How to Prepare for the RACGP AKT Exam: 2025 Strategy Guide by PassGP

The Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) is one of the three major Fellowship exams for RACGP candidates - and often the first hurdle on the path to becoming a Fellowed GP in Australia.

Covering clinical knowledge, evidence-based practice, and practical decision-making, the AKT demands both a wide knowledge base and strong exam technique.

In this PassGP guide - written in consultation with our Chief Examiner, A/Prof George Eskander - we’ll take you through what the AKT really tests, how to prepare effectively, and the mistakes to avoid in 2025.

What Is the RACGP AKT?

The AKT is a 3.5-hour written multiple-choice exam designed to assess your applied clinical knowledge in general practice.

The AKT is sat before (or alongside) the KFP. Together, these two exams assess your knowledge and reasoning before the CCE evaluates your consultation skills.

 What Does the AKT Actually Test?

Unlike a textbook test, the AKT focuses on real-life GP applications:

• Diagnosis and investigation
• Initial and ongoing management
• Preventative care and screening
• Emergency and red flag recognition
• Evidence-based guidelines
• Public health, prescribing, and ethics

A/Prof Eskander explains:

“The AKT doesn’t reward memorisation. It rewards practical clinical thinking - the kind of decisions you make every day as a registrar.”

High-Yield Topics in the AKT

From reviewing thousands of past cases and mock exams at PassGP, these are the most consistently tested domains:

• Chronic Disease: diabetes, COPD, hypertension, lipid management
• Women’s Health: contraception, antenatal care, cervical screening
• Paediatrics: fever, developmental delay, rashes
• Mental Health: depression, anxiety, suicide risk
• Emergency Presentations: chest pain, abdominal pain, red eye, trauma
• Indigenous Health and culturally safe care
• Pharmacology and Prescribing Safety

Our PassGP AKT library mirrors this distribution - ensuring your study time aligns with exam weighting.

How to Prepare Effectively

1. Use Exam-Style MCQs - Not Just Guidelines

Reading is necessary, but not sufficient.

• Practise with questions in real exam format
• Include distractors and similar-sounding options
• Review explanations for both right and wrong answers

💡 Tip: PassGP’s 1,875 AKT questions are written by examiners and refined with live user data - not copied or generic.

2. Don’t Cram - Spaced Repetition Wins

Use tools like:

• Timed sets
• Random topic generators
• Case-matching (e.g., clinical scenarios first, then questions)

A/Prof Eskander says:

“Good candidates don’t try to learn everything. They study common things deeply, revise often, and test themselves under pressure.”

3. Know How Questions Are Written

AKT items:

• Always have one best answer
• Test action, not theory (“What is the next step?”)
• Include distractors that sound reasonable but are unsafe or inefficient

That’s why question technique matters as much as content knowledge.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

PassGP AKT Features

Our platform is designed for serious candidates - whether you’re local or an IMG.

1,875 AKT-style questions
Timed exam mode and performance tracking
Written by real RACGP examiners
Updated quarterly for relevance
Linked to KFP and CCE prep - so you don’t waste time

Many registrars who use PassGP score 5–10% higher than those who don’t use a structured platform.

Final Thoughts

The AKT is not about being perfect - it’s about being consistent, safe, and aligned with how Australian GPs practise in 2025.

With PassGP and the guidance of leaders like A/Prof George Eskander, you don’t just study harder - you study smarter.

 Start your free trial now and access the most targeted AKT preparation in Australia.