HKCA Final MCQ
HKCA Final Fellowship Examination (Anaesthesiology)
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ExploreAbout this exam
The Final Fellowship Examination is the summative assessment run by The Hong Kong College of Anaesthesiologists (HKCA), the body whose website lists separate training, course and examination pathways under three headings: Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine. The exam is intended for trainees who have completed the College's specialty training in anaesthesiology and who are working towards Fellowship; the College's site also describes a Joint Syllabus in Intensive Care Medicine implemented on 1 July 2022 and notes important changes to the Final Fellowship Examination in 2018, so candidates should confirm the current syllabus and format directly with the College rather than relying on older study material. Because the published syllabus spans anaesthesiology, intensive care and pain medicine, preparation should be broad: core anaesthetic pharmacology and physics, airway and regional techniques, perioperative medicine, ICU physiology, ventilation and organ support, and acute and chronic pain assessment and management. The College site also highlights simulation-based learning and an echocardiography training pathway, both useful adjuncts. A sensible plan is to work through the College guidelines and syllabus documents first, then build regular MCQ practice around weak domains, and rehearse structured clinical reasoning. This page is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the HKCA; always verify examination details against the official College website.
What you'll study
About HKCA Final MCQ preparation
Which domains does the Final Fellowship Examination cover?
The College organises its training and examination material under three headings: Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine. Plan revision across all three rather than concentrating on anaesthesia alone, since intensive care and pain medicine each have their own training, course and examination pages on the College site.
How current is the syllabus?
The College lists a Joint Syllabus in Intensive Care Medicine implemented on 1 July 2022, and separately notes important changes to the Final Fellowship Examination in 2018. Treat any material older than these dates with caution and check the official site for the version now in force.
Is the exam only multiple choice?
The source material available here does not describe the paper-by-paper format, so the number of MCQ papers, their duration and any other components cannot be confirmed. Candidates should obtain the current format and marking rules directly from the College before finalising a revision plan.
How hard is it, and what is the pass mark?
No pass mark, pass rate or difficulty rating is published in the material available here. As a final fellowship-level assessment it assumes solid grasp of the whole syllabus, so the realistic preparation standard is confident, accurate recall across anaesthesiology, intensive care and pain medicine rather than depth in one area.
Can I retake it if I fail, and how many attempts are allowed?
The retake policy, permitted number of attempts and any intervening training requirements are not stated in the source material. Because these rules materially affect planning, confirm them in writing with the College office rather than relying on what other candidates report.
How long is the exam and when is it held?
Neither the examination duration nor the sitting dates appear in the source material. The College site maintains a news and events section and an annual scientific meeting listing, which is where scheduling announcements are normally posted, so monitor that page and any trainee communications.
What should I study first?
Start with the College's own syllabus and guidelines, since these define the scope. Then map your weakest domain, whether intensive care physiology and organ support or pain assessment and management, and build practice questions around it before moving to mixed-topic sets that mirror exam conditions.
What is the most common way candidates lose marks?
Over-reliance on outdated notes is a recurring risk here, given the 2018 examination changes and the 2022 intensive care syllabus. The second is narrow coverage: candidates who revise only anaesthesia tend to be exposed by intensive care and pain medicine items. Verify facts against current College documents.
Are there resources beyond reading?
The College highlights simulation-based learning for patient safety in multidisciplinary settings, and lists a training pathway in echocardiography plus peri-operative medicine. These are useful for building applied understanding, though they supplement rather than replace systematic syllabus-based revision.
Is this page official?
No. This is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to The Hong Kong College of Anaesthesiologists. Examination rules, dates and syllabus content should always be confirmed on the official College website.