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Dr Shaun Tan, FRACGP, MD, BMSC
Medical Examiner | Associate Lecturer
Scored 90% on the AKT & Top 15th percentile in the KFP
The 6 Week RACGP CCE Study Plan (Working GP / IMG Friendly) is created to help you study efficiently and confidently for the RACGP Clinical Competency Exam. You will see exactly what to focus on each week, how to prepare in a structured way while working full time, and how to integrate your daily clinical practice directly into your CCE preparation. With the CCE pass rate sitting at 79.66% [1], there is every reason to feel optimistic when you follow a clear, strategic plan.
Anxiety before a major fellowship exam is normal and completely human. Rather than a sign of weakness, it often reflects your commitment to providing safe and competent care for your patients. This guide will help you convert that anxious energy into steady progress and renewed confidence. You will learn how to break your preparation into realistic weekly goals, how to use role plays and mock circuits effectively, and how to refine your consultation flow so it reflects the expectations of the RACGP examiners.
Week 1 to 2: Identify Your Gaps and Build a Firm Foundation
These first 2 weeks help you establish a clear map of what you need to study. When you know exactly where your gaps are, your study becomes more targeted, efficient, and less stressful.
Key points for Week 1 and 2:
Start with a structured self assessment using the full RACGP curriculum as your reference. Go through each domain carefully and rate your competence honestly. Involve your supervisor early, as RACGP guidance emphasises supervisor supported preparation and engagement with the clinical competency rubric and gplearning resources [1, 7].
Use BEACH study summaries to identify the highest yield conditions that appear frequently in Australian general practice. These include hypertension, diabetes, respiratory infections, depression, and osteoarthritis, which are highlighted across RACGP BEACH linked materials and peer reviewed summaries [4, 5].
Ask your GP supervisor to review your self assessment. Supervisors can often identify blind spots such as inconsistent communication style, rushed safety netting, or limited experience with psychosocial cases. The RACGP emphasises preparation that includes practising case discussions with supervisors and colleagues, and aligning with the clinical competency rubric [1, 7].
To make this process more practical, try writing out a simple 2 column table. On the left, list areas you feel confident in. On the right, list areas you are less confident in. Sometimes the act of writing helps reduce the overwhelm and gives you a sense of direction.
These 2 weeks are also an ideal time to gather resources: Therapeutic Guidelines, RACGP Red Book, clinical cases books, and gplearning modules. Add internal prompts to your plan, for example, “For pacing strategies, see our AKT timing guide,” and “For structured case analysis, see our KFP technique guide,” so you can return to focused methods as you progress.
Week 3 to 4: Daily Role Play for Exam Success
Weeks 3 and 4 are where your preparation becomes active and hands on. These weeks accelerate your readiness because repeated role play is the single most effective way to strengthen consultation flow, communication, and clinical reasoning.
CCE scoring allocates 27 percent to clinical management and therapeutic reasoning and 21 percent to communication skills [1]. Daily practice directly improves your performance in these heavily weighted domains.
What to focus on during Week 3 and 4:
Complete daily 15 minute role plays covering acute medicine, chronic disease management, mental health, and women’s health. Each simulation should follow the consultation structure you will use in the exam.
After each role play, obtain immediate feedback. Ask your peer or supervisor to comment specifically on clarity, empathy, structure, and whether your safety netting was explicit enough [1].
Practise safety netting until it becomes natural. Safety netting is one of the most frequently missed components in the CCE and contributes to many candidate pitfalls identified by examiners [1]. Make sure your language is clear and calm. For example, you might say, “If your symptoms worsen or you develop new chest discomfort, I would like you to return promptly for review.”
Examples of role plays that typically benefit candidates include:
Counselling a young adult through contraception options.
Managing an acute asthma flare in a child.
Supporting a patient who has low mood with new life stressors.
Explaining diabetes management and long term monitoring to a newly diagnosed patient.
The more varied the role plays, the more confident you will feel. You will also improve your ability to improvise, stay calm, and manage complex patient emotions.
Week 6: Fine Tuning Consultation Skills for Exam Day
Week 6 is your consolidation and confidence week. At this stage, you are no longer learning new content. You are refining how you deliver it under exam conditions.
Focus areas in Week 6:
Practise short consultation openings and closings daily. Introduce yourself, set the agenda, validate the patient’s emotions, and summarise the plan clearly [1, 7].
Polish your safety netting language. Keep it simple, precise, and patient friendly.
Use light revision only. Avoid deep new learning and lean instead on familiar material. This reduces cognitive load and enhances clarity.
Use stress reduction techniques such as controlled breathing. Even 3 minutes of slow, deliberate breathing can reduce cognitive overload and improve clarity on exam day.
Week 6 is also ideal for soft tuning your communication style. Slow your pace slightly, remove jargon, and maintain a supportive, calm tone. Examiners judge how well you communicate under pressure, not how much you know. For additional exam day organisation ideas, add an internal prompt like, “For exam day routines and pacing, see our AKT timing guide.”
FAQ: Essential RACGP CCE Preparation Questions
1. Is a 6 Week RACGP CCE Study Plan (Working GP / IMG Friendly) enough to pass?
Yes. While RACGP suggests 3 to 6 months of preparation for the best outcome [1], many working GPs and IMGs succeed with a structured, high yield 6 week plan because they integrate study with real clinical work.
2. How can IMGs adapt quickly to Australian practice expectations?
IMGs should focus on Australian guidelines, strong communication skills, and structured consultation habits. Regular supervisor feedback accelerates adaptation significantly and improves exam performance [1, 7].
3. Which competencies carry the most weight in CCE scoring?
Clinical management and therapeutic reasoning form 27 percent, while communication skills form 21 percent, making them the highest impact domains in CCE scoring [1].
4. What are the essential RACGP exam resources?
You need the RACGP curriculum and clinical competency rubric, Therapeutic Guidelines, the RACGP Red Book, recent public exam reports, BEACH related materials, and structured clinical cases such as those discussed in RACGP preparation pages and peer reviewed summaries [1, 4, 5, 7].
5. What common preparation pitfalls should I avoid?
According to RACGP examiner feedback, the most frequent pitfalls include inadequate safety netting, unclear clinical reasoning, poor patient centred communication, and weak time management [1]. Targeted role plays can correct these errors early.
Tracking Your Progress Clearly and Calmly
The more intentional you are about reflection, the stronger your performance becomes. Progress tracking also helps reduce unnecessary anxiety by showing you objective evidence of improvement.
Your tracking toolkit should include:
A weekly reflection session where you review what you learned and what still feels uncertain.
A simple daily confidence scale from 1 to 5 for key topics like cardiology, paediatrics, mental health, chronic disease management, and communication.
A list of recurring themes that need targeted practice such as dermatology, antenatal care, or managing angry patients.
If you notice your confidence consistently dips in dermatology, for example, you can schedule 3 targeted sessions in Week 6, focusing specifically on skin lesion descriptions, common rashes, and management frameworks.
Reflection is your anchor when preparation feels chaotic. It turns vague worry into specific action. If you want more structure for self review, include a note to self such as, “For reflective practice frameworks, see our KFP technique guide.”
Week 5: Full CCE Mock Circuit with Feedback
Week 5 is your most powerful growth week. A realistic, structured mock exam allows you to stress test your consultation habits, identify patterns, and refine your performance before the actual CCE. This week often transforms moderate confidence into calm readiness.
The RACGP CCE contains 9 cases delivered over 2 sessions [2, 3] so your mock should mirror this structure as closely as possible.
Your Week 5 goals include:
Conduct a full 9 case mock circuit with accurate timing and case variety. Ensure that you include at least 2 psychosocial cases, 2 acute presentations, 2 chronic disease cases, and 1 women’s health or paediatrics scenario.
Document thoroughly during your feedback session. Ask your observer to describe specific examples of where your communication shone and where it faltered. Capture how your time management looked in each case.
Apply the high yield conditions from the BEACH study to your mock circuit, including hypertension, diabetes, respiratory illness, musculoskeletal pain, and mental health conditions [4, 5].
From an examiner perspective, common mock exam issues include:
Running out of time due to spending too long gathering history.
Using overly technical language without checking patient understanding.
Forgetting to explicitly state follow up and red flags.
Attempting to address too many problems in a single case.
By identifying these patterns early, you prevent them from repeating during the real CCE.
If you feel uncertain about any aspect of your preparation, Fellow Academy offers high quality AKT and KFP questions, concise and comprehensive exam notes, and high yield flashcards that help you study efficiently and confidently. You will also find free KFP case packs, webinars, and practical study tools designed to support you at every stage of your journey.
Disclaimer: This content is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representative of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. It is based on personal experience and the experiences of successful GP candidates. It is intended as general study guidance only and should not be interpreted as official RACGP advice.
Disclaimer: This content is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representative of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. It is based on personal experience and the experiences of successful GP candidates. It is intended as general study guidance only and should not be interpreted as official RACGP advice.
References
[1] Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. (2025). Exam report 2025.1 Clinical Competency Exam CCE (Public exam report). East Melbourne, VIC: RACGP. https://www.racgp.org.au/education/education-providers/assessment/examinations/cce/exam-reports
[2] Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. (2025). Clinical Competency Exam, How the CCE works web page. East Melbourne, VIC: RACGP. https://www.racgp.org.au/education/education-providers/assessment/examinations/cce
[3] Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. (2025). CCE candidate technical guidelines (PDF). East Melbourne, VIC: RACGP. https://www.racgp.org.au/education/education-providers/assessment/examinations/cce/candidate-technical-guidelines
[4] Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. (2023). BEACH, Frequency and patterns of problems in general practice web page. East Melbourne, VIC: RACGP. https://www.racgp.org.au/clinical-resources/clinical-guidelines/key-racgp-guidelines/beach
[5] Glasziou, P., Britt, H., Cooke, G., & Valenti, L. (2013). Common general practice presentations and publication frequency. Australian Family Physician, 42(1 to 2), 65 to 68. https://www.racgp.org.au/afp/2013/januaryfebruary/common-general-practice-presentations-and-publication-frequency
[6] GP Registrars Australia. (2024). Tips for your clinical exams web page. Melbourne, VIC: GPRA. https://gpra.org.au/resources/tips-for-your-clinical-exams
[7] Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. (2025). Candidate guidelines for the Clinical Competency Exam (PDF). East Melbourne, VIC: RACGP. https://www.racgp.org.au/education/education-providers/assessment/examinations/cce/candidate-guidelines
AKT Exam Preparation: Study Strategies That Work
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Dr Shaun Tan, FRACGP, MD, BMSC
Medical Examiner | Associate Lecturer
Scored 90% on the AKT & Top 15th percentile in the KFP
Summary
The 6 Week RACGP CCE Study Plan (Working GP / IMG Friendly) is created to help you study efficiently and confidently for the RACGP Clinical Competency Exam. You will see exactly what to focus on each week, how to prepare in a structured way while working full time, and how to integrate your daily clinical practice directly into your CCE preparation. With the CCE pass rate sitting at 79.66% [1], there is every reason to feel optimistic when you follow a clear, strategic plan.
Anxiety before a major fellowship exam is normal and completely human. Rather than a sign of weakness, it often reflects your commitment to providing safe and competent care for your patients. This guide will help you convert that anxious energy into steady progress and renewed confidence. You will learn how to break your preparation into realistic weekly goals, how to use role plays and mock circuits effectively, and how to refine your consultation flow so it reflects the expectations of the RACGP examiners.
Week 1 to 2: Identify Your Gaps and Build a Firm Foundation
These first 2 weeks help you establish a clear map of what you need to study. When you know exactly where your gaps are, your study becomes more targeted, efficient, and less stressful.
Key points for Week 1 and 2:
Start with a structured self assessment using the full RACGP curriculum as your reference. Go through each domain carefully and rate your competence honestly. Involve your supervisor early, as RACGP guidance emphasises supervisor supported preparation and engagement with the clinical competency rubric and gplearning resources [1, 7].
Use BEACH study summaries to identify the highest yield conditions that appear frequently in Australian general practice. These include hypertension, diabetes, respiratory infections, depression, and osteoarthritis, which are highlighted across RACGP BEACH linked materials and peer reviewed summaries [4, 5].
Ask your GP supervisor to review your self assessment. Supervisors can often identify blind spots such as inconsistent communication style, rushed safety netting, or limited experience with psychosocial cases. The RACGP emphasises preparation that includes practising case discussions with supervisors and colleagues, and aligning with the clinical competency rubric [1, 7].
To make this process more practical, try writing out a simple 2 column table. On the left, list areas you feel confident in. On the right, list areas you are less confident in. Sometimes the act of writing helps reduce the overwhelm and gives you a sense of direction.
These 2 weeks are also an ideal time to gather resources: Therapeutic Guidelines, RACGP Red Book, clinical cases books, and gplearning modules. Add internal prompts to your plan, for example, “For pacing strategies, see our AKT timing guide,” and “For structured case analysis, see our KFP technique guide,” so you can return to focused methods as you progress.
Week 3 to 4: Daily Role Play for Exam Success
Weeks 3 and 4 are where your preparation becomes active and hands on. These weeks accelerate your readiness because repeated role play is the single most effective way to strengthen consultation flow, communication, and clinical reasoning.
CCE scoring allocates 27 percent to clinical management and therapeutic reasoning and 21 percent to communication skills [1]. Daily practice directly improves your performance in these heavily weighted domains.
What to focus on during Week 3 and 4:
Complete daily 15 minute role plays covering acute medicine, chronic disease management, mental health, and women’s health. Each simulation should follow the consultation structure you will use in the exam.
After each role play, obtain immediate feedback. Ask your peer or supervisor to comment specifically on clarity, empathy, structure, and whether your safety netting was explicit enough [1].
Practise safety netting until it becomes natural. Safety netting is one of the most frequently missed components in the CCE and contributes to many candidate pitfalls identified by examiners [1]. Make sure your language is clear and calm. For example, you might say, “If your symptoms worsen or you develop new chest discomfort, I would like you to return promptly for review.”
Examples of role plays that typically benefit candidates include:
Counselling a young adult through contraception options.
Managing an acute asthma flare in a child.
Supporting a patient who has low mood with new life stressors.
Explaining diabetes management and long term monitoring to a newly diagnosed patient.
The more varied the role plays, the more confident you will feel. You will also improve your ability to improvise, stay calm, and manage complex patient emotions.
Week 6: Fine Tuning Consultation Skills for Exam Day
Week 6 is your consolidation and confidence week. At this stage, you are no longer learning new content. You are refining how you deliver it under exam conditions.
Focus areas in Week 6:
Practise short consultation openings and closings daily. Introduce yourself, set the agenda, validate the patient’s emotions, and summarise the plan clearly [1, 7].
Polish your safety netting language. Keep it simple, precise, and patient friendly.
Use light revision only. Avoid deep new learning and lean instead on familiar material. This reduces cognitive load and enhances clarity.
Use stress reduction techniques such as controlled breathing. Even 3 minutes of slow, deliberate breathing can reduce cognitive overload and improve clarity on exam day.
Week 6 is also ideal for soft tuning your communication style. Slow your pace slightly, remove jargon, and maintain a supportive, calm tone. Examiners judge how well you communicate under pressure, not how much you know. For additional exam day organisation ideas, add an internal prompt like, “For exam day routines and pacing, see our AKT timing guide.”
Tools That Make Active Recall Easy
Digital tools simplify the process of integrating active recall and spaced repetition into your RACGP exam preparation.
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Brainscape: Uses adaptive algorithms to determine when you should review each flashcard based on your confidence level.
-
Anki: Allows custom deck creation for topics like PBS rules or emergency management.
-
Quizlet: Offers collaborative decks for study groups.
Using these tools allows you to:
-
Review flashcards during commutes or between patients.
-
Automatically revisit topics you’re struggling with.
-
Track progress and identify weak areas.
These platforms bring structure to your study plan, ensuring regular reinforcement and better recall.
(For time management strategies, see our AKT Study Planner.)
How to Combine These Methods for Peak Performance
When you combine active recall with spaced repetition, the results are exponential. This combination, known as “spaced retrieval practice”, creates a continuous cycle of learning, forgetting, and relearning that strengthens memory.
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Start early (at least 6–12 months before your exam).
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Create flashcards for each guideline or high-yield topic.
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Use Brainscape or Anki daily to review material in spaced cycles.
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Schedule mock exams every 3–4 weeks to test your applied knowledge.
Research indicates spaced repetition can significantly increase long-term retention, with spaced learners achieving approximately 58% accuracy compared to 43% among traditional learners (p<0.001) [4].
By six months into this method, most candidates report not only improved recall but also better confidence under pressure. You’re no longer scrambling to remember—you’re retrieving information automatically.
FAQ: Essential RACGP CCE Preparation Questions
1. Is a 6 Week RACGP CCE Study Plan (Working GP / IMG Friendly) enough to pass?
Yes. While RACGP suggests 3 to 6 months of preparation for the best outcome [1], many working GPs and IMGs succeed with a structured, high yield 6 week plan because they integrate study with real clinical work.
2. How can IMGs adapt quickly to Australian practice expectations?
IMGs should focus on Australian guidelines, strong communication skills, and structured consultation habits. Regular supervisor feedback accelerates adaptation significantly and improves exam performance [1, 7].
3. Which competencies carry the most weight in CCE scoring?
Clinical management and therapeutic reasoning form 27 percent, while communication skills form 21 percent, making them the highest impact domains in CCE scoring [1].
4. What are the essential RACGP exam resources?
You need the RACGP curriculum and clinical competency rubric, Therapeutic Guidelines, the RACGP Red Book, recent public exam reports, BEACH related materials, and structured clinical cases such as those discussed in RACGP preparation pages and peer reviewed summaries [1, 4, 5, 7].
5. What common preparation pitfalls should I avoid?
According to RACGP examiner feedback, the most frequent pitfalls include inadequate safety netting, unclear clinical reasoning, poor patient centred communication, and weak time management [1]. Targeted role plays can correct these errors early.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by RACGP exam preparation, Fellow Academy offers high quality AKT and KFP questions, exam notes in concise and comprehensive format, and high yield, evidence based flashcards designed to help you study smarter and perform with confidence. You’ll also find free KFP case packs, webinars, and practical study resources to guide you every step of the way.
Disclaimer: This content is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representative of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). The strategies and approaches shared are based on personal experience and the experiences of other GP candidates who successfully passed their exams. They are intended as general study guidance only and should not be taken as official RACGP advice.
References
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GP Supervisors Australia. (2025). Study Skills Guide for GP Registrars: Studying Smarter, Not Harder. GPSA.
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Carpenter, S. K., Pan, S. C., & Butler, A. C. (2022). The science of effective learning with spacing and retrieval practice. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1(10), 496–511.
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Durrani, S. F., Yousuf, N., Ali, R., et al. (2024). Effectiveness of spaced repetition for clinical problem solving amongst undergraduate medical students studying paediatrics in Pakistan. BMC Medical Education, 24(1), 676.
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Price, D. W., Wang, T., O’Neill, T. R., et al. (2025). The effect of spaced repetition on learning and knowledge transfer in a large cohort of practising physicians. Academic Medicine, 100(1), 94–102.
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