The ANZCA Primary SAQ: 15 questions in 150 minutes
The short-answer paper rewards technique as much as knowledge. Candidates who know the content still lose marks to timing and structure.
What the paper asks of you
The Primary exam (PEx) SAQ paper has 15 questions over 150 minutes, which is about ten minutes for each. It carries 50 of the exam’s marks. ANZCA invites you to the viva only if you meet a minimum SAQ score, so it works as a gate as well as a section.
ANZCA has changed how the SAQ is marked. From the 2026.2 Primary exam each question is marked out of 10 instead of 5, with the SAQ still worth the same share of the total. Check ANZCA’s exam page for the current marking and invitation threshold.
Plan the ten minutes
Ten minutes is long enough to write a thorough answer and short enough to run over. Decide in advance how long you spend reading and planning, how long writing, and when you move on. A question you leave half-finished usually costs less than the question you never reach.
Structure beats length
Examiners are marking against a set of points. A clear structure, with the main headings visible and the key points under each, makes those points easy to find. A dense paragraph hides them. Answer the question that was asked, in the order that makes sense, and stop when you have covered it.
Practise under the real conditions
Writing one answer slowly with your notes open is not the same as writing fifteen in 150 minutes. Practise full papers at exam pace, then compare your answers with a model answer. Look for what you left out, and for what you wrote that no mark depended on.
Read ANZCA’s examiner reports
ANZCA publishes past Primary exam reports. They describe how candidates answered, where marks were lost and what examiners wanted to see. Read them against your own practice answers.
Where to check the official details
Format, marking and the viva invitation criteria are on ANZCA’s exam page and change from time to time. ClintixPro is independent of ANZCA and is not endorsed by it.
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