4 Step Study Program
A layered approach to study for the RACGP Fellowship exams.
RACGP Exam Guidelines
Understand how the AKT and KFP is structured, scoring, and which areas are important and need more emphasis.
→02Study the right resources
Core resources and guidelines to know inside out, plus other resources to round off your knowledge.
→03Test yourself with targeted practice
The FocusGP exam-style questions test the nuance required to pass the RACGP exams.
Our product04Exam day technique
Understand the exam techniques you need to pass on the day.
→RACGP Exam Guidelines
These are the critical three resources to know what to study. They tell you what the examiners care about — and where registrars reliably lose marks.
RACGP Exam Guides
The curriculum blueprint, exam format, scoring, contextual units. The one document every registrar must read twice.
RACGP Fellowship Exams →BEACH Encounter Data
What Australian GPs actually see in their rooms, which directs the weighting of questions in the exam.
BEACH at Sydney University →RACGP Examiner Reports
Published after each exam cycle. Shows the particular answers examiners are looking for, the common traps they set, and the list of topics covered in each contextual unit.
Past examiner reports →Study the right resources.
Know which resources count. Below is a layered approach to study: start with the core Red Book, SNAP guidelines and Immunisation Handbook. Then learn the core guidelines in each contextual unit. Then use online AJGP/AFP articles and eTG to fill in gaps in particular topics. Finally, subscribe to the main GP journals for regular clinical cases with up-to-date management.
The absolute core — know these inside out
These three resources underpin the majority of exam questions. You should be able to recall their key recommendations from memory.
RACGP Red Book
Preventive health guidelines for general practice. Screening intervals, risk assessment, and lifestyle counselling — heavily tested across both AKT and KFP.
Red Book →RACGP SNAP Guide
Smoking, nutrition, alcohol, physical activity. The framework for lifestyle risk-factor management that comes up in almost every KFP case.
SNAP Guide →Australian Immunisation Handbook
The definitive reference for vaccination schedules, catch-up programs, and special-risk groups. Frequently tested across both exams.
Immunisation Handbook →Core guidelines by contextual unit
The primary guideline for each contextual unit, ordered by combined BEACH weighting. (x%) = share of GP encounters.
Respiratory Health
12.9%URTI/Sinusitis (3.5%), Asthma (3.0%), COPD (2.5%), Bronchiolitis/Croup (1.8%), Lung Cancer (1.1%), Pneumonia (1.0%)
Mental Health
12.5%Depression (4.2%), Anxiety (3.8%), Sleep Disturbance (1.5%), Suicide/Self-harm (1.2%), ADHD (1.0%), Schizophrenia (0.8%)
Cardiovascular Health
11.8%Hypertension (3.2%), IHD (2.5%), CVD Risk (2.0%), Heart Failure (1.8%), AF (1.5%), Valvular (0.8%)
Musculoskeletal
10.8%Osteoarthritis (2.8%), Low Back Pain (2.5%), Shoulder/Knee (2.0%), Osteoporosis (1.5%), Gout (1.0%), RA (1.0%)
Endocrine & Metabolic
9.7%T2DM (3.5%), Thyroid (1.5%), Lipids (1.5%), Obesity (1.2%), Metabolic Syndrome (1.0%), Osteoporosis (1.0%)
Women's Health
9.0%Cervical Screening (2.0%), Contraception (2.0%), Menopause (1.5%), AUB (1.5%), Breast Lumps (1.2%), PCOS (0.8%)
Fill in the gaps — AJGP/AFP articles & eTG
Use AJGP/AFP articles and eTG to fill in your clinical understanding of particular topics — things like GORD management, headache assessment, or iron deficiency workup. These are written for Australian GPs and match the level of detail the exam expects.
GP journals — stay up to date
Subscribe to the main GP journals which provide good regular clinical cases with up-to-date management. This keeps your knowledge current and exposes you to the style of clinical reasoning the examiners expect.
Check
RACGP's independent learning program. Case-based modules covering common GP presentations with self-assessment questions.
RACGP Check →Medicine Today
Practical clinical articles for GPs and specialists. Covers management updates, diagnostic pathways, and clinical pearls.
Medicine Today →Australian Doctor
GP news, clinical updates, and “How to Treat” pull-out guides. Good for staying across changes in guidelines and practice.
AusDoc →AJGP / AFP
The RACGP's peer-reviewed journal. Clinical reviews, case studies, and practice-relevant research written for Australian GPs.
AJGP →Test yourself with deliberate practice.
Reading guidelines is not studying for an exam. The only reliable predictor of exam performance is answering exam-format questions — repeatedly, with feedback, targeted at your weakest topics.
The Australian-built question bank for AKT & KFP.
Every question is written by practising Australian GPs, BEACH-weighted, mapped to RACGP contextual units, and linked to the source guideline. When you get one wrong, you get the reasoning — plus the exact page of the guideline that answers it.
Drill the technique, not just the content.
Knowing the content is not enough. You need to practise the techniques for exam day.
Consider what examiners look for
The Examiner Reports tell you exactly what graders reward and where registrars lose marks. Re-read them late in your prep to recalibrate how you frame answers.
- Note recurring critique themes across years
- Pay attention to the expected level of detail
- Match your answer style to what examiners reward
Divide the paper into four blocks
Mentally split the exam into four equal sections and mark the time you should be at by each checkpoint. Critical so you don’t rush the final third.
- Know the total time and per-section target before you sit down
- Glance at the clock at each checkpoint, not constantly
- Flag and return rather than burning minutes on one question
Sit the official RACGP mock exams
The RACGP runs mock exams and webinars that mirror the real format. Sit the mocks under full timed conditions in the final weeks, and watch the webinars to hear what examiners are emphasising this cycle.
- Treat mocks as full dress rehearsals
- Stick to the same time limits as exam day
- Watch the latest examiner webinars for emphasis cues
Ready to start practising?
You've seen the path. Step 3 is where the work actually happens. Register free and sit your first 30 questions in the next 10 minutes.
Start free trial →