FRACGP Fellowship Examinations Guide: AKT, KFP and CCE

The RACGP Fellowship examinations are the three assessment segments used toward Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP): the Applied Knowledge Test (AKT), Key Feature Problem (KFP) examination and Clinical Competency Exam (CCE). They are components of the Fellowship assessment pathway, not separate qualifications.

The RACGP describes the examinations as assessing competence for unsupervised general practice anywhere in Australia. The AKT applies knowledge to clinical scenarios, the KFP assesses clinical decision-making and reasoning, and the CCE is the final examination focused on clinical competence across observed cases.

The AKT and KFP can be taken in either order. A candidate must hold passes in both written segments before undertaking the CCE. A practical preparation sequence is therefore: build broad applied knowledge, convert it into prioritized clinical decisions, then demonstrate those decisions through patient-centred consultation and safe clinical management.

The AKT and KFP are held in capital cities and selected regional centres across Australia. The CCE requires a private, interruption-free examination space with a stable internet connection.

The RACGP AKT and KFP guide states that curriculum domains and statement areas provide the basis for selecting examination questions and cases. Use the RACGP Curriculum and Syllabus for Australian General Practice as the breadth framework.

The curriculum identifies five core domains:

• Communication skills and the patient-doctor relationship
• Applied professional knowledge and skills
• Population health and the context of general practice
• Professional and ethical role
• Organisational and legal dimensions

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and Rural health are also identified as core units, alongside contextual clinical and population-health units. For study planning, maintain breadth across acute, chronic, preventive, behavioral, reproductive, pediatric, geriatric, emergency and complex presentations rather than narrowing preparation to a short list of diseases.

The CCE competency document describes 10 clinical competencies:

• Communication and consultation skills
• Clinical information gathering and interpretation
• Diagnosis, decision-making and reasoning
• Clinical management and therapeutic reasoning
• Preventive and population health
• Professionalism
• General practice systems and regulatory requirements
• Procedural skills
• Managing uncertainty
• Identifying and managing the patient with significant illness

The CCE framework also adds Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health context and Rural health context. The cited RACGP materials provide qualitative domains and competency areas rather than a candidate-facing percentage allocation, so this guide does not invent numerical study weights.

Eligibility is pathway-specific. The RACGP lists the Australian General Practice Training program, Remote Vocational Training Scheme, PEP-Standard, Fellowship Support Program and PEP-Specialist as pathways with exam eligibility requirements. Enrolment remains subject to RACGP eligibility auditing.

Candidates must hold current Australian medical registration throughout the assessment process. Any restriction on practice or change in registration must be disclosed to the RACGP.

On the General Practice Experience pathway, candidates must have their general practice experience assessed for examination and Fellowship eligibility. The RACGP states that successful completion of PEP Standard or GP recognition with Services Australia is required before enrolment in RACGP Fellowship examinations on that pathway. Overseas general practice experience is assessed against the standard of comprehensive Australian general practice and is not automatically treated as equivalent solely because it was undertaken in general practice.

Candidacy is generally described as six consecutive examination semesters over three years, subject to the applicable pathway policy and approved suspensions. Candidates may enrol in all three segments in one semester and may enrol in the CCE while AKT and/or KFP results are pending. If a written segment is unsuccessful, the candidate is automatically withdrawn from the enrolled CCE and the CCE enrolment fee is refunded under the current rules.

Use the RACGP examination administration pages for the current enrolment process, dates, fees, venue information, withdrawal rules and special-arrangement instructions for the relevant examination cycle.

Build breadth before intensifying question practice. Start with the RACGP curriculum domains and contextual units, then organize revision around common presentations and decisions: recognition, differential diagnosis, targeted investigation, initial management, prevention, follow-up, referral and escalation.

AKT

• Read the complete clinical scenario and identify the exact decision requested.
• Use the information provided in the stem to distinguish the best answer from plausible alternatives.
• Practice timed single-best-answer sets and review why the correct option is superior to the distractors.
• Use a two-pass approach, returning to flagged items after answering the clearer questions.
• Because incorrect answers do not attract negative marks, answer every AKT item before time expires.

KFP

• Train for key features and critical steps rather than generating an exhaustive list of possibilities.
• Before selecting answers, determine whether the item asks for history, examination, differentials, investigations, management or a combination.
• Select no more than the requested number of options. The 2026 RACGP guide states that each selection above the requested maximum incurs a 0.35% penalty deducted from the overall paper mark.
• Remember that KFP items can award partial and differently weighted marks, so prioritize the most important decisions.
• Use random case analysis with a supervisor, mentor or colleague to rehearse problem representation, focused investigation, management and follow-up.
• Review contemporary Australian guidance and explain the reasoning behind each choice, including non-drug management and safety-netting.

CCE

• Practice case discussions and clinical encounters as separate formats. In a case discussion, make your reasoning explicit and answer the examiner's task. In a clinical encounter, demonstrate patient-centred communication while gathering focused information and negotiating a safe plan with the role-player.
• Use the 5-minute reading period to identify the task, immediate safety threats, likely patient concerns, missing information and the outcome to achieve.
• Rehearse a repeatable consultation structure: establish the agenda, gather focused information, identify red flags, explain the working diagnosis and uncertainty, agree on management, check understanding and arrange follow-up or escalation.
• Seek structured feedback on communication, reasoning, management, professionalism, systems awareness, uncertainty and significant illness.
• Continue developing these behaviors in real general practice. The RACGP also provides AKT/KFP practice examinations for enrolled candidates and CCE-specific preparation resources.

The Australian practice context is part of the assessment standard. The RACGP curriculum and comprehensive Australian general practice guidance emphasize broad patient demographics and presentations, continuity, person-centred care, prevention, acute and chronic care, coordination, rural and remote practice, and the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Plan for different delivery environments. The AKT and KFP are face-to-face examinations, and candidates should wait for RACGP venue confirmation before making travel arrangements. The CCE is remote and requires a private space with reliable internet. Medical charts and posters must not be visible or accessible, and study material is not permitted because the CCE is closed book. CCE candidates may use blank paper and a pen for notes, subject to the RACGP's handling requirements.

Do not plan around a fixed historical pass percentage. The RACGP describes a criterion-referenced Modified Angoff standard-setting process for the AKT and KFP, with the pass mark defined by the examination rather than by passing a predetermined proportion of candidates.

Check the current RACGP administration pages before each cycle for enrolment access, examination dates, fees, permitted items, special arrangements, venue confirmation, withdrawals and incident-reporting requirements.