A little while ago I complained about the lack of clarity in how to prepare for my RANZCP exams and the confusing nature of the questions.
I wrote this in the leadup to sitting the exam, before the memories had faded. I’m sure I won’t let myself publish it should I fail, but I hope it is useful for others. The College have provided a comprehensive list of topics that they will examine, but this isn’t specific enough to be of particular help. I originally contemplated using this as a base to prepare notes, but ultimately wasn’t willing to commit the time this would require.
Flashcards
I used the Anki software, which lets you enter/create flashcards on your computer and review them from your phone. I would strongly encourage you to use this, or any similar program. It implements an intelligent algorithm based on the magic of spaced repetition. This shows you a selection of cards each day, which the app has assessed as being most necessary for you to review. This ensures you’re not just churning through the same cards each day and getting sick of the process.
I did this for roughly 10 weeks in the leadup to the exam, and my only regret is that I didn’t start earlier. You do need to commit to doing this every day, to maximise the benefits from this. I found it to be the single most effective way to learn facts that don’t require context. Names, dates, receptor profiles, assessment scales etc. are perfect for this system. Complex concepts are probably more appropriate for individual review (eg. with a textbook) but you can always break them down onto cards once you understand.
Anki generates some pretty stats, which I include here to demonstrate that although this seems intimidating, it’s actually a relatively time-efficient process. Similarly, reviewing evidence and creating the cards is also a highly valuable process. Although I have made my deck available for download, I would strongly encourage you to create your own instead.
Question Banks
There are a very large amount of sample questions available on the internet and it is probably impossible to complete all of them. Most of the resources we prepared with were intended for use with the UK licensing exam, which is administered in separate stages. Bear this in mind to ensure you cover sufficient topics, as well as skip any that don’t apply.
I don’t think it matters terribly much where you get your questions from, as long as you’re getting them.
I used the MRCPsychMentor company initially and they made the process relatively easy. The site isn’t the fanciest but works fine on mobile and has a few thousand questions, sorted by category. You can study questions per category or as a mock test, and they allow you to track your performance over time which is a nice feature. They provide good revision notes after each question, which made excellent flashcards. I did all their questions, then reset it to try again in the leadup to the exam. The one notable point is that most of their questions take the standard best-of-five MCQ format, whilst the exam tends more towards the EMQ/long list style. Towards that end, I also registered for BMJ On Examination in the month before the exam and did all their questions.
The mock/past papers from the Auckland PsychTraining website are also very good, but be aware they tend to repeat questions. They are templated in the same way as the college exam and are full length. I’d recommend saving them to do under exam conditions in the month before you sit.
College Guidelines
The RANZCP publishes some guidelines and lists others that they endorse. I would consider it to be non-negotiable to have a good understanding of the ones they have written themselves. They are dense at times, but much of the background literature they include can be skimmed in favor of the high yield content. There are some position statements that also have relevance, especially those on topical issues (eg. refugees and asylum seekers).
The management algorithms and specific recommendations for treatment are essential, as they are often different from real-world clinical practice. We highlighted these as a group, and they make excellent flash card fodder.
Advice
Be up front with yourself about the time you need. Some people might pass with minimal preparation (and luck!), but if you’re in a difficult rotation or have family commitments you’ll need longer. Plan your study – and put your leave request in early.
Everybody has a different opinion on group study. Even if you don’t find it to be your ideal method of study, it will motivate you to keep up with your colleagues. It’s also an excellent avenue to catharsis. Try to leverage the benefits of group work though, by having people summarize/present different topics rather than just doing questions.
I don’t think it matters if you start with the CAP questions or not, although some swear by this. They are definitely more time consuming, as you’ll need to read/analyse in a way that MCQ questions don’t require. As long as you keep an eye on the clock and skip ahead if you’re running short on time, you should be OK. I started CAP at about the 90 minute mark.
If you have a textbook you like, that’s great. If not, there’s no particular need to find one. I occasionally used Kaplan and Sadock to make flashcards from and to resolve conflicting information (the small one, don’t use the large one unless you’re a masochist).
The College have many ways of phrasing questions and approaching their topics, so getting a question correct is just the start. Try to understand why the other options are wrong and whether any changes in question phrasing would be relevant eg. most common vs. most serious side effect of stimulants in ADHD.
Traps
It is all-too-easy to ignore critical appraisal study, especially if you’re not a statistics person. I used Doctor’s Guide to Critical Appraisal as a reference text. The one big regret I have is limiting myself to only doing mock questions. Your college fees give you access to the ANZJP, so pull the research articles from there each month. Doing an (abbrievated) journal-club analysis of those will let you apply your knowledge in the same way the exam will require you to.
Be very careful of the differences between guidelines (eg NICE, APA), if you’re using foreign/international study material. Although broadly similar, some specifics will differ with recommendations in the RANZCP guidelines.
You cannot register for this exam online. You need to post all of the registration documentation to the College for them to accept your application. I only realized this when I attempted to apply, so don’t leave it until too late! Similarly, make sure your ID documents match your legal name ie. post marriage name changes.
Final Word
The nature of an MCQ exam demands that you know a large number of specific facts. Learning them is not a lot of fun and it’s easy to get disheartened, so find a way to counterbalance this (even if it’s just having a week off!). There will be so many other demands on you, both personally and professionally, that it’s not worth burning yourself out over an exam you can defer.
Critical Appraisal Update
These were some slides that I generated as practice questions for colleagues. They are written to illustrate general principles of preparation and don’t come from any specific knowledge of the exam.
Wow! This is amazing… such wise words for those sitting their RANZCP exams