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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. Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (Neurology Written Examination): A Practical Study Plan [ Study Tips ](https://mdster.com/blog?category=study-tips) Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (Neurology Written Examination): A Practical Study Plan ============================================================================================================ Prepare for two short-answer papers by studying the blueprint, practising precise answers, and protecting your time. [ MDster Editorial Team ](https://mdster.com/about) · Oct 21, 2026 · 7 min read · 23 [ 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) [ Study Tips ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=study-tips) [ Neurology ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=neurology) [ Written Examination ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=written-examination) [ Royal College Exams ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=royal-college-exams) ![Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (Neurology Written Examination): A Practical Study Plan](https://mdster.com/storage/blog/images/royal-college-of-physicians-and-surgeons-of-canada-neurology-written-examination-a-practic.png) Share this article Share this post On this page 1. [ Start with the two-paper format ](#start-with-the-two-paper-format) 2. [ Allocate time using the blueprint ](#allocate-time-using-the-blueprint) 3. [ Build two priority lists ](#build-two-priority-lists) 4. [ Practise answers that can earn marks ](#practise-answers-that-can-earn-marks) 5. [ Use a 12-week study schedule template ](#use-a-12-week-study-schedule-template) 6. [ Rehearse the clock—and avoid predictable losses ](#rehearse-the-clock-and-avoid-predictable-losses) 7. [ Key Takeaways: what to do this week ](#key-takeaways-what-to-do-this-week) 8. [ Frequently Asked Questions ](#blog-faqs) 9. [ References ](#references-heading) On this page 1. [ Start with the two-paper format ](#start-with-the-two-paper-format) 2. [ Allocate time using the blueprint ](#allocate-time-using-the-blueprint) 3. [ Build two priority lists ](#build-two-priority-lists) 4. [ Practise answers that can earn marks ](#practise-answers-that-can-earn-marks) 5. [ Use a 12-week study schedule template ](#use-a-12-week-study-schedule-template) 6. [ Rehearse the clock—and avoid predictable losses ](#rehearse-the-clock-and-avoid-predictable-losses) 7. [ Key Takeaways: what to do this week ](#key-takeaways-what-to-do-this-week) 8. [ Frequently Asked Questions ](#blog-faqs) 9. [ References ](#references-heading) You know the diagnosis, but can you write the three findings the question asks for—in under four minutes? That is a common difficulty in the Royal College Neurology Written Examination. Reading another chapter may feel productive; **writing and checking short answers** will show you what you can actually retrieve under exam conditions. Start with the two-paper format ------------------------------- The Royal College’s published written format for 2026 has two three-hour short-answer question (SAQ) papers, each with approximately 45–55 items. On day one, you write an adult or pediatric paper according to your stream; on day two, everyone writes a common paper. The written component precedes the applied assessment, and you must pass it before being invited to the applied examination. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") As of October 2026, the **March 24–25, 2026 written sitting has passed**. Use the format document to plan your practice, but check the schedule and your eligibility correspondence for the dates and arrangements that apply to your cohort; do not build a study plan around a previous cohort’s timetable. [\[2\]](#cite-2 "Reference [2]") > **Pro tip:** Give the common paper its own place in your schedule. Being an adult or pediatric candidate does not make day two an optional revision area. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") Allocate time using the blueprint --------------------------------- Download the Royal College’s written-exam blueprint and the Neurology competencies. Mark each domain **strong, uncertain, or weak**, then assign study sessions by both blueprint range and your performance—not by which subspecialty you enjoy most. The published ranges are approximate, so use them to guide coverage rather than predict an exact question count. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") ### Build two priority lists - **Adult stream:** Start with cerebrovascular disease and systemic neurological disease, each listed at 10–20% of adult marks. Then cover epilepsy and sleep, headache and pain, and your weaker domains without neglecting the common paper. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") - **Pediatric stream:** Start with systemic disease and newborn/developmental anomalies, each listed at 10–20% of pediatric marks. Schedule epilepsy and sleep, plus genetics and inborn errors, rather than letting adult vascular cases dominate your practice. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") - **Both streams:** Keep brief sessions for lower-range areas, including neuro-ophthalmology and epidemiology, statistics, and ethics. A low blueprint range is not a promise that a topic will be absent. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") For each domain, make a one-page prompt sheet: presentation, localization or mechanism, leading differential, investigations, and initial management. Turn each line into a question you must answer from memory. For example, instead of rereading a seizure chapter, write a case prompt asking for the most likely diagnosis, immediate safety concern, and next investigation. Practise answers that can earn marks ------------------------------------ The Royal College scores SAQs against model answers and may award partial marks. If a question requests three responses and you list five, **only your first three are considered**. There is no deduction for incorrect responses, but extra guesses placed ahead of correct answers can still cost you marks. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") Use this routine with official sample questions and suitable SAQ-style cases: 1. **Circle the task word:** Is the question asking for the *most likely*, *initial*, or *next* step? Those terms have distinct meanings in the Royal College’s guidance. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") 2. **Count the requested answers:** Write that number of numbered responses, strongest first. Do not bury an answer in a differential of ten possibilities. 3. **Name the action precisely:** If asked for management, specify the relevant investigation or intervention rather than writing “work up” or “treat.” Use clinically appropriate detail, not memorized wording that ignores the case. 4. **Mark and rewrite:** Compare your response with the available model answer or a supervisor-reviewed key. Record whether the miss was a knowledge gap, an imprecise answer, or a misread instruction. > **Pro tip:** In a study group, have each person submit a written answer *before* discussion. Talking fluently about a case does not test whether you can produce the requested SAQ response. Use a 12-week study schedule template ------------------------------------- This is a **planning template, not an official Royal College timetable**. If you have fewer than 12 weeks, shorten the reading phase before cutting timed writing practice. PeriodMain taskWeekly checkpointWeeks 12–9Map the blueprint; review high-priority and weak domains.Write and mark 15–20 SAQs across your stream and common-paper topics.Weeks 8–5Rotate domains; revisit missed prompts after several days.Complete two timed, mixed-topic sets; update your error log.Weeks 4–2Rehearse each three-hour paper separately.Do one adult/pediatric simulation and one common-paper simulation; review first-response errors.Final weekTarget recurring misses and practise concise responses.Check your appointment details and complete a short mixed set. On busy clinical weeks, keep the minimum useful session small: write five SAQs, mark them, and schedule the misses for another attempt. Use a neurology reference text to repair concepts and current Canadian or American clinical guidance to check decisions; use a question bank for retrieval, not as a substitute for the blueprint. The Royal College states that its examinations follow Canadian and/or American standards of care. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") Rehearse the clock—and avoid predictable losses ----------------------------------------------- Three hours for approximately 45–55 items works out to roughly **3–4 minutes per item on average**, including reading and reviewing. In a simulation, try a three-minute first-pass target and reserve the remaining time for flagged items; adjust after seeing how quickly you write accurate answers. Practise both papers rather than assuming stamina on day two will take care of itself. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") - **Do not prepare as though this were an MCQ exam:** Recognition practice alone will not reveal whether you can generate concise answers. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") - **Do not turn every SAQ into an oral presentation:** The later applied component assesses performance in structured oral stations; written answers need to address the specific prompt. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") - **Do not fixate on passing each paper separately:** The two paper scores combine into one written score. Review weaknesses in both papers rather than chasing an imagined per-paper cutoff. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") Key Takeaways: what to do this week ----------------------------------- - Confirm your cohort’s format, dates, and eligibility arrangements with the Royal College. [\[3\]](#cite-3 "Reference [3]") - Make separate adult/pediatric and common-paper topic lists from the blueprint. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") - Write and mark ten timed SAQs; log missed knowledge, wording, and task words. - Book your first three-hour paper simulation and a second session for reviewing every missed response. You do not need a perfect first practice paper. You need a record of what your answers missed—and a plan to write those answers more accurately next time. Frequently Asked Questions ---------------------------- ### Are Royal College Neurology written questions multiple choice? The Royal College’s published 2026 written format specifies short-answer questions on both papers, not multiple-choice questions. Check the format document for your own sitting. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") ### Do adult Neurology candidates need to prepare pediatric topics? Yes. Adult candidates write an adult paper on day one and a common paper on day two. Use the blueprint and competencies to plan coverage for both. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") ### What happens if I give more answers than an SAQ requests? Only the first responses up to the number requested are considered in marking. Put your strongest, most precise answers first. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") ### Must I pass each written paper separately? No. The paper scores are combined into one overall written score; the Royal College does not require a separate pass on each paper. [\[1\]](#cite-1 "Reference [1]") References (5) ------------------ 1. 1. [ Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Format of the Examination in Neurology (Adult and Pediatric) – Written 2026/Applied 2027. ](https://www.royalcollege.ca/en/eligibility-and-exams/exam-formats/neurology-exam-format-cbd-2026.html) [↩](#cite-ref-1-1 "Back to text") 2. 2. [ royalcollege.ca/content/rcpsc-site-v2/ca/en/eligibility-and-exams/exam-preparation/dates-deadlines-locations/2026-exam-dates.html ](https://royalcollege.ca/content/rcpsc-site-v2/ca/en/eligibility-and-exams/exam-preparation/dates-deadlines-locations/2026-exam-dates.html) [↩](#cite-ref-2-1 "Back to text") 3. 3. [ royalcollege.ca/content/rcpsc-site-v2/ca/en/eligibility-and-exams/exam-preparation/dates-deadlines-locations.html ](https://royalcollege.ca/content/rcpsc-site-v2/ca/en/eligibility-and-exams/exam-preparation/dates-deadlines-locations.html) [↩](#cite-ref-3-1 "Back to text") 4. 4. [ Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. 2026 Examination Dates. ](https://royalcollege.ca/en/eligibility-and-exams/exam-preparation/dates-deadlines-locations/2026-exam-dates.html) 5. 5. [ Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. 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