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Tips for candidates to improve AKT exam outcomes
The bi-annual Applied Knowledge Test public exam report outlines details about the recent exam and highlights some areas in which the cohort could improve.
The Applied Knowledge Test comprises 150 questions incorporating two different questions types – single best answer questions and extended matching questions.
The RACGP Fellowship (FRACGP) Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) is a three-hour online exam. An additional hour is granted to all candidates to allow extra time for those for whom English is a second language and for slow readers and/or typists.
The AKT comprises 150 questions incorporating two different questions types – single best answer questions and extended matching questions.
A public exam report is released following each AKT exam. This details statistics including the pass rate, the mean score of the cohort and the reliability of the exam.
The most recent 2018.2 AKT exam had an overall pass mark of 61.9% and a pass rate of 66.6% from a total of 1194 candidates who sat the exam. The pass rate is historically quite stable, with only small variation from exam to exam.
Some common areas of the 2018.2 exam where candidates could improve:
- The cohort performed less well in women’s health, dermatology, and musculoskeletal medicine.
- Candidates continue to not read the question completely, or appreciate the importance of all the information that is provided.
- Candidates did not demonstrate sufficient knowledge of second-line management choices. It is important that candidates are aware of limitations or contraindications to first-line investigation and treatment options. Second-line management options should be considered depending on the clinical information provided.
- Clinical reasoning skills remain a challenge for some candidates. It is important candidates are able to assimilate patient demographics, location of practice, consider appropriate differential diagnoses, and demonstrate reasoning skills when selecting the appropriate diagnosis, investigation and/or management option.
The RACGP recommends the following advice for candidates when preparing for and sitting the exam:
- Read each question carefully and remember that all the information provided is likely to be important.
- Read widely, including journals, medical textbooks, common general practice publications, and a broad range of guidelines (including those published by the RACGP).
- Remember that learning just the first step in an investigation or management does not demonstrate depth of knowledge. For example, a first-line blood pressure medication may be contraindicated, requiring knowledge of the second-line or third-line choice.
- Identify gaps in clinical knowledge and develop a learning plan to improve areas of need. This is ideally completed through identifying knowledge that may be weak, or lacking, when working every day seeing patients.
This guidance may also support candidates who are preparing for the other FRACGP exams – the Key Feature Problem (KFP) exam and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).
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