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[ MDster Editorial Team ](https://mdster.com/about) · Oct 01, 2026 · 6 min read · 41 [ 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) [ Basic Sciences ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=basic-sciences) [ FACEM Primary Exam ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=facem-primary-exam) [ MCQ Preparation ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=mcq-preparation) ![Fellowship of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (Primary Written Exam): A Practical Study Plan](https://mdster.com/storage/blog/images/fellowship-of-the-australasian-college-for-emergency-medicine-primary-written-exam-a-pract.png) Share this article Share this post On this page 1. [ Build your plan around the four sciences ](#build-your-plan-around-the-four-sciences) 2. [ Turn clinical familiarity into testable knowledge ](#turn-clinical-familiarity-into-testable-knowledge) 3. [ Use MCQs to diagnose mistakes—not just collect scores ](#use-mcqs-to-diagnose-mistakes-not-just-collect-scores) 4. [ Choose resources for a specific job ](#choose-resources-for-a-specific-job) 5. [ Follow a 12-week Study Schedule Template ](#follow-a-12-week-study-schedule-template) 6. [ Rehearse the online paper’s pace ](#rehearse-the-online-papers-pace) 7. [ Avoid these Primary Written pitfalls ](#avoid-these-primary-written-pitfalls) 8. [ Key Takeaways: What to do this week ](#key-takeaways-what-to-do-this-week) 9. [ Frequently Asked Questions ](#blog-faqs) 10. [ References ](#references-heading) On this page 1. [ Build your plan around the four sciences ](#build-your-plan-around-the-four-sciences) 2. [ Turn clinical familiarity into testable knowledge ](#turn-clinical-familiarity-into-testable-knowledge) 3. [ Use MCQs to diagnose mistakes—not just collect scores ](#use-mcqs-to-diagnose-mistakes-not-just-collect-scores) 4. [ Choose resources for a specific job ](#choose-resources-for-a-specific-job) 5. [ Follow a 12-week Study Schedule Template ](#follow-a-12-week-study-schedule-template) 6. [ Rehearse the online paper’s pace ](#rehearse-the-online-papers-pace) 7. [ Avoid these Primary Written pitfalls ](#avoid-these-primary-written-pitfalls) 8. [ Key Takeaways: What to do this week ](#key-takeaways-what-to-do-this-week) 9. [ Frequently Asked Questions ](#blog-faqs) 10. [ References ](#references-heading) You can finish an emergency department shift feeling clinically sharp, then miss questions about renal physiology or drug mechanisms. That gap is common: the FACEM Primary Written Exam tests the basic sciences underlying emergency medicine, not your ability to run a resuscitation or deliver a viva answer. Prepare for the questions you will actually face: an online, integrated MCQ exam comprising two three-hour papers, with up to 180 questions per paper. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") Build your plan around the four sciences ---------------------------------------- ACEM identifies anatomy, pathology, physiology and pharmacology as the Primary Exam’s four basic sciences. Start by listing the relevant curriculum outcomes under each subject; use that list to decide what to cover, rather than following a textbook from first page to last. The exam is criterion-referenced, so aim for dependable breadth instead of trying to predict a fixed passing percentage. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") ### Turn clinical familiarity into testable knowledge For each system, write down the underlying questions you could be asked. For example, after managing hyperkalaemia, revise renal potassium handling and membrane physiology before testing yourself on related pharmacology. Keep each revision target narrow enough to check with MCQs the same week. - **Physiology:** Explain a mechanism, then predict what changes when it is disrupted. - **Pharmacology:** Compare a drug class’s mechanism, kinetics, adverse effects and interactions. - **Anatomy:** Locate structures and predict the consequence of an injury or lesion. - **Pathology:** Link a disease process to its characteristic tissue or laboratory changes. > **Pro tip:** Do not let the most interesting case from your shift dictate the whole week. Check it against your curriculum list, then return to the science you have not yet covered. Use MCQs to diagnose mistakes—not just collect scores ----------------------------------------------------- Begin each topic with a short set of questions before reading. Review every incorrect answer and every correct answer you reached by guessing; record the specific concept you could not explain. Practice testing and study spread across multiple sessions have stronger support than repeatedly rereading material, so revisit those concepts later without looking at your notes first. [\[2\]](#cite-2 "Reference [2]") Use a compact error log with four fields: **subject, missed concept, reason, next test date**. A useful entry is “Physiology | acid–base compensation | confused expected response with primary disorder | retry Friday.” A less useful entry is simply “Read acid–base.” Reattempt missed concepts in fresh questions so you test understanding rather than recognition of an old answer. ### Choose resources for a specific job - **ACEM curriculum and trainee resources:** Set your topic boundaries; check available past papers and exam reports for question style. ACEM places these resources on its eLearning platform under “Resources for Trainees.” [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") - **Basic-science textbooks:** Resolve an error-log item, then close the book and explain the answer from memory. - **MCQ banks:** Select questions relevant to the Primary sciences; alternate focused topic sets with mixed, timed sets. - **Study group or course:** Bring three disputed questions and require each person to explain *why the alternatives are wrong*. Leave with a short list of facts to verify, not another pile of notes. Follow a 12-week Study Schedule Template ---------------------------------------- Adapt the hours to your roster, but protect the sequence: coverage, mixed retrieval, then full-paper practice. If you have longer than 12 weeks, extend the coverage phase; do not fill every extra week with passive reading. WhenMain taskCheckpointWeeks 1–4Map all four sciences; study two topic blocks per week and complete related MCQsRecord weak concepts in the error logWeeks 5–8Finish first-pass coverage; mix questions from previously studied subjectsExplain recurring errors without notesWeeks 9–10Complete timed, mixed question sets; repair the weakest curriculum areasReview accuracy **and** time per questionWeeks 11–12Practise full three-hour papers when suitable questions are available; revise error-log itemsRehearse your paper-by-paper pacing plan On a working week, try three 45-minute topic-and-question sessions plus one longer mixed set. After a demanding roster, reduce the number of new topics before dropping review entirely: ten carefully reviewed MCQs can expose a misconception that another hour of highlighting would miss. Rehearse the online paper’s pace -------------------------------- A paper of up to 180 questions in three hours leaves roughly one minute per question **if the paper contains 180**. Train with timed, mixed MCQs on a screen, not only untimed questions in a book. Start with shorter sets, then practise a full three-hour sitting so you can see whether your pace changes late in the paper. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") Use two passes if the exam interface permits you to return to questions. Answer straightforward items promptly; flag a calculation or unfamiliar detail rather than spending several minutes on it. At each practice-paper checkpoint, compare questions remaining with time remaining, and adjust your pace before the final stretch. > **Pro tip:** Your practice score is useful only alongside its conditions. Label every set “timed mixed,” “timed topic,” or “untimed learning” so an improving score does not hide a pacing problem. Avoid these Primary Written pitfalls ------------------------------------ - **Preparing for the viva instead:** Spoken explanations help you learn, but finish with MCQs; the Primary Written must be passed before you attempt the Primary Viva. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") - **Studying only familiar ED presentations:** Audit your curriculum list weekly for neglected anatomy, pathology or physiology. - **Memorising answer letters:** For each miss, state the mechanism that makes one option correct and the others less appropriate. - **Chasing an assumed pass mark:** ACEM describes the exam as criterion-referenced. Track performance by subject and topic so a strong overall practice score does not conceal a persistent gap. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") Key Takeaways: What to do this week ----------------------------------- - Obtain the current ACEM curriculum and available Primary Written resources. - Make a four-subject topic checklist and identify three weak areas. - Complete one mixed, timed MCQ set; log uncertain answers as well as errors. - Schedule your first full three-hour practice paper and a separate review session. Start with the checklist, not a perfect timetable. Each reviewed question should tell you what to learn next; each timed paper should tell you whether you can retrieve it quickly enough. Frequently Asked Questions ---------------------------- ### How many questions should I practise in one sitting for the FACEM Primary Written? Build up to a three-hour practice paper using up to 180 suitable MCQs, matching the maximum length of one exam paper. Review it separately so you can identify both knowledge gaps and pacing problems. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") ### Should I focus on clinical guidelines or basic sciences for the Primary Written? Prioritise the curriculum’s anatomy, pathology, physiology and pharmacology outcomes. Use clinical examples to understand those sciences, rather than substituting guideline revision for them. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") ### Can I prepare for the Primary Written and Primary Viva in the same way? Some knowledge overlaps, but practise MCQ selection and timed retrieval for the Written. Add verbal explanation practice for the Viva; ACEM requires a pass in the Written before attempting it. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") References (3) ------------------ 1. 1. [ Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, Examinations: Primary Exam ](https://acem.org.au/Content-Sources/Training/How-the-FACEM-Training-Program-works/FACEM-Trainees-enrolling-from-2022/Examinations) [↩](#cite-ref-1-1 "Back to text") 2. 2. [ Dunlosky et al., Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques, 2013 ](https://www.psychologicalscience.org/journals/pspi/1529100612453266/) [↩](#cite-ref-2-1 "Back to text") 3. 3. [ Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, FACEM Training Program Curriculum, May 2026 ](https://acem.org.au/getmedia/9af41df8-677f-44ed-b245-440164155f56/FACEM-Curriculum) Next 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) [ 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. 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