FRACGP Fellowship Examinations: AKT, KFP and CCE

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

The RACGP describes the exams as assessing competence for unsupervised general practice in Australia. The AKT focuses on applying knowledge to clinical situations; the KFP assesses clinical reasoning and decision-making; and the CCE assesses clinical competence through case discussions and observed clinical encounters.

Candidates may take the AKT and KFP in either order, but must pass both before sitting the CCE. The RACGP has announced a CCE delivery change from 2027.1; see the structure section and check current RACGP cycle information when planning.

Delivery transition: The 2026.2 CCE follows the current two-consecutive-weekend model. From 2027.1, the RACGP has announced that candidates will complete all nine cases in one sitting on one allocated day. Candidates will be assigned to one of the scheduled exam days; the RACGP says the competencies and required standard will stay the same. Check the RACGP exam dates and enrolments page for current cycle information.

AKT and KFP venues are in capital cities and selected regional centers across Australia. For the CCE, candidates arrange a private, interruption-free space with a stable internet connection.

The RACGP AKT and KFP guide says curriculum domains and statement areas inform the selection of exam questions and cases. The current RACGP curriculum and syllabus is its seventh edition and sets expectations for general practice toward FRACGP. Its core units include GP as a communicator, clinician, health advocate and leader, professional, and scientist, educator and researcher, as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and Rural Health. Contextual units include a broad range of clinical areas, such as emergency medicine, mental health, child and youth health, older persons’ health, and pregnancy and reproductive health.

The CCE framework describes ten core 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 includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and Rural health contexts. The RACGP materials describe curriculum domains and competencies rather than percentage weights, so this guide does not assign numerical study weights.

Eligibility depends on the RACGP-approved program and the rules for a candidate’s pathway. The RACGP determines whether candidates meet the applicable exam requirements; check the eligibility information and policy for your own pathway rather than assuming one route’s requirements apply to everyone.

The AKT and KFP can be taken in either order. A pass in both is required before sitting the CCE. The handbook also allows candidates to enroll in the CCE while awaiting AKT and/or KFP results; if a written result is unsuccessful, the candidate is automatically withdrawn from that CCE enrollment and the CCE enrollment fee is refunded under the handbook’s rules.

The handbook describes candidacy as six consecutive exam semesters over three years. Suspension rules can affect a candidate’s timeline, so check the current policy and candidacy record. Use the RACGP exam dates and enrolments page for current application steps, pathway eligibility links, fees, dates and special-arrangement information.

Build broad Australian general practice coverage. Use the RACGP curriculum domains and contextual units to identify areas to review. Practice applying knowledge to clinical situations and explaining the reasoning behind diagnostic, investigation, management and follow-up decisions.

For the AKT

• Identify exactly what the lead-in asks you to decide, such as diagnosis, investigation or management.
• Practice timed single-best-answer sets, reviewing why the strongest option fits better than the distractors.
• Flag difficult questions and return to them if time permits. Because incorrect answers do not attract negative marks, attempt every item.

For the KFP

• Identify the requested task and number of selections before choosing answers.
• Prioritize the key features or critical steps relevant to the case instead of selecting an exhaustive list.
• Stay within the requested selection limit. The RACGP guide specifies a 0.35% deduction from the overall paper mark for each selection above the requested maximum.
• Review how partial and differently weighted marks work, and practice explaining why a selected option is important in the specific scenario.

For the CCE

• Practice case discussions and clinical encounters as distinct formats: articulate your reasoning for the examiner in discussions, and communicate directly with the role-player in encounters.
• Use the reading time to identify the task, immediate risks, information still needed and the likely consultation goal.
• Rehearse focused information gathering, clear clinical reasoning, patient-centered explanation, a safe plan and appropriate follow-up.
• Seek feedback against the CCE competencies. RACGP CCE resources include candidate guidance and practice materials; written-question practice alone does not rehearse the observed encounter format.

The assessment is grounded in Australian general practice. Keep the RACGP’s curriculum and CCE contexts in view, including Rural health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, alongside broad clinical care, prevention, communication and professional responsibilities.

Plan for the different exam environments: AKT and KFP are face-to-face at Australian venues, while the CCE is online via Zoom. Wait for venue confirmation before making travel arrangements for a written exam. For the CCE, arrange a suitable private space with stable internet. The future 2027.1 CCE format is a single sitting on one allocated day; check the RACGP’s current exam information for the applicable cycle and any updated delivery guidance.

For application, enrollment, fees, dates, eligibility and special arrangements, use the RACGP’s live exam administration pages because cycle details and pathway requirements vary.