The PassGP RACGP AKT 2025 Strategy Guide
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 You Need To Know About The AKT Exam
The AKT is a 3.5-hour written multiple-choice exam designed to assess your applied clinical knowledge in general practice.
|
Feature |
Details |
|
Format |
150 multiple choice questions (MCQs) |
|
Time limit |
210 minutes (3.5 hours) |
|
Pass mark |
Varies each sitting (~65–70%) |
The AKT is sat 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
In our humble opinion 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.
Learn More About PassGP AKTHow to Prepare Effectively
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Use Exam-Style MCQs - Not Just Guidelines
Reading is necessary, but not sufficient.
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Practise with questions in real exam format
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Include distractors and similar-sounding options
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Review explanations for both right and wrong answers
PassGP’s 1,875 AKT questions are written by examiners and refined continually - not copied or generic.
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Don’t Cram - Spaced Repetition Wins
Use tools like:
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Timed sets
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Random topic generators
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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.”
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Know How Questions Are Written
AKT items:
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Always have one best answer
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Test action, not theory (“What is the next step?”)
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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
|
Mistake |
How to Fix It |
|
Memorising instead of understanding |
Focus on applied logic and examination technique |
|
Ignoring Australian context |
Study PBS prescribing, Indigenous care, local guidelines |
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Using low-quality question banks |
Use questions built to the highest standard |
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Never timing yourself |
Simulate full-length exams in the final month |
Why Doctors Fail the AKT
Most candidates fail not from lack of effort, but from the wrong strategy. They might conquer the knowledge of Medicine, but many fail to master exam technique.
The AKT demands high-level clinical reasoning, applied pharmacology, and fast, confident decision-making. That’s exactly what PassGP prepares you for:
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Cramming doesn’t work. Rote learning falls apart under real-time pressure.
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Low-quality questions mislead. Many providers offer poor imitations of real AKT logic.
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Time pressure is intense, especially for IMGs. You get just over one minute per question.
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The syllabus is vast. Without structured coverage, key gaps emerge.
PassGP gives you more than just content. We teach you how to think like the Examiner.
Start your journey.
Trial PassGP for Free
27 AKT Questions pitched at the difficulty level of the exams
15 New Style KFP Questions in exact exam format
18 CCE Questions Across 6 Cases pitched at the difficulty level of the exams
PassGP Mobile App ready to use
PassGP AI Virtual Tutor to teach and answer your medical queries
Full access to the PassGP Academy, focussing on examination technique
Full access to the Medical Statistics 101 Course, focussing on medical statistics
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Leveraging Cognitive Science
The AKT is not just about content - it’s about performance under pressure.
PassGP is grounded in cognitive science: We use high-yield recall questions that strengthen long-term retention and clinical transfer, not passive recognition.
This means you’ll learn while you test—mastering the reasoning you’ll need in the real exam.
PassRACGP Digital Flashcards With Every KFP/AKT Package
- A perfect balance of mastery
- The entire PassRACGP Digital Flashcards series
- Focus on knowledge retention, while practice questions allow you to apply that knowledge.
- Using both tools ensures you’re well-prepared for both the material and the exam format
- Newly Released - 3-Month PassRACGGP Flashcards Package
