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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 Royal College of Emergency Medicine (FRCEM SBA): A Study Plan [ Study Tips ](https://mdster.com/blog?category=study-tips) Fellowship of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (FRCEM SBA): A Study Plan ================================================================================= Build curriculum coverage, sharpen single-best-answer decisions and practise at the pace of the real exam. [ MDster Editorial Team ](https://mdster.com/about) · Oct 23, 2026 · 6 min read · 63 [ 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) [ Exam Preparation ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=exam-preparation) [ FRCEM SBA ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=frcem-sba) ![Fellowship of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (FRCEM SBA): A Study Plan](https://mdster.com/storage/blog/images/fellowship-of-the-royal-college-of-emergency-medicine-frcem-sba-a-study-plan.png) Share this article Share this post On this page 1. [ Map the curriculum before choosing questions ](#map-the-curriculum-before-choosing-questions) 2. [ Protect breadth, then target gaps ](#protect-breadth-then-target-gaps) 3. [ Make every SBA review change your next answer ](#make-every-sba-review-change-your-next-answer) 4. [ Study Schedule Template: eight weeks around shifts ](#study-schedule-template-eight-weeks-around-shifts) 5. [ Rehearse decisions at exam pace ](#rehearse-decisions-at-exam-pace) 6. [ Common pitfalls to avoid ](#common-pitfalls-to-avoid) 7. [ Key Takeaways: what to do this week ](#key-takeaways-what-to-do-this-week) 8. [ Your next step ](#your-next-step) 9. [ Frequently Asked Questions ](#blog-faqs) 10. [ References ](#references-heading) On this page 1. [ Map the curriculum before choosing questions ](#map-the-curriculum-before-choosing-questions) 2. [ Protect breadth, then target gaps ](#protect-breadth-then-target-gaps) 3. [ Make every SBA review change your next answer ](#make-every-sba-review-change-your-next-answer) 4. [ Study Schedule Template: eight weeks around shifts ](#study-schedule-template-eight-weeks-around-shifts) 5. [ Rehearse decisions at exam pace ](#rehearse-decisions-at-exam-pace) 6. [ Common pitfalls to avoid ](#common-pitfalls-to-avoid) 7. [ Key Takeaways: what to do this week ](#key-takeaways-what-to-do-this-week) 8. [ Your next step ](#your-next-step) 9. [ Frequently Asked Questions ](#blog-faqs) 10. [ References ](#references-heading) You finish a demanding emergency department shift, answer 40 familiar resuscitation questions and feel productive. But the **FRCEM SBA** samples the breadth of the Emergency Medicine curriculum, not just the cases you see most often. As of October 2026, it comprises 180 single-best-answer questions: two 90-question papers, two hours each, with a one-hour break. Your preparation needs to build coverage *and* reliable decisions under that timing. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") Map the curriculum before choosing questions -------------------------------------------- Start with RCEM’s FRCEM exam information, blueprint and current Emergency Medicine curriculum. The curriculum received a 2025 update; RCEM says its underlying clinical syllabus and overall structure remain unchanged. Use the blueprint to organise revision, then mark each area **secure**, **uncertain** or **not yet covered**. Do not assume an older question bank reflects every current curriculum descriptor. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") ### Protect breadth, then target gaps Build weekly question sets across stable adult presentations, resuscitation, injury, paediatrics and procedural knowledge. Give separate slots to research, leadership, management, governance and quality improvement (QI): RCEM explicitly includes research, management and QI in this theory exam. Prioritise an uncovered area before polishing a topic you already answer consistently. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") - **Clinical decisions:** For each presentation, practise recognising the key finding and choosing the best investigation, action or disposition from the information given. - **Research:** Work through questions on study design, diagnostic test interpretation and basic statistics; explain why each plausible distractor is less suitable. - **Management and QI:** Turn a local incident or improvement project into questions about measurement, variation, risk and team decisions. Check your reasoning against the curriculum rather than treating local practice as the answer key. > **Pro Tip:** If your question bank offers curriculum tags, compare its coverage with RCEM’s blueprint. A high bank score means little if entire areas never appear in your practice. Make every SBA review change your next answer --------------------------------------------- Answer questions before opening a textbook or explanation. For each incorrect answer—or correct answer reached by guessing—record the *decision you missed*, not a page of copied notes. Retrieval and spaced review have supporting evidence in medical education; use them to revisit mistakes rather than repeatedly reading explanations you recognise on sight. [\[2\]](#cite-2 "Reference [2]") 1. Read the final question first: does it ask for a diagnosis, investigation, immediate action or definitive management? 2. Identify the stem details that separate the leading options. Commit to one answer before reading the explanation. 3. Log one correction: for example, “I chose the definitive investigation when the question asked for the immediate stabilising action.” 4. Reattempt the concept after a few days, then in a later mixed set. If you miss it again, review the relevant curriculum descriptor or authoritative clinical source. Use a question bank for deliberate practice, a reference textbook for gaps in understanding and a small study group for defending competing answers. Ask colleagues to explain *why the runner-up option is wrong*; if discussion becomes a vote, return to the source. Older SAQ material can reveal useful clinical themes, but rewrite each topic as a choice between plausible SBA options: the current paper is not marked like the former SAQ. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") Study Schedule Template: eight weeks around shifts -------------------------------------------------- Treat this as an adaptable template, not an RCEM-required timetable. On a busy week, keep the mixed-question and error-review sessions; move a topic block rather than abandoning it. Schedule full papers on days when you can reproduce the exam’s two-hour limit. [\[3\]](#cite-3 "Reference [3]") WeeksMain taskPractical target1–2Map the blueprint and establish a baselineComplete mixed sets; tag errors by curriculum area and decision type.3–4Close the largest clinical gapsPair focused adult, paediatric, injury and resuscitation sets with mixed review.5–6Cover non-clinical areas and integratePractise research, management and QI questions; complete one timed 90-question paper.7–8Rehearse the full sittingComplete two timed 90-question papers with a one-hour break; revisit recurring errors. For an ordinary week, try two 30-minute mixed-question sessions, one 45-minute gap-focused session and one short review of your error log. These are planning targets, not a claim about how many hours guarantee a pass. Increase or reduce the volume according to your shifts while preserving regular exposure to the full curriculum. Rehearse decisions at exam pace ------------------------------- Two hours for 90 questions averages **80 seconds per question**. Practise moving on when a stem demands disproportionate time: select your best answer, flag it if the testing interface allows and return only after reaching the end. Check the current test-centre instructions before relying on any particular navigation feature. [\[3\]](#cite-3 "Reference [3]") RCEM awards one mark for a correct answer, zero for an incorrect answer and applies **no negative marking**. Answer every question; do not leave one blank because you cannot eliminate all distractors. The pass mark is standard-set using the Angoff method plus one standard error of measurement, so avoid building your plan around a supposed fixed passing percentage. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") > **Pro Tip:** In your full rehearsal, use the one-hour break exactly as scheduled. Note whether your pace or accuracy drops in paper two, then practise the specific weak topic or decision pattern—not another indiscriminate marathon. Common pitfalls to avoid ------------------------ - **Revising only familiar clinical cases:** Audit question coverage against RCEM’s curriculum and blueprint each week. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") - **Counting guessed answers as mastered:** Put low-confidence correct answers into the same review queue as errors. - **Importing OSCE preparation wholesale:** Spoken handovers and station performance matter for the separate OSCE; for the SBA, practise selecting one defensible written answer. Both components are required for Fellowship. [\[3\]](#cite-3 "Reference [3]") - **Reading explanations without retesting:** Hide the answer and reattempt the underlying decision in a later mixed set. Key Takeaways: what to do this week ----------------------------------- - Download the current RCEM exam information and curriculum; create your coverage checklist. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") - Complete a mixed baseline set and log both errors and uncertain correct answers. - Reserve sessions for one weak clinical area and one research, management or QI area. - Book your first timed 90-question practice paper into your calendar. Your next step -------------- You do not need a perfect revision week to make progress. Start with the coverage checklist and one mixed set, then let the decisions you miss determine what you study next. Frequently Asked Questions ---------------------------- ### How long should I allow for each question in the FRCEM SBA? Each 90-question paper lasts two hours, averaging 80 seconds per question. Practise that pace, but move on from unusually time-consuming questions and return if time permits. [\[3\]](#cite-3 "Reference [3]") ### Should I guess if I am unsure of an FRCEM SBA answer? Yes. There is no negative marking: an incorrect answer scores zero, so select your best answer rather than leaving a question unanswered. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") ### Do I need to revise research and quality improvement for the SBA? Yes. RCEM includes research, management and QI within the FRCEM SBA’s curriculum coverage; give them dedicated question practice alongside clinical topics. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") ### Can I use former FRCEM Final SAQ material to prepare? Use it to identify clinical themes, but practise answering modern single-best-answer questions. The FRCEM SBA replaced the Final SAQ in August 2021. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") References (5) ------------------ 1. 1. [ Royal College of Emergency Medicine. FRCEM Exams. ](https://rcem.ac.uk/frcem-exams/) [↩](#cite-ref-1-1 "Back to text") 2. 2. [ The Effect of Spaced Repetition on Learning and Knowledge Transfer in a Large Cohort of Practicing Physicians. PubMed. ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39250798/) [↩](#cite-ref-2-1 "Back to text") 3. 3. [ Royal College of Emergency Medicine. FRCEM Exam Regulations 2025. ](https://rcem.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/FRCEM_Exam_Regulations_2025_V1.pdf) [↩](#cite-ref-3-1 "Back to text") 4. 4. [ Royal College of Emergency Medicine. Emergency Medicine Curriculum and 2025 Update. ](https://rcem.ac.uk/em-curriculum/) 5. 5. [ Royal College of Emergency Medicine. FRCEM Final Examinations Regulations and Information Pack. ](https://rcem.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FRCEM_Final_Information_and_regulations_2023.4.pdf) 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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