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Fellowship of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (FCPS Part I): Study Tips for Pediatrics [ Study Tips ](https://mdster.com/blog?category=study-tips) Fellowship of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (FCPS Part I): Study Tips for Pediatrics ======================================================================================================== A practical basic-science revision plan for future paediatric trainees [ MDster Editorial Team ](https://mdster.com/about) · Sep 13, 2026 · 6 min read · 219 [ 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) [ Pediatrics ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=pediatrics) [ Study Tips ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=study-tips) [ FCPS Part I ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=fcps-part-i) [ Exam Preparation ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=exam-preparation) [ Basic Sciences ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=basic-sciences) ![Fellowship of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (FCPS Part I): Study Tips for Pediatrics](https://mdster.com/storage/blog/images/fellowship-of-the-college-of-physicians-and-surgeons-pakistan-fcps-part-i-study-tips-for-p.jpg) Share this article Share this post On this page 1. [ 1. Match Your Preparation to the Actual Examination ](#1-match-your-preparation-to-the-actual-examination) 2. [ 2. Organise Basic Sciences Around Mechanisms ](#2-organise-basic-sciences-around-mechanisms) 3. [ Suggested topic clusters ](#suggested-topic-clusters) 4. [ 3. Turn Every MCQ Block Into Targeted Revision ](#3-turn-every-mcq-block-into-targeted-revision) 5. [ Use a four-step review loop ](#use-a-four-step-review-loop) 6. [ 4. Build a Rota-Compatible Study Schedule ](#4-build-a-rota-compatible-study-schedule) 7. [ Study Schedule Template ](#study-schedule-template) 8. [ 5. Rehearse the Two-Hour Paper ](#5-rehearse-the-two-hour-paper) 9. [ Common Pitfalls to Avoid ](#common-pitfalls-to-avoid) 10. [ Key Takeaways: Your Actions This Week ](#key-takeaways-your-actions-this-week) 11. [ Frequently Asked Questions ](#blog-faqs) 12. [ References ](#references-heading) On this page 1. [ 1. Match Your Preparation to the Actual Examination ](#1-match-your-preparation-to-the-actual-examination) 2. [ 2. Organise Basic Sciences Around Mechanisms ](#2-organise-basic-sciences-around-mechanisms) 3. [ Suggested topic clusters ](#suggested-topic-clusters) 4. [ 3. Turn Every MCQ Block Into Targeted Revision ](#3-turn-every-mcq-block-into-targeted-revision) 5. [ Use a four-step review loop ](#use-a-four-step-review-loop) 6. [ 4. Build a Rota-Compatible Study Schedule ](#4-build-a-rota-compatible-study-schedule) 7. [ Study Schedule Template ](#study-schedule-template) 8. [ 5. Rehearse the Two-Hour Paper ](#5-rehearse-the-two-hour-paper) 9. [ Common Pitfalls to Avoid ](#common-pitfalls-to-avoid) 10. [ Key Takeaways: Your Actions This Week ](#key-takeaways-your-actions-this-week) 11. [ Frequently Asked Questions ](#blog-faqs) 12. [ References ](#references-heading) You want to become a paediatrician, so you start revising childhood diseases. Before building your timetable around paediatrics alone, check the entry route: CPSP lists Part I in Medicine and Allied for paediatric training. Prepare for that examination, not a miniature paediatric exit board. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") 1. Match Your Preparation to the Actual Examination --------------------------------------------------- For this September 2026 preparation guide, use CPSP’s published format as your starting point: two papers, each containing 100 single-best-answer MCQs. Pakistan’s computer-based examination allows two hours per paper; check your sitting-specific instructions before scheduling mocks. [\[2\]](#cite-2 "Reference [2]") Download the current curriculum from your CPSP e-portal and turn its headings into a revision checklist. CPSP announced the updated curriculum’s availability there; use it rather than an unofficial percentage breakdown or an old recall collection. [\[3\]](#cite-3 "Reference [3]") - Label resources **FCPS Part I: Medicine and Allied**. - Check Paper I and Paper II requirements separately against your curriculum. - Practise choosing one answer, rather than writing management essays. - Verify marking instructions and any published pass requirements directly; do not treat a question-bank percentage as an official pass threshold. 2. Organise Basic Sciences Around Mechanisms -------------------------------------------- Use basic sciences as your organising framework. CPSP’s preparation teaching covers anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, pharmacology, microbiology, immunology, and community medicine, with specialty-specific Paper II guidance. Treat this as orientation, not a substitute for the current curriculum. [\[4\]](#cite-4 "Reference [4]") Start with a timed, mixed diagnostic block. Rank your revision needs by repeated errors and curriculum coverage—not by predictions that one organ system will dominate. ### Suggested topic clusters These are practical study groupings, not official examination weightings: - **Physiology:** work through cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, endocrine, and acid–base questions; explain the mechanism before checking options. - **Anatomy and development:** redraw neuroanatomical pathways, anatomical relations, and embryological sequences from memory. - **Pathology and haematology:** build comparison tables for inflammation, neoplasia, anaemia, and haemostasis. - **Biochemistry and genetics:** connect pathways, enzyme defects, inheritance patterns, and nutritional deficiencies. - **Pharmacology, infection, and immunity:** compare mechanisms, adverse effects, organism characteristics, and immune responses. Use paediatric examples to make these subjects memorable without narrowing coverage. For example, build a congenital-heart question review around embryology and circulation, then answer related general physiology questions. 3. Turn Every MCQ Block Into Targeted Revision ---------------------------------------------- For each practice question, identify exactly what is requested: a mechanism, structure, diagnosis, organism, or drug effect. Predict your answer before inspecting the options, then choose the option that best matches the stem. ### Use a four-step review loop 1. **Commit:** answer closed-book and record your confidence. 2. **Classify:** label errors as missing knowledge, faulty reasoning, misreading, or timing. 3. **Repair:** consult the relevant textbook section and write one corrective sentence. 4. **Retest:** answer a related question later without reopening your notes. Schedule missed concepts for another attempt after roughly two days, one week, and three weeks. These intervals are a workable template, not a validated FCPS prescription; research in physicians supports spaced question repetition for learning and retention. [\[5\]](#cite-5 "Reference [5]") > **Pro Tip:** Treat a correct guess as unfinished revision. Explain why your selected answer fits and why the closest alternative does not. Keep your resource set deliberately small: - **Question bank:** choose curriculum-matched questions with explanations and timed modes. - **Textbooks:** use concise basic-science references to repair identified gaps, not restart entire subjects. - **Flashcards:** create prompts from recurring errors, especially mechanisms and easily confused distinctions. - **Courses or study groups:** bring specific unresolved questions; ask participants to justify answers against references rather than vote on disputed keys. 4. Build a Rota-Compatible Study Schedule ----------------------------------------- Try this eight-week template if you already have a reasonable foundation. Extend the first phase if diagnostic questions expose widespread gaps; these timings are coaching suggestions, not a guaranteed preparation period. ### Study Schedule Template PhaseMain taskSuggested outputWeeks 1–2Diagnostic testing and weakest foundations25–40 MCQs on study days, fully reviewedWeeks 3–5Complete curriculum coverage; mix subjects40–60 MCQs on study days plus spaced reviewWeeks 6–7Timed papers and recurring-error repairOne paired-paper simulation each weekWeek 8Consolidation and examination setupReview errors, diagrams, and official instructions On an ordinary working day, reserve 30 minutes for questions, 45 minutes for explanations, and 15 minutes for previously missed concepts. After a demanding call, reduce new questions and review ten existing error prompts instead of accumulating an unreviewed backlog. For each mock, record accuracy, unfinished items, and error categories separately for both papers. Use your next study session to address the weakest category rather than immediately starting another mock. 5. Rehearse the Two-Hour Paper ------------------------------ A 100-question, 120-minute paper gives an average of 72 seconds per item. Try practice checkpoints of question 25 by 30 minutes, question 50 by 60 minutes, and question 75 by 90 minutes. [\[6\]](#cite-6 "Reference [6]") Use the official demonstration or candidate instructions to establish navigation and answer-changing rules before planning a two-pass strategy. Practise calculations without a calculator: CPSP’s published online instructions prohibit calculators except for Community Medicine candidates. [\[7\]](#cite-7 "Reference [7]") Common Pitfalls to Avoid ------------------------ - **Paediatrics-only preparation:** keep Medicine and Allied curriculum coverage visible throughout revision. - **Memorising answer letters:** explain the underlying rule and test it in a differently worded question. - **Chasing disputed recalls:** time-box verification and prioritise official samples and referenced explanations. - **Inflating confidence through repeats:** assess readiness using unseen mixed blocks, not remembered questions alone. Key Takeaways: Your Actions This Week ------------------------------------- - Download your curriculum and sitting-specific instructions. - Complete one timed diagnostic block. - Select three weak basic-science topics for repair. - Schedule four realistic question-and-review sessions. - Book a two-paper simulation and its review session. Start with the diagnostic block, not another resource purchase. Build your FCPS Part I preparation around curriculum coverage, justified answers, and repeated correction of your own errors. Frequently Asked Questions ---------------------------- ### Which FCPS Part I route should future paediatric trainees check? CPSP lists Part I in Medicine and Allied for paediatric training. Confirm eligibility against current CPSP requirements before applying. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") ### What should I revise when I have only 30 minutes after duty? Review five to ten previous MCQ errors, explain the corrected mechanisms aloud, and schedule a short related question block for your next available session. ### Should I finish every textbook before attempting MCQs? No. Start with a diagnostic block, then use textbooks to resolve specific gaps. Combine curriculum coverage with questions throughout preparation rather than postponing practice. References (7) ------------------ 1. 1. [ CPSP. National Residency Program Booklet: First Fellowship Eligibility. ](https://elogbook.cpsp.edu.pk/eportal/eportal/docs/dnrp/DNRP_Booklet.pdf) [↩](#cite-ref-1-1 "Back to text") 2. 2. [ CPSP. FCPS-I Examination Guidelines. ](https://www.cpsp.edu.pk/files/guidelines/FCPS-I/FCPS-I-guideline.pdf) [↩](#cite-ref-2-1 "Back to text") 3. 3. [ www.cpsp.edu.pk/all-notifications.php ](https://www.cpsp.edu.pk/all-notifications.php) [↩](#cite-ref-3-1 "Back to text") 4. 4. [ cpsp.edu.pk/cpsp-bulletin/archive/403/news8.pdf ](https://cpsp.edu.pk/cpsp-bulletin/archive/403/news8.pdf) [↩](#cite-ref-4-1 "Back to text") 5. 5. [ Price DW et al. Spaced Repetition and Knowledge Transfer in Practicing Physicians. Academic Medicine, 2025. ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39250798/) [↩](#cite-ref-5-1 "Back to text") 6. 6. [ cpsp.edu.pk/files/guidelines/FCPS-I/instructions.pdf ](https://cpsp.edu.pk/files/guidelines/FCPS-I/instructions.pdf) [↩](#cite-ref-6-1 "Back to text") 7. 7. [ www.cpsp.edu.pk/examination-guideline.php ](https://www.cpsp.edu.pk/examination-guideline.php) [↩](#cite-ref-7-1 "Back to text") Study pathway Practice Pediatrics the way boards test ----------------------------------------- - Age‑specific differentials and management - Growth, development, and immunizations - Target weak areas with smart review Free 5-day trial No credit card required. [ Start practicing ](https://mdster.com/user/dashboard) [ Explore Pediatrics ](https://mdster.com/speciality/pediatrics) [ 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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