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RACGP releases final AKT exam report of the year
More than 800 candidates sat the most recent Fellowship exam to demonstrate knowledge in the clinical context of general practice.
AKT 2024.2 exam psychometrics indicate the 829 candidates had a higher mean score and overall higher pass rate compared to the previous cycle.
On the pathway to Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP), is the Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) exam, designed to test the application of knowledge in the clinical context of Australian general practice to determine unsupervised practice as a GP.
The RACGP has now published the results for the 2024.2 AKT, revealing a pass rate of 82.15% from a total of 829 candidates who sat the exam on 5 July.
The pass rate is the percentage of candidates who achieved the pass mark – which was 66.44% for the 2024.2 AKT. A candidate must achieve a score equal to or higher than the pass mark to pass the exam.
RACGP National AKT Assessment Advisor Dr Sharnti Caulley welcomed the results.
‘The AKT exam psychometrics for the 24.2 cycle indicate that this cohort of candidates had a higher mean score and overall a higher pass rate when compared to the previous cycle,’ she told newsGP.
Delivered on paper, the AKT exam consists of 150 questions comprising single-best answer and modified extended matching questions.
All questions are written by experienced GPs who currently work in clinical practice and are based on clinical presentations typically seen in the Australian general practice setting.
Reviews are also performed by GPs who are currently in clinical practice across the country, with the report identifying common areas of the AKT 2024.2 where candidates could improve, including:
- performing poorly on the case
- common errors in approaching the AKT
- serious conditions that are missed or misdiagnosed
- not considering indications and contraindications, eg for immunisation and/or medication
- inappropriate referral pathways.
Dr Caulley offers tips for future candidates to help them best prepare.
‘One of the best exam preparation resources available to candidates are the
self-assessment progress testings (SAPTs) which are available through
gplearning,’ she said.
‘These are all real exam questions from recent exam cycles. The questions include an answer rationale as well as links to resources and the curriculum.
‘I highly recommend that candidates complete the SAPTs before attempting the AKT exam.’
The report suggests a general trend that the rate of passing the exam diminishes with each subsequent attempt, again emphasising the need for candidates’ preparation and readiness to sit the exam and have success.
Pass rates by number of attempts for the AKT 2024.2 are:
- first attempt, 91.3%
- second attempt, 72.6%
- third attempt, 53.8%
- fourth and subsequent attempts, 23.9%.
Time management is critical for the AKT, according to Dr Caulley.
‘If a candidate finds a question difficult, it is worth flagging that question and coming back to it if there is time at the end,’ she said.
‘I highly encourage candidates to practice their time management both with the SAPTs and also the practice exam.’
The RACGP has a
suite of resources to help with Fellowship exam preparation, as well as the
AKT and Key Feature Problem (KFP) exam guide.
The AKT 2025.1 is scheduled for Friday 17 January, with results published on Tuesday 11 March on the RACGP’s exam results web page.
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