LEARNANESTHESIA · STUDY GUIDE

How to Prepare for your exams?

Pick your exam below. This page then shows the exact exam format and the steps that apply to you, in order, with links to the right place on the platform.

Before you start: Go to your Dashboard and set your exam date in Personal Study Centre. Even if your exam is many months away, do this now. It helps the platform plan your daily practice with you, from day one to exam day.

Which exam are you preparing for?

Primary exams

FCPS IMM FRCA Primary

Final exams

FCPS II MCPS MS Anesthesia FRCA Final

Choose your exam above

Not every exam has the same parts. Some have only theory, some add clinical stations (TOACS or OSCE), and some add a viva. Your tab shows only what you will actually sit.

FCPS IMM — Anesthesiology

Primary exam · Theory + TOACS

Theory
2 computer-based papers on the same day, 100 MCQs each (CPSP lists 2 hours per paper)
TOACS
Clinical stations, held after the theory exam. You must pass theory first.
Viva
Not part of IMM

Your path: Question Bank → Study Centre → Past Papers → Mock Exams → theory exam → TOACS

FRCA Primary

Primary exam · MCQ, then OSCE and SOE

MCQ
One 3-hour paper of 90 single best answer (SBA) questions. Roughly 30 pharmacology, 30 physiology and anatomy, 30 physics, clinical measurement and statistics.
OSCE
A circuit of 16 stations (history, communication, examination skills, equipment, anatomy).
SOE
Structured oral exam. Taken together with the OSCE, but each is passed separately.

You must pass the MCQ before you can enter the OSCE and SOE. All three components must be passed for an overall Primary pass.

Your path: Question Bank → Study Centre → Past Papers → Mock Exams → MCQ → OSCE practice → SOE practice

FCPS II — Anesthesiology

Final exam · Theory + TOACS + Viva

Theory
2 computer-based papers on the same day, 100 MCQs each
TOACS
Clinical stations, held a few days after theory
Viva
Short case and long case components

Your path: Question Bank → Study Centre → Past Papers → Mock Exams → theory exam → TOACS → Viva (short + long case)

MCPS — Anesthesia

Final exam · Theory + TOACS + Viva

Theory
2 computer-based papers on the same day, 100 MCQs each
TOACS
Clinical stations, held a few days after theory
Viva
Short case and 2 table vivas
Long case
Not part of MCPS

Your path: Question Bank → Study Centre → Past Papers → Mock Exams → theory exam → TOACS → Viva (short case + table vivas)

MS Anesthesia

Final exam · University-based degree

Check your university's scheme. MS Anesthesia is examined by individual universities, and we could not find one published pattern that applies to every university. Confirm the number of papers, the paper style (MCQ, SAQ or essay) and the clinical or oral parts with your own university's regulations or your department.

Theory
Written papers set by your university. The Question Bank, Study Centre and Mock Exams below are useful for the MCQ side of your knowledge.
Clinical / oral
Usually a clinical or viva component follows the written exam. Use the TOACS and Viva sections below for practice, once you know which parts you have.

Your path: Question Bank → Study Centre → Past Papers → Mock Exams → written exam → clinical / oral practice

FRCA Final

Final exam · Written (SBA + CRQ), then SOE

SBA paper
90 single best answer questions in 3 hours
CRQ paper
12 constructed response (written, multi-part) questions in 3 hours. Currently sat on a separate day from the SBA paper.
SOE
SOE 1 (parts A and B, taken together) and SOE 2 (a two-section long case, then two short cases)
TOACS / OSCE
Not part of the Final FRCA

You must pass the Written (SBA and CRQ together) before you can enter the SOE.

Your path: Question Bank → Study Centre → Past Papers → Mock Exams → CRQ practice → written exams → SOE practice

Steps 1 and 2 — for every exam

1

Build Your Foundation — System-wise Question Bank

Start with one system at a time. Do not jump between systems. Finish all the questions in that system before you move to the next one.

  1. Choose one system, for example Respiratory & Airway.
  2. Answer every question in that system in the Question Bank.
  3. When you finish, open Personal Study Centre. It will show you the questions you got wrong from that system.
  4. Practice those wrong questions again, using the practice builder inside Personal Study Centre.
  5. Move to the next system and repeat.

Tip: while you practice, you can save a difficult question and add your own note to it. Do this often — these saved questions become very useful later.

Open Primary Exams Question Bank
Open Final Exams Question Bank

Pick your exam in the tabs at the top to get the link to your Question Bank.

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2

Consolidate — Personal Study Centre

Once you have completed all systems in the Question Bank, your focus changes. Now you practice across every system together, based on where you are weak.

  1. Check your exam date in Personal Study Centre (you already set this in the note above).
  2. Set a daily target, for example 100 MCQs per day. Choose a number you can really do every day — a smaller daily habit is better than a big number you give up on.
  3. Personal Study Centre will automatically choose questions from your weak areas for you to practice.
  4. Keep saving difficult questions and writing notes on them as you go.

Do this every day until you reach Step 3 below.

Open Personal Study Centre
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Understanding Your Numbers

Personal Study Centre shows you four numbers. Here is what each one means, in simple words.

Coverage
How much of the total question bank you have attempted. It is normal to start near 5% and reach over 90% closer to your exam — do not worry if it looks low in week one.
Unique Coverage
Checks whether you are practicing a wide range of questions, or repeating the same ones. Try new questions, not only the ones you feel comfortable with.
Accuracy
How many of your answers are correct. This tells you how well you are doing, not just how much you have done.
Study Streak
How many days in a row you have practiced. A short session every day is better than one long session once a week.

Simple way to remember it: the Question Bank gives you questions. Practice lets you answer them. Personal Study Centre tells you what your practice is achieving, and what to study next.

Your exam-specific steps

Pick your exam in the tabs at the top of the page to see the steps for it here.

3

One Month Before the Exam — Past Papers

About one month before your exam, add Past Papers into your daily routine alongside your Personal Study Centre practice.

  1. Go to Past Papers & Recalls and work through them steadily, a few at a time.
  2. Read through any quick revision notes you have made, or notes shared by your teachers or colleagues.
  3. Keep your daily Personal Study Centre practice going at the same time — do not stop it.
Open Past Papers & Recalls
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4

Final Practice — Mock Exams

In your last few weeks before the theory exam, practice full mock exams to build your speed, confidence, and control under pressure. Your real exam is two papers of 100 MCQs on the same day, so build the stamina for it.

  1. Go to Mock Exams. Each mock pulls around 200 questions from the Question Bank, matched to the same weightage as your real exam.
  2. Do at least 10 mock sessions before your exam.
  3. Time yourself properly, the same way you will be timed in the real exam.
  4. After each mock, review your wrong answers the same day, while you still remember why you chose them.
Open Mock Exam Simulator
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5

After Theory — TOACS Practice

Once your theory exam is done, start your clinical station practice. This is separate from MCQ practice and needs its own time. TOACS opens only after you pass theory, so begin preparing early.

  1. Go to TOACS Preparation and work through the stations one by one.
  2. If possible, practice a few stations out loud with a colleague. Speaking your answer is different from just reading it — practice both.
Open TOACS Preparation
3

One Month Before the MCQ — Past Papers

About one month before your MCQ, add Past Papers into your daily routine alongside your Personal Study Centre practice.

  1. Go to Past Papers & Recalls and work through them steadily, a few at a time.
  2. Read through any quick revision notes you have made, or notes shared by your teachers or colleagues.
  3. Keep your daily Personal Study Centre practice going at the same time — do not stop it.
Open Past Papers & Recalls
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4

Final Practice — Mock Exams

In your last few weeks before the MCQ, practice timed mock sessions to build speed and control under pressure. Your real paper is 90 single best answer questions in 3 hours.

  1. Go to Mock Exams and run them under exam conditions.
  2. Do at least 10 mock sessions before your exam.
  3. Time yourself properly, the same way you will be timed in the real exam.
  4. After each mock, review your wrong answers the same day, while you still remember why you chose them.
Open Mock Exam Simulator
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5

After the MCQ — OSCE Station Practice

The OSCE is a circuit of 16 short stations. It tests skills you must show, not only facts you know. You can only enter it after passing the MCQ, so begin early.

  1. Use TOACS Preparation for station-style practice, working through stations one by one.
  2. Practice history taking, communication, equipment checks and anatomy out loud, with a colleague if you can.
  3. Keep to the time limit for each station every time you practice.
Open TOACS Preparation
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6

SOE Preparation

The SOE is an oral exam. Reading is not enough — you must practice speaking.

Read this before you practice
Our separate Viva Guide covers how to approach and answer vivas.
Open the Viva Guide
  1. Study from your notes, then practice speaking your answers out loud, as if the examiner is in front of you.
  2. Practice with others — take turns being the examiner and the candidate.
  3. Use the Viva Simulator in the Viva Revision section for extra practice.
Open Viva Revision

The RCoA plans to replace the Primary MCQ with an Applied Knowledge Test and the OSCE and SOE with a new station-based exam from 2027, subject to GMC approval. Check the RCoA Primary FRCA page for the format that applies to your sitting.

3

One Month Before the Exam — Past Papers

About one month before your exam, add Past Papers into your daily routine alongside your Personal Study Centre practice.

  1. Go to Past Papers & Recalls and work through them steadily, a few at a time.
  2. Read through any quick revision notes you have made, or notes shared by your teachers or colleagues.
  3. Keep your daily Personal Study Centre practice going at the same time — do not stop it.
Open Past Papers & Recalls
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4

Final Practice — Mock Exams

In your last few weeks before the theory exam, practice full mock exams to build your speed, confidence, and control under pressure. Your real exam is two papers of 100 MCQs on the same day, so build the stamina for it.

  1. Go to Mock Exams. Each mock pulls around 200 questions from the Question Bank, matched to the same weightage as your real exam.
  2. Do at least 10 mock sessions before your exam.
  3. Time yourself properly, the same way you will be timed in the real exam.
  4. After each mock, review your wrong answers the same day, while you still remember why you chose them.
Open Mock Exam Simulator
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5

After Theory — TOACS Practice

TOACS is held a few days after your theory exam. This is separate from MCQ practice and needs its own time.

  1. Go to TOACS Preparation and work through the stations one by one.
  2. If possible, practice a few stations out loud with a colleague. Speaking your answer is different from just reading it — practice both.
Open TOACS Preparation
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