The RACP written exam, the Divisional Written Examination (DWE) for adult medicine, has two papers: Medical Sciences (70 questions) and Clinical Applications (100 questions), 170 in all. The questions are single best answer, with a few extended matching items, and there's no negative marking. The RACP blueprint spreads them across the specialties, and the syllabus is the RACP's Basic Training Curriculum Knowledge Guides.
This page sets out the format, the question breakdown and the syllabus, and what each means for how you study. The next sitting is Tuesday 9 February 2027.
The two papers
| Paper | Questions | What it asks |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Sciences | 70 | The physiology, pharmacology, statistics and mechanisms behind clinical decisions |
| Clinical Applications | 100 | Diagnosis, investigation and management in realistic clinical scenarios |
| Total | 170 |
The Medical Sciences paper has 70 of the 170 questions, more than two in five, and it's the easier one to leave late. Clinical Applications questions are clinical vignettes: a patient, the findings, and a decision to make.
The RACP publishes the timetable and the exam-day arrangements for each sitting on its Divisional Written Examination pages. Check them before your sitting rather than relying on what past candidates remember.
The question types
- Single best answer: a stem and a list of options. More than one option may be defensible, and you choose the best one. This is most of the exam.
- Extended matching: a few questions share a longer list of options across several short scenarios, and each scenario has its own best answer.
- No negative marking: a wrong answer costs nothing, so answer every question.
For a worked example of each kind, and why they feel hard, see what RACP written exam questions look like.
RACP written exam question breakdown by specialty
The RACP blueprint gives an approximate number of questions per specialty, based on the Knowledge Guides:
| Specialty | Approximate questions |
|---|---|
| General Medicine | 10 to 14 |
| Cardiology | 8 to 12 |
| Endocrinology | 8 to 12 |
| Gastroenterology | 8 to 12 |
| Haematology | 8 to 12 |
| Infectious Diseases | 8 to 12 |
| Medical Oncology | 8 to 12 |
| Nephrology | 8 to 12 |
| Neurology | 8 to 12 |
| Respiratory and Sleep Medicine | 8 to 12 |
| Rheumatology | 8 to 12 |
| Geriatric Medicine | 5 to 9 |
Two things stand out:
- No specialty dominates. Ten specialties sit in the same range, so a weak one costs about as much as any other. Breadth matters more than depth in a favourite topic.
- The ranges are approximate. Treat them as a guide to how to split your time, not a promise of how many questions you'll see. Check the current blueprint on the RACP's DWE pages.
The syllabus: the Basic Training Curriculum Knowledge Guides
The blueprint is built on the RACP's Basic Training Curriculum. Its Knowledge Guides for Adult Internal Medicine list the presentations and conditions a basic physician trainee is expected to know in each knowledge area, both the key ones and the less common. The version we use (5.3) covers:
- Cardiology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Haematology, Nephrology, Neurology, Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, and Rheumatology;
- General Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, Infectious Diseases and Medical Oncology;
- Dermatology, Genetic and Metabolic Medicine, Immunology and Allergy, Medical Obstetrics, Palliative Medicine, and Pharmacology, Toxicology and Addiction Medicine.
Download the current Knowledge Guides from the RACP and use them as a checklist. Tick off each condition when you can answer questions on it, not when you've read about it. The gaps that remain are your study plan.
What the format means for how you study
- Start with a benchmark across every specialty. A timed set weighted to the blueprint shows which areas need the most time. The free FRACP DWE Diagnostic does this: 40 questions in 71 minutes, with results by specialty.
- Give the Medical Sciences paper its share. Statistics and pharmacology reward steady practice. The Biostatistics & Evidence-Based Medicine, Clinical Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics and Cardiovascular Physiology courses are built for it.
- Practise choosing the best answer, not just a right one. Read every explanation, including the ones you got right, to learn why the other options lose.
- Answer the Australian way. Management questions assume Australian practice: Therapeutic Guidelines (eTG), the PBS and TGA, and the Australian society guidelines.
- Sit full papers at exam pace in the last month, so the length of the day isn't new.
For the method in detail, see how to pass the RACP written exam, and for a checklist to 9 February, how to prepare for the RACP written exam.
Where Physify fits
Physify is FRACP written and clinical exam preparation built on Australian guidance. Everything Physify has for the written exam is on one page: 11,100+ exam-style MCQs across 352 courses in 17 specialties, 18 full timed mock exams, and your coverage and quiz average in each specialty against the blueprint. Free, with no sign-up:
- the FRACP DWE Diagnostic, weighted to the blueprint;
- 10 practice questions in each specialty.
Common questions
How many questions are in the RACP written exam?
170, in two papers: 70 in Medical Sciences and 100 in Clinical Applications.
Is there negative marking in the RACP written exam?
No. A wrong answer costs nothing, so answer every question.
What is the syllabus for the RACP written exam?
The RACP's Basic Training Curriculum Knowledge Guides for Adult Internal Medicine. The blueprint, which gives the approximate number of questions per specialty, is based on them.
Is the BPT written exam format the same as the FRACP written exam?
Yes. Basic physician trainees (BPT) sit the RACP Divisional Written Examination, a step on the way to Fellowship (FRACP), so the format above is the BPT written exam format.
How long is the RACP written exam?
The RACP publishes the timetable for each sitting on its Divisional Written Examination pages. Check there for your sitting.