TECAD Cirurgia Digestiva exam-day guide
TECAD Cirurgia Digestiva · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Confirm the exact exam format, duration and item count with the provider
TECAD branding and delivery arrangements can change between sittings. Before building a study or timing plan, confirm in writing whether the paper is multiple-choice, case-based, oral-practical, or a mix, how long it lasts, and how many items it contains. Do not rely on second-hand accounts from previous candidates.
Print or download the admission confirmation and venue instructions
Keep a copy of the registration confirmation, the venue address, the reporting time and any candidate number on paper and on your phone. Check the provider's instructions for whether printed documents are mandatory.
Bring an accepted photo ID
Carry the original document the provider specifies (commonly a national identity card, passport or professional licence). Check whether a second form of ID is required and whether photocopies are accepted; confirm with the provider if the rules are unclear.
Bring your professional registration or licence evidence if requested
Some surgical examinations verify medical registration at the door. Confirm whether an original licence, a registration number, or a certificate is needed and whether digital proof is accepted.
Carry the permitted stationery only
Typically black or blue pens, a pencil, and an eraser. Confirm whether highlighters, correction fluid, or personal notes are prohibited. Pack more than one working pen.
Leave prohibited electronics and valuables at home
Smartphones, smartwatches, earpieces and study notes are usually banned from the testing room. If the venue provides no secure storage, plan to travel light. Confirm the phone policy with the provider.
Prepare for identity checks and a security screening
Arrive with pockets emptied and any permitted bag organised so screening is quick. Expect a photograph and signature at registration in many centres.
Plan the journey with a buffer
Aim to arrive well before the reporting time, allowing for traffic, parking, and finding the correct building or floor. Identify a backup transport option and a nearby place to wait.
Bring water and a light snack for before or after the test
Confirm whether food and drink are allowed inside the testing room; if not, plan to eat beforehand and keep items in a bag outside the room.
Know the break and restroom policy in advance
Ask whether supervised breaks are offered, whether you may leave during the test, and whether the clock stops. This affects hydration and timing strategy; confirm with the provider.
Review the scoring and pass rules for this sitting
Confirm whether there is a minimum score per section, negative marking, or a separate practical component. Understanding the scoring shape prevents wasted effort on low-yield sections.
Prepare a one-page revision sheet for the final morning
Limit it to high-yield lists you already know: damage-control priorities, anastomotic leak recognition, post-operative complication timing, and common biliary and pancreatic emergencies. Read it once, then put it away.
Plan the day
Stop expanding your syllabus. Re-read your own summary notes on the highest-yield topics: acute abdomen assessment, indications and timing of emergency laparotomy, management of upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding, acute pancreatitis severity and complications, biliary sepsis, and post-operative fever and leak. Practise 20 to 30 case-based items under timed conditions and review only the reasoning errors, not the facts you already know.
Confirm logistics: venue, reporting time, transport, ID requirements, and permitted items. Re-read the provider's candidate instructions in full. Resolve any ambiguity by contacting the provider rather than guessing.
Run one full timed simulation if the format is known, matching the real duration and item count. Afterwards, write a short list of your three weakest areas and spend no more than one hour on each. Do not start new resource material.
Consolidate decision frameworks rather than isolated facts: when to resuscitate versus operate, when to image versus proceed, and when to call for senior or specialist help. These frameworks carry more marks in case-based papers than rare details.
Do a light review of your one-page sheet and the timing strategy. Prepare clothes, ID, confirmation, pens and travel money. Check the weather and transport disruptions. Set two alarms.
Protect sleep. Avoid late-night cramming, alcohol, and heavy meals. If anxious, write down your worries and a short plan for the first ten minutes of the test; this reduces the chance of a blank start.
Eat a normal breakfast, hydrate moderately, and leave with a generous buffer. Read your one-page sheet once only. At the venue, complete registration and screening early, then sit quietly and do controlled breathing rather than joining anxious discussion with other candidates.
Read the instructions, note the item count and time available, and calculate your average time per item. Scan the whole paper if permitted, or begin with items you can answer confidently. Write your candidate details carefully and check them.
Work in passes. Answer clear items first, flag uncertain ones, and return to them. For case vignettes, identify the key finding and the question being asked before reading all options. Eliminate obviously unsafe or non-indicated options first. If the format penalises wrong answers, guess only when you can exclude at least one option; if it does not, never leave blanks.
Check that every item has a response if blanks are not penalised. Transfer or verify answers if a separate answer sheet is used. Do not change answers on impulse unless you identify a clear misreading; your first reasoned choice is usually correct.
Write down the topics that felt weak while memory is fresh, for future study or a resit. Do not attempt to reconstruct or share item content with others, as this may breach exam conduct rules.
Rules to check
Bring the original identity document specified by the provider and present it on request. Candidates without acceptable ID may be refused entry; confirm acceptable documents in advance.
Follow all instructions from invigilators, including seating, bag placement, and room entry and exit. Failure to comply can lead to removal from the examination.
Do not bring unauthorised materials or devices into the testing room. Phones and smartwatches should be switched off and stored as directed, or left at home. Confirm the exact policy with the provider.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the test, and do not copy, photograph, record, or share examination content. This applies before, during, and after the sitting.
Ask for clarification if an instruction is ambiguous, but expect invigilators to explain only procedure, not clinical content.
If you need to leave the room, raise your hand and wait to be escorted. Confirm in advance whether breaks are permitted and whether the clock continues to run.
Understand the scoring rules before you begin: whether there is negative marking, per-section minimums, or a separate practical assessment. Ask the provider if this is not stated in your candidate instructions.
If you believe there was a procedural problem or disruption, report it to the invigilator immediately and follow the provider's formal complaints or appeal process afterwards.