The ANZCA Primary exam: the MCQ, the SAQ and the viva
The ANZCA Primary asks you to show your knowledge three different ways. Each rewards a different kind of preparation.
The structure
The Primary exam (PEx) has an MCQ paper of 150 questions in 150 minutes, a short-answer (SAQ) paper of 15 questions in 150 minutes, and a viva of three 20-minute stations. You need to pass the MCQ and reach a minimum SAQ score to be invited to the viva, and then score at least 50% across the SAQ and viva combined. The written papers are the gate to the oral.
The MCQ paper
Multiple-choice questions test whether you can recognise the right answer and avoid the plausible wrong ones. The way to improve is practice with feedback that explains each distractor, not just the answer. Notice the questions you get wrong for the right reasons, and the ones you get right for the wrong reasons.
The SAQ paper
Short-answer questions test something multiple-choice cannot: whether you can produce an organised answer from memory, in the time given. Knowing the content is not enough. You need to decide what matters, order it, and write it concisely.
The best preparation is to write answers, then compare them with a model answer. Look at what you missed and at what you included that earned nothing. Writing under time pressure is a skill that only practice builds.
The viva
The viva is a spoken examination. You are asked to explain and reason aloud, and the examiner may follow your answer in a direction you did not expect. Practise speaking your answers, not just thinking them. It feels different, and it is a different skill.
Preparing for all three
Do not let the written papers crowd out the viva. Even before you have passed the written sections, start answering out loud so the skill is built by the time you need it. Work out which part is weakest for you and weight your time accordingly.
Where to check the official details
Sitting dates, eligibility and the exact format can change. ANZCA publishes the current information on its exams page, and that page is the authority. ClintixPro is independent of ANZCA and is not endorsed by it.
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