To prepare for the RACP clinical exam, the Divisional Clinical Examination (DCE), practise the way it's examined: real patients, out loud and on the clock. Build a fluent routine for each system's short case, a structure for presenting long cases, and plenty of practice with a colleague as examiner. For adult medicine in Australia, the 2027 exam runs from Friday 4 June to Sunday 20 June and Saturday 26 to Sunday 27 June 2027, and applications open at 10am AEDT on Friday 12 March 2027.
This page covers the dates, how the day runs, and how to prepare for each kind of case. It's about exam technique, not clinical content.
RACP clinical exam dates 2027 (adult medicine, Australia)
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Applications open | 10am AEDT, Friday 12 March 2027 |
| Applications close | 5pm AEDT, Monday 22 March 2027 |
| Exam dates | Friday 4 June to Sunday 20 June 2027, and Saturday 26 June to Sunday 27 June 2027 |
| Results | Week starting Monday 12 July 2027 (to be confirmed by the RACP) |
The RACP says the exam dates may change depending on sites, and your own date and site come from the College. Check its Divisional Clinical Examination pages before you book leave. The RACP exam dates 2027 page has the written exam dates as well.
How the clinical exam day runs
On the day you see two long cases and four short cases, each with a different patient and two examiners.
| Case | Time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Long case | 60 minutes with the patient, 10 minutes to prepare, then a 25-minute interview | You take a history and examine, then present to the examiners and discuss the issues |
| Short case | 2 minutes to read the introduction, then a 15-minute station | You examine, present your findings and discuss them |
Each case is scored by both examiners on a scale of 1 to 6, where 4 is the expected standard at the end of basic training. The long case is marked across five domains:
- accuracy of the history;
- accuracy of the clinical examination;
- synthesis and prioritisation of clinical problems;
- understanding the impact of the illness on the patient and family;
- development and discussion of an appropriate management plan.
The RACP's candidate information is the official source for how the day runs and how cases are combined into a result, so read it before you start preparing.
How to prepare for the short cases
The short case tests whether you can examine fluently, find the signs that are there, and make sense of them, all in 15 minutes.
- Build one routine per system and drill it. Cardiovascular, respiratory, abdominal, neurological, and the endocrine, haematology and rheumatology examinations. The same order every time, so nothing is missed under pressure.
- Examine out loud. Name each manoeuvre as you do it. It shows the examiners your reasoning and keeps you from skipping steps.
- Use the 2 minutes of reading. The introduction tells you which system and often why. Decide what you're looking for before you walk in.
- Present in a set order. The key findings, including the important negatives, then the most likely diagnosis, its severity, cause and complications, and a short differential argued from the signs.
- Expect the discussion. Be ready for the investigations that would confirm it and an outline of management under Australian guidance.
The Clinical Exam: Cardiovascular Short Cases and Clinical Exam: Neurological Short Cases courses set out what to look for in each system and how to present it.
How to prepare for the long cases
The long case tests whether you can understand a whole person with several chronic problems, in an hour.
- Use a fixed history structure. Presenting problem, each active issue, medicines and how they're actually taken, function, and the social history. Leave time for the sensitive questions: mood, alcohol, money, driving, carers and goals.
- Examine with a purpose. Examine the systems the history points to, looking for the signs that change management.
- Rank the problems. Put the central problem first, then show how the others interact with it and limit what's possible. The impact on the patient and family is a domain of its own.
- Make the plan one this patient can follow. Examiners mark a plan against the person in front of them: their function, their supports and their goals.
- Present to time. Rehearse an opening summary that fits in a couple of minutes, then the problem list, then the plan.
The Clinical Exam: The Long Case course walks through a presentation from the opening summary to the issues list.
Practise with patients and with a colleague
Nothing replaces real patients. See as many as you can on the wards and in clinic, and present each one out loud, timed, to someone who will interrupt you.
- Pair up. Take turns as candidate and examiner. Examining someone else teaches you what the examiners are listening for.
- Ask your consultants. A short case presented at the bedside, with their questions after, is some of the best practice there is.
- Practise a whole day. Two long and four short cases is a long day. Sit at least one full practice day before the exam so the pace isn't new.
Where Physify fits
Everything Physify has for the clinical exam is on one page: 127 interactive short cases and 39 long cases, marked on the five RACP domains. In the short cases, the findings appear only for the manoeuvres you name. The long-case patients answer what you ask, and not much more. You can practise with a colleague as your examiner, follow a week-by-week clinical track, and sit exam-day sets of two long and four short cases.
The clinical cases are part of VIP, which also includes 11,100+ MCQs and 18 timed mocks for the written exam. There's a 7-day free VIP trial. A card is required, and it continues as VIP Monthly unless you cancel before it ends.
To see how it works first, try the free short case. It needs only a free account: no card and no trial.
Common questions
When is the RACP clinical exam in 2027?
For adult medicine in Australia, from Friday 4 June to Sunday 20 June 2027 and from Saturday 26 to Sunday 27 June 2027. Applications open at 10am AEDT on Friday 12 March and close at 5pm AEDT on Monday 22 March 2027. The RACP says the dates may change depending on sites.
How long is an RACP short case?
You have 2 minutes to read the introduction, then a 15-minute station in which you examine, present and discuss.
How long is an RACP long case?
60 minutes with the patient, 10 minutes to prepare, then a 25-minute interview with the examiners.
When should I start preparing for the clinical exam?
Once your written exam is behind you, start with the short-case routines, because they take the most repetition. If you're still preparing for the written exam, see how to prepare for the RACP written exam.