How we write FCPS Part 1 questions

Every question in FCPS-1 Prep starts with the same question: what does CPSP actually ask? We answered it from past papers, mapped the answers to the CPSP syllabus, and wrote 9,399 original questions from that map.

1. Collect what CPSP actually asks

   CPSP does not publish its papers. After every sitting, candidates write down the questions they remember, and these collections are shared from year to year. We gathered 35 of these collections, covering sittings from 2015 to 2024 across Medicine, Surgery, Gynaecology and Radiology: more than 46,000 remembered items in all.

   Many collections copy each other, so the same question can appear in five books and look five times more important than it is. We grouped the items by concept and counted each concept once per collection. That left about 23,000 distinct concepts, of which about 4,000 turned up in more than one collection. Those repeats are where we write first.

2. Map every concept to the CPSP syllabus

   The CPSP FCPS Part I prospectus lists what each paper covers but gives no weightings. We turned it into a map of 607 syllabus points: 207 for Paper 1, which every specialty sits, and the rest for each specialty's Paper 2. Every past-paper concept is matched to its point, so each point carries a real weight: how often CPSP has tested it.

   That weight decides how many questions each topic gets. Heavily tested topics get many questions from different angles; rarely tested topics still get enough to cover the syllabus.

3. Write original questions in the CPSP format

   Every question is written from scratch as a single best answer with five options. Paper 1 questions test the core sciences directly. Paper 2 questions start from a short clinical scenario and test the anatomy, physiology, pathology or pharmacology behind it, as CPSP describes its Paper 2.

   Stems vary in length the way the real paper does, and the lead-in names exactly what is being asked, so you can answer it with the options covered. Distractors are things a well-prepared candidate could reasonably choose, and the correct option is never the longest one by a giveaway margin.

4. Explain every option, not just the answer

   Each question comes with an explanation of the mechanism, a short reason why each wrong option is wrong, a one-glance note card with the facts worth remembering, and the exam trap that catches most candidates. Each question also links to a full review of its syllabus topic, so one wrong answer leads you through the whole topic.

5. Check, review and correct

   Every question passes automatic checks before it goes live: correct format, five plausible options, no answer cues, and no duplicate of a question already in the bank. New batches are reviewed independently for accuracy and clarity, and errors reported by users are corrected and released to everyone.

What is in each bank

Paper 1 is the same for every specialty, so its questions appear in every bank. Paper 2 questions belong to one specialty. You can practise each paper on its own, or practise by topic across both.

Surgery & AlliedMedicine & AlliedObstetrics & GynaecologyDiagnostic Radiology

What we do not do

• We do not copy past-paper questions or textbook text. Remembered questions are often incomplete or wrong, and copying them would copy their errors.
• We do not promise a pass rate or quote statistics we cannot show you.
• We are not connected to CPSP. Always check dates, fees and rules in the current CPSP notice.

Try it before you start

Every subject has a page of sample questions with full explanations: Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Surgery Paper 2, Medicine Paper 2, Gynaecology Paper 2 and Radiology Paper 2. For planning, read the FCPS Part 1 complete guide and the past papers analysis.

Frequently asked questions