ### How can I prioritise topics without trying to predict the paper? Map the FACEM curriculum, then prioritise weak areas and decisions you cannot make accurately under time pressure. Continue checking your coverage across the curriculum. [\[2\]](#cite-2 "Reference [2]") ### When should I start full-length practice papers? In an eight-week plan, use early sessions to identify gaps, then attempt separate three-hour SAQ and SCQ papers around weeks six and seven. Leave time to review both. References (2) ------------------ 1. 1. [ Australasian College for Emergency Medicine. Examinations: Fellowship Written Exam. ](https://acem.org.au/exams) [↩](#cite-ref-1-1 "Back to text") 2. 2. [ Australasian College for Emergency Medicine. FACEM Training Program Curriculum, May 2026. ](https://acem.org.au/getmedia/9af41df8-677f-44ed-b245-440164155f56/FACEM-Curriculum) [↩](#cite-ref-2-1 "Back to text") Keep going Get faster at Emergency Medicine decision‑making -------------------------------------------------- - Rapid, exam‑style questions across core ED topics - High‑yield differentials and next‑step management - Target weak areas with smart review [ Start practicing ](https://mdster.com/user/dashboard) [ Explore Emergency Medicine ](https://mdster.com/speciality/emergency-medicine) [ View pricing ](https://mdster.com/pricing) [ Explore features ](https://mdster.com/features) No credit card required. Full access to all features\*. No commitment. Cancel anytime. \*AI SOE Examiner is limited to 10 cases monthly for Advanced & Bundle subscribers. 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