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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 Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (Final Examination): Study Strategy [ Study Tips ](https://mdster.com/blog?category=study-tips) Fellowship of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (Final Examination): Study Strategy =========================================================================================================== A practical, viva-ready plan for advanced trainees preparing for the ANZCA Final Examination in 2026. [ MDster Editorial Team ](https://mdster.com/about) · Jul 01, 2026 · 5 min read · 18 [ 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) [ Anesthesiology ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=anesthesiology) [ Study Tips ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=study-tips) [ ANZCA Final Examination ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=anzca-final-examination) [ Anaesthesia Exams ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=anaesthesia-exams) [ Viva Preparation ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=viva-preparation) [ SAQ Strategy ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=saq-strategy) ![Fellowship of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (Final Examination): Study Strategy](https://mdster.com/storage/blog/images/fellowship-of-the-australian-and-new-zealand-college-of-anaesthetists-final-examination-st.jpg) Share this article Share this post On this page 1. [ Understand What This Exam Is Really Testing ](#understand-what-this-exam-is-really-testing) 2. [ Study Schedule Template: 16 Weeks to Written and Viva Readiness ](#study-schedule-template-16-weeks-to-written-and-viva-readiness) 3. [ Prepare Differently for Each Section ](#prepare-differently-for-each-section) 4. [ MCQs: Train for Precision Under Time Pressure ](#mcqs-train-for-precision-under-time-pressure) 5. [ SAQs: Write Like a Consultant, Not a Textbook ](#saqs-write-like-a-consultant-not-a-textbook) 6. [ Vivas: Practise Out Loud Early ](#vivas-practise-out-loud-early) 7. [ Prioritise Topics That Generate Integrated Scenarios ](#prioritise-topics-that-generate-integrated-scenarios) 8. [ Use Resources the Right Way ](#use-resources-the-right-way) 9. [ Common Pitfalls to Avoid ](#common-pitfalls-to-avoid) 10. [ Key Takeaways: Your Action Plan This Week ](#key-takeaways-your-action-plan-this-week) 11. [ Frequently Asked Questions ](#blog-faqs) 12. [ References ](#references-heading) On this page 1. [ Understand What This Exam Is Really Testing ](#understand-what-this-exam-is-really-testing) 2. [ Study Schedule Template: 16 Weeks to Written and Viva Readiness ](#study-schedule-template-16-weeks-to-written-and-viva-readiness) 3. [ Prepare Differently for Each Section ](#prepare-differently-for-each-section) 4. [ MCQs: Train for Precision Under Time Pressure ](#mcqs-train-for-precision-under-time-pressure) 5. [ SAQs: Write Like a Consultant, Not a Textbook ](#saqs-write-like-a-consultant-not-a-textbook) 6. [ Vivas: Practise Out Loud Early ](#vivas-practise-out-loud-early) 7. [ Prioritise Topics That Generate Integrated Scenarios ](#prioritise-topics-that-generate-integrated-scenarios) 8. [ Use Resources the Right Way ](#use-resources-the-right-way) 9. [ Common Pitfalls to Avoid ](#common-pitfalls-to-avoid) 10. [ Key Takeaways: Your Action Plan This Week ](#key-takeaways-your-action-plan-this-week) 11. [ Frequently Asked Questions ](#blog-faqs) 12. [ References ](#references-heading) Many strong trainees fail to convert clinical experience into exam marks because they study the Final like a larger Primary. The Fellowship of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (Final Examination) rewards integration: prioritisation, judgement, communication, and safe anaesthetic decision-making. Current as of July 2026, you need to prepare for four sections: MCQ, SAQ, two medical vivas, and eight anaesthesia vivas. Understand What This Exam Is Really Testing ------------------------------------------- The Final Examination is not asking whether you can list facts. It asks whether you can apply anaesthesia knowledge to a realistic patient, justify decisions, and adapt when the scenario changes. Build every study session around three questions: - What is the immediate anaesthetic problem? - What decision would I make now, and why? - What would make me change course? For example, do not revise severe aortic stenosis as isolated pathology. Revise it as: emergency laparotomy, septic patient, limited echo information, anticoagulated, and hypotensive after induction. > **Pro Tip:** If your answer would sound identical in an MCQ, SAQ, and viva, it is probably too generic for the Final. Study Schedule Template: 16 Weeks to Written and Viva Readiness --------------------------------------------------------------- Use a parallel plan. Waiting until after the written paper to start viva practice is one of the most common Final Exam errors. PhaseMain FocusWeekly OutputWeeks 1–4Core systems and perioperative medicine3 topic summaries, 2 SAQ sets, 1 viva sessionWeeks 5–8High-risk anaesthesia scenarios3 timed SAQs, 150 MCQs, 2 viva sessionsWeeks 9–12Exam integration1 full written simulation, 3 viva sessions, error log reviewWeeks 13–16Performance polishShort answer drills, daily viva stems, weak-topic repair Keep your timetable weighted toward performance, not reading. A useful weekly split is: - 30% targeted reading from major anaesthesia texts, guidelines, and review articles - 30% SAQ writing and marking - 20% MCQ practice with error review - 20% viva practice with consultants or senior peers Prepare Differently for Each Section ------------------------------------ ### MCQs: Train for Precision Under Time Pressure The MCQ paper contains 150 questions in 150 minutes. Practise at one minute per question from the start; slow untimed MCQs create false confidence. After each session, classify errors into: - Knowledge gap - Misread stem - Overthinking a simple fact - Poor risk comparison - Weak pharmacology or physiology link Your goal is not just a higher percentage. Your goal is fewer repeat errors in anaesthesia-relevant decision points, such as anticoagulation timing, monitoring choices, obstetric emergencies, crisis management, and perioperative medicine. ### SAQs: Write Like a Consultant, Not a Textbook The SAQ paper contains 15 questions in 150 minutes, so practise strict 10-minute answers. Use headings that mirror clinical thinking: assessment, concerns, investigations, management, complications, and communication. For every SAQ, force yourself to include: 1. A prioritised opening statement 2. Patient-specific risks 3. A practical plan 4. Contingencies for deterioration 5. Clear perioperative communication points Do not write everything you know. Write what the examiner can mark quickly and what a safe anaesthetist would actually do. ### Vivas: Practise Out Loud Early The viva component includes eight anaesthesia vivas and two medical vivas, each 15 minutes. From the 2026.1 Final Examination, ANZCA schedules the vivas across three days, with anaesthesia vivas split over days one and two, and medical vivas on day three. Your viva practice should be structured, not conversational. Use this format: - 2 minutes: define the problem and risks - 5 minutes: present your anaesthetic plan - 5 minutes: respond to complications or changing information - 3 minutes: reflect, summarise, and close safety loops Record one viva each week. Listen for vague phrases such as “I would optimise the patient” or “I would discuss with the team.” Replace them with specific actions: call cardiology for perioperative pacing advice, request recent echo findings, discuss postoperative HDU, or delay for reversible sepsis if appropriate. Prioritise Topics That Generate Integrated Scenarios ---------------------------------------------------- High-yield Final topics are those that combine physiology, pharmacology, comorbidity, surgery, and crisis management. Prioritise: - Obstetric anaesthesia with haemorrhage, pre-eclampsia, cardiac disease, or sepsis - Cardiac and thoracic risk assessment - Major trauma and emergency laparotomy - Paediatrics, especially airway and physiology differences - Difficult airway planning and failed airway algorithms - Regional anaesthesia decision-making, anticoagulation, and complications - ICU-adjacent problems: shock, ventilation, renal failure, delirium, and sepsis - Perioperative medicine: frailty, diabetes, anticoagulants, pulmonary hypertension, and OSA For each topic, create a one-page “Final Exam sheet” with indications, risks, plan A/B/C, postoperative disposition, and common examiner twists. Use Resources the Right Way --------------------------- Use official ANZCA material first: curriculum outcomes, exam information, reports where available, and preparation courses or mock vivas. Then use major anaesthesia textbooks and current guidelines to repair gaps. Question banks are best used diagnostically. Do mixed blocks, then spend twice as long reviewing wrong answers as answering questions. Study groups work only if they are output-based. Each session should produce marked SAQs, viva feedback, or a shared error list. Avoid passive “topic presentations” unless they end with exam-style questioning. > **Pro Tip:** Build an “examiner language” list. Phrases like “my priorities are oxygenation, haemodynamic stability, and source control” sound safer than long unfocused explanations. Common Pitfalls to Avoid ------------------------ - Starting viva practice after written results - Writing SAQs as essays instead of marked, structured answers - Revising rare diseases before common high-risk perioperative scenarios - Ignoring medical vivas until late - Giving absolute answers when the scenario requires risk-balanced judgement - Failing to state escalation plans, postoperative destination, or communication with surgeons and ICU Key Takeaways: Your Action Plan This Week ----------------------------------------- - Book two 15-minute viva practices before your next roster change. - Complete one timed 15-question SAQ block and mark it ruthlessly. - Do one 150-question MCQ block at exam pace. - Create three one-page Final Exam sheets for high-risk scenarios. - Start an error log with columns for topic, mistake type, and corrective action. The Final Examination is demanding, but it is predictable in what it values. Show safe judgement, structured thinking, and adaptable plans. If you practise those skills every week, you are not just studying harder; you are training for the exact performance ANZCA is assessing. Frequently Asked Questions ---------------------------- ### When should I start viva practice for the ANZCA Final Examination? Start from the first month of preparation. The vivas assess spoken prioritisation and judgement, which improve only with repeated out-loud practice. ### How should I balance MCQs and SAQs during preparation? Use MCQs to expose knowledge gaps, but give SAQs equal priority because they train structured clinical reasoning and written prioritisation under time pressure. ### What makes an ANZCA Final viva answer sound strong? A strong answer states priorities early, applies them to the patient, explains risk-balanced decisions, and includes escalation and postoperative planning. ### Are study groups useful for the Final Examination? Yes, if they are active. Use them for timed SAQs, mock vivas, marking practice, and shared error logs rather than passive topic teaching. References (2) ------------------ 1. 1. [ ANZCA Anaesthesia exams: Final exam format and requirements ](https://www.anzca.edu.au/Education-and-training/Anaesthesia-training-and-pathways/Anaesthesia-Training-Program/Anaesthesia-exams) 2. 2. [ ANZCA Final examination: Change of viva schedule ](https://www.anzca.edu.au/news-and-safety-alerts/final-examination-change-of-viva-schedule) Study pathway Build momentum in Anesthesiology with focused, exam‑style practice -------------------------------------------------------------------- - Airway, ventilation, and crisis drills - High‑yield anesthesia pharmacology made practical - Track weak topics and improve faster Free 5-day trial No credit card required. 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