GCPS Primary Exam

It is the entry assessment for doctors seeking to begin GCPS specialist residency training. The College's faculty lists indicate the destinations: the Division of Physicians (Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Laboratory Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy, Paediatrics and Child Health, Psychiatry, Public Health, Radiology) and the Division of Surgeons (Anaesthesia, Dental Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Neurosurgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedic and Trauma, Otorhinolaryngology, Surgery).

The Primaries examines basic sciences relevant to your intended division rather than clinical specialty content alone. Physician-side candidates should expect the sciences underpinning internal medicine, paediatrics, psychiatry, public health, laboratory medicine, radiology and oncology; surgeon-side candidates the sciences underpinning anaesthesia, obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, ENT, neurosurgery, emergency medicine and dental surgery.

The College's site shows a registration window for Primaries, Membership and Fellowship Examination announced through its news and social channels, but the retrieved pages do not state the dates, fee or venue. Registration for College examinations is handled online. Check gcps.edu.gh and the College's Facebook updates, or contact [email protected] and +233 (0) 24-369-0073, before planning your study timeline.

The College's published pages do not state the duration, number of papers, question counts or pass mark for the Primaries. Treat any figure you see elsewhere as unverified. Confirm the format and marking directly with the College before you build a revision plan around it, and note that the College periodically revises examination arrangements.

The College's website does not publish a retake policy, number of attempts allowed, or waiting period between sittings on the pages available. Because this affects your training timeline, ask the College directly at [email protected] rather than relying on what other candidates report, since rules can change between examination cycles.

It is a broad basic-sciences barrier exam spanning two large divisions, so difficulty comes from breadth rather than from obscure trivia. Candidates who fail usually under-prepare one science discipline, or study only their intended specialty. Treat anatomy, physiology, pathology and pharmacology as compulsory for everyone, then layer on the sciences specific to your division.

Build physiology and anatomy first, because pathology and pharmacology depend on them. Then integrate pathology with the clinical sciences of your division, and finish with timed mixed-topic practice under exam conditions. Use the College's own learning resources, including its virtual lectures and library, alongside independent question practice, and start early enough to revisit weak disciplines twice.

Three recur: ignoring a whole discipline because it feels irrelevant to your chosen specialty; memorising facts without practising applied, case-based reasoning; and leaving timed practice until the last weeks. A fourth is relying on unverified claims about format or scoring. Verify exam logistics with the College, then spend your remaining time on retrieval practice rather than rereading notes.

Yes. The College site lists a library and educational resources, virtual lectures through a learning portal, an e-port, and a College Journal, plus recorded documentaries and public lectures. It also hosts a GCPS/RCPath video lecture series of 24 lectures covering chemical pathology, haematology, histopathology and microbiology, developed with the Royal College of Pathologists and THET.

No. This is independent study material written for candidates searching for the GCPS Primary Examination. It is not produced, reviewed or endorsed by the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons. For authoritative information on eligibility, registration, fees, examination format and results, use the College's own website and contact details.