Master of Medicine (Family Medicine) Examination: Singapore Guide

The Master of Medicine (Family Medicine) Examination is administered through the National University of Singapore Division of Graduate Medical Studies. It combines an applied written knowledge examination with a final multi-station clinical examination.

This guide treats the Family Medicine Applied Knowledge Test (FM AKT) as Part 1 of the MMed (FM) examination. The separate Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine award and its Part 2 examination are outside this guide, although the NUS FM AKT eligibility page lists some GDFM trainees among applicants for the shared FM AKT.

The examination samples family medicine across clinical systems, age groups and management contexts rather than testing a single organ system.

Part 1: Family Medicine Applied Knowledge Test

The FM AKT contains 180 single-best-answer multiple-choice questions in two papers of 90 questions. Each paper has a two-hour limit, for 240 minutes of written testing time in total. NUS administers the FM AKT through Examplify and requires candidates to bring their own laptop or iPad and charger; current technical instructions should be checked on the NUS examination page.

Part 2: Multi-Station Clinical Examination

The published clinical format has 315 minutes of testing time across 14 stations.

Each consultation station includes four minutes of reading time, 15 minutes for the encounter and one minute for clarification with the examiner. The station assesses focused history taking, relevant examination, problem definition, investigations, management, communication and professionalism. At least one consultation station has a focused physical-examination emphasis.

Real patients, standardized patients and mannequins may be used. A parent or caregiver may provide the history instead of the patient in some stations. The slides-based station may use clinical signs or videos, radiographs, laboratory or other investigation results, audiograms, histology reports and electrocardiograms.

The Part 2 clinical handbook presents a sampling framework across eight system groupings:

1. Cardiovascular
2. Respiratory
3. Gastrointestinal, renal and urology
4. Neurology, psychiatry and sensory organs
5. Musculoskeletal, rheumatology and dermatology
6. Endocrine and hematology
7. Male and female reproductive systems
8. Ethics and practice-based topics

The framework spans pediatric, adult and geriatric patients. It also samples acute or emergency management and chronic, preventive or palliative management. The separate FM Curriculum Blueprint describes family medicine content across pediatric, adult and geriatric age categories and across etiology, diagnosis, investigation and management in acute, emergency, chronic, preventive and palliative settings.

For Part 2, the handbook provides a sampling matrix rather than percentage weights for each system or age group. Use the matrix to plan broad coverage; do not infer numerical priorities from the order of topics or from the number of curriculum resources available.

Eligibility differs between Part 1 and Part 2 and depends on the candidate's training pathway.

Part 1: FM AKT

The current NUS page lists these applicant groups as eligible for the FM AKT:

• In-training GDFM trainees
• GDFM trainees who have completed training
• Trainees undertaking the GDFM refresher course before re-entry into the MMed FM College Programme
• In-training FM residents
• Residents who have completed training
• In-training MMed FM College Programme trainees
• MMed FM College Programme trainees who have completed training

Candidates who leave their training programme before completing training and before the FM AKT are not permitted to sit the FM AKT. The Part 1 application also requires a recognised basic medical degree and specified identity and supporting documents, with authenticated English translations where required.

Part 2: Final clinical examination

The published Part 2 requirements include:

• A pass in Part 1, the FM AKT; an admission letter for Part 2 is issued after verification of the pass
• For CFPS MMed trainees, sitting within three years of completing the training programme, as stated in the end-of-training letter
• For residents, remaining within the candidature period, including completion of training and the required examinations
• A Singapore Medical Council Practising Certificate valid throughout the examination
• Completion of the relevant training and posting requirements
• A valid end-of-training letter or exit certification form from the relevant training provider
• An endorsed audit project
• A Basic Cardiac Life Support certificate valid throughout the examination
• Submission of the required 20-case practice-diary materials

Applications, supporting documents and active-cycle instructions should be checked on the current NUS Family Medicine examination page. These are pathway-specific requirements; a basic medical degree alone should not be treated as sufficient eligibility for Part 2.

1. Build an integrated blueprint matrix

Organise revision by the intersection of the eight published system groupings, pediatric, adult and geriatric patients, acute or emergency care, chronic or preventive care and palliative care. Add the assessed skills of problem definition, investigation, management and communication so that revision does not become purely knowledge-based.

2. Prepare for the FM AKT as two timed papers

Use repeated 90-question practice blocks under two-hour conditions. Review errors by reasoning failure rather than diagnosis alone: missed red flags, inappropriate prioritisation, incorrect test interpretation, unsafe management or failure to adapt care to age and context. Use the FM Curriculum Blueprint to organise broad family medicine coverage.

3. Treat the practice diary as an assessed clinical document

Maintain the required 20-case practice diary with concise, relevant documentation. The handbook requires at least one case in each published system grouping and at least five cases in each age group. Across the cases, be ready to discuss acute, chronic and preventive care.

Rehearse each case using a consistent structure:

1. Key history and examination findings
2. Prioritised problem list and differentials
3. Investigations and interpretation
4. Immediate and longitudinal management
5. Patient, family, community and system considerations
6. Professional or ethical issues where relevant

The published assessment criteria reward relevance, prioritisation, context, cost-effective investigation, patient-centred management and professional communication.

4. Practise slides-based short answers from clinical data

Use mixed sets of clinical signs, videos, radiographs, laboratory results, audiograms, histology reports and ECGs. Answer in the order requested by the stem: interpret the finding, define the problem, identify further investigation when needed and give a prioritised management plan with a rationale. Practise completing 15 questions in 45 minutes, including multi-part prompts.

5. Rehearse consultations using the published timing

Use the four-minute reading period to identify the task, immediate risks, relevant information and likely examination requirements. During the 15-minute encounter, demonstrate focused history taking, relevant examination, a clear problem definition, safe management and understandable communication. Include pediatric, geriatric, caregiver-mediated, preventive, chronic and urgent consultations. Practise at least one station with a deliberate physical-examination emphasis.

6. Review performance by domain

After each practice encounter, score history taking, relevance of history, physical examination, physical signs, problem definition, investigations, management, communication and professionalism separately. This mirrors the clinical handbook's nine clinical domains more closely than relying on a single overall impression.

Administrative and pathway checks

Use the current NUS Family Medicine examination page for the active application route, examination schedule, fees, forms and submission instructions. The page distinguishes the FM AKT application from the final MMed (FM) examination application, including different online systems and pathway-specific supporting requirements.

Documents and verification

Plan for certified or authenticated copies of identity documents, medical qualifications and other required records. Documents or certificates that are not in English require authenticated English translations. NUS may require original documents for verification; failure to present them without an acceptable reason can prevent admission.

Digital examination requirements

The FM AKT is administered through Examplify, and candidates must bring their own laptop or iPad and charger. The slides-based short-answer component is also administered through Examplify and has its own laptop and charger requirement. Check the current technical instructions rather than relying on an older device checklist.

Clinical-day logistics

The clinical components may be scheduled over several days. Consultation stations can use real patients, standardized patients or mannequins, and some cases may require history taking from a parent or caregiver. Preparation should therefore include adapting consultation technique to the available encounter format.

Version control

The current NUS examination page controls active-cycle application, equipment and administrative instructions. The clinical handbook describes the Part 2 format from 2023, while the FM Curriculum Blueprint is marked Version 1, July 2024. Recheck the NUS page before applying or travelling for the examination.