FCPS Part-1 study plan
FCPS Part-1 · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Basic Sciences (as defined by the relevant specialty faculty curriculum)
Build a one-page syllabus map that lists every Basic Sciences subtopic (anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, pharmacology, microbiology, behavioral science) and tag each as high, medium, or low yield based on the faculty curriculum weighting
Define a spaced-repetition workflow and create the first 150 flashcards covering high-yield physiology and biochemistry concepts
Complete a 50-question untimed baseline set drawn only from Basic Sciences and log every wrong answer with its underlying concept gap
Schedule five fixed 70-minute study blocks per week in a calendar and protect them from work commitments
Your checkpoint
A dated syllabus map plus a baseline error log listing at least 40 distinct weak concepts ranked by frequency
Basic Sciences (as defined by the relevant specialty faculty curriculum)
Explain, without notes, the core mechanisms of membrane transport, acid-base regulation, and cardiac electrophysiology to a study partner
Draw and label the major anatomical structures and pathways most frequently tested in the faculty curriculum
Work through 120 mixed Basic Sciences questions in timed blocks of 30 and review every explanation
Convert each missed question into a one-line rule and add it to the flashcard deck
Your checkpoint
A 40-item mechanism summary sheet and a timed 30-question block scored at or above 55 percent
Basic Sciences (as defined by the relevant specialty faculty curriculum)
Compare and contrast the major classes of antimicrobials and autonomic drugs by mechanism, target receptor or enzyme, and key adverse effect
Outline the pathological hallmarks and causal pathways of the ten highest-yield disease processes in the curriculum
Teach two microbiology topics aloud from memory, recording yourself and noting gaps
Review all week 1 and week 2 flashcards and retire cards answered correctly three times in a row
Your checkpoint
A completed drug and pathology comparison table covering at least 30 entries, self-tested to 80 percent recall
Basic Sciences (as defined by the relevant specialty faculty curriculum) & Clinical Sciences (as defined by the relevant specialty faculty curriculum)
Sit a full-length 100-question mixed mock under exam timing and mark every question by domain and confidence
Analyze the mock by domain to identify the three weakest Basic Sciences areas and the two weakest Clinical Sciences areas
Relearn only the identified weak areas using primary notes, then re-attempt the same missed questions after 48 hours
Begin a Clinical Sciences syllabus map mirroring the week 1 method
Your checkpoint
A mock score report with a domain-by-domain accuracy table and a prioritized remediation list of no more than eight items
Clinical Sciences (as defined by the relevant specialty faculty curriculum)
Map the major clinical presentations in the curriculum to their differential diagnoses, first-line investigations, and initial management
Practice 40 clinical vignette questions that require two-step reasoning, verbalizing the reasoning chain before checking the answer
Build a one-page algorithm for each of the five most frequently tested emergency presentations
Cross-link each clinical topic to its underlying Basic Sciences mechanism on the syllabus map
Your checkpoint
Five completed management algorithms plus a vignette log showing reasoning errors categorized by type
Clinical Sciences (as defined by the relevant specialty faculty curriculum)
Apply infection-control, antibiotic-stewardship, and patient-safety principles to ten written clinical scenarios
Interpret common laboratory and imaging findings by writing a short structured report for 20 given data sets
Complete 120 Clinical Sciences questions in timed blocks and keep a running accuracy chart by subtopic
Identify and correct the three most repeated reasoning errors from weeks 4 and 5
Your checkpoint
A timed 40-question Clinical Sciences block scored at or above 60 percent with a subtopic accuracy chart
Basic Sciences (as defined by the relevant specialty faculty curriculum) & Clinical Sciences (as defined by the relevant specialty faculty curriculum)
Sit two full-length 100-question mixed mocks under strict exam conditions on separate days
Review every incorrect and every guessed-correct answer, writing a one-line justification for the correct option
Re-drill the 60 highest-frequency missed concepts across both domains using flashcards only
Simulate exam-day logistics once, including start time, breaks, and materials
Your checkpoint
Two mock score reports showing improvement over week 4, with a final list of no more than 30 residual weak concepts
Basic Sciences (as defined by the relevant specialty faculty curriculum) & Clinical Sciences (as defined by the relevant specialty faculty curriculum)
Clear the residual weak-concept list by re-testing each item until answered correctly twice without prompts
Complete 150 rapid-fire mixed questions at exam pace to rebuild stamina and timing
Recite the high-yield summary sheets for both domains from memory in a single 90-minute session
Finalize a one-page exam-day strategy covering time per question, guessing rules, and flagging
Your checkpoint
A final readiness checklist signed off only if the last mock reaches the target score and the residual list is empty
Milestones
Week 2: Syllabus map complete for Basic Sciences and at least 300 active flashcards; timed Basic Sciences block at or above 55 percent
Week 4: Full-length mixed mock completed under timing with a domain accuracy table; remediation list limited to eight items
Week 6: Clinical Sciences syllabus map complete; timed Clinical Sciences block at or above 60 percent
Week 7: Two additional full-length mocks completed with scores trending upward versus week 4
Week 8: Residual weak-concept list empty and final mock at or above the personal target score