2023.2 AKT and KFP information for candidates

Both the AKT and KFP will be delivered on paper in 2023.2. You will complete a bubble answer sheet for the AKT, and you’ll complete the KFP by writing short answers and shading in multiple-choice options on computer-readable answer sheets. We’ll provide you with pens. You’re not permitted to use pencils or provide your own pens as these may not be visible to the scanning software.

Both the AKT and KFP will be held at 11am in each venue’s local time. There are not multiple sessions.

Both exams have a duration of four hours.

All enrolled candidates will receive an exam venue confirmation email in the week starting 5 June . You are advised to wait until your venue has been confirmed before making travel arrangements.

If you have not received your venue confirmation after the this week, please contact examinations@racgp.org.au.

No. Unfortunately, we are unable to change your exam venue once you have received your confirmed venue allocation.

If you have a medical condition or disability that significantly impacts your ability to complete the exam on paper, please submit a request with evidence – including a letter from your treating medical practitioner or statutory declaration – in line with the RACGP’s special arrangements policy as soon as possible. We can’t accept these requests after 9 June 2023.

Please contact us at examinations@racgp.org.au urgently to discuss your circumstances if you need a special arrangement but can’t meet this date.

Candidates are permitted to bring the following items into the exam room without an approved special arrangement:

Medicine and medical devices

• Medication – if in original pack
  • EpiPens
  • inhaler
  • simple analgesia
  • prescription medications where doses are required during the exam time
  • insulin
• Diabetes / blood glucose monitoring devices or insulin pumps. You can bring your blood glucose monitor as well as your insulin to help maintain your blood sugar levels. If your phone is required, it must be on flight mode with all sounds disabled and must be placed on your desk in view of the invigilators.
• Eye drops
• Ear drops
• Nasal spray
• Hearing aids

Food and water

• A small amount of food such as a muesli bar or lollies. Please note the food must be of a type that creates minimal disruption to other candidates and minimal noise when consumed (no plastic wrappers). Hot food or food with nuts or strong odour is not permitted. Food should be in a clear zip lock bag.
• Water in up to two (2) clear, colourless plastic bottles – the bottles can’t have any writing on them, labels must be removed, and you should place these bottles on the floor or beside your chair only (not on your desk) during the exam

Comfort aids

• Prescription / reading glasses (can be in case with cleaning cloth)
• Lip balm
• Feminine hygiene products – in plain, unlabelled packaging and placed in a clear zip lock bag
• Tissues – a small pack in their original packaging
• Hand towel
• Ear plugs – disposable foam earplugs in their original, sealed packaging only. If you choose to use earplugs, it’s your responsibility to ensure you can hear any announcements the invigilator makes.
• Face mask
• Pen grip
• Cushion

All items must be reviewed at registration and may not be allowed in the exam if they don’t meet the requirements. Ear plugs and tissues will be provided at all venues.

Candidates are not permitted to bring the following items into the exam room:

• Pens, pencils, or other writing devices or stationery of any kind (pens will be provided in all examinations)
• Paper including blank notepaper, notes, books or notebooks
• Mobile phones
• Watches of any type
• Timing or recording devices, calculators, computers, iPads, iPods, tablets, organisers or electronic devices of any type
• Electronic or active earplugs or headphones, ear muffs or earplugs not in their original sealed packaging
• Non-religious headwear, hats or hooded jackets/jumpers/tops
• Any bags or other personal belongings. Your invigilator will advise where to place your belongings.

Check that you don’t have any of these items on you before you start your exam.

You need to bring photo identification (ID) to your exam. This must be a current (not expired), original document. Digital IDs (IDs on a mobile phone app), scans or copies are not accepted. Accepted forms of ID are:

• passport
• Australian driver’s licence
• proof-of-age or identity card issued by an Australian state or territory
• Australian student identity card
• any other Australian entitlement or identity card issued by the Australian Federal Government or a state/territory government that includes a photograph.

The name on your ID must match your name in our records. If your ID doesn’t match our records, contact examinations@racgp.org.au at least 48 hours before your scheduled exam time. Middle names are not considered, only first and last names. If we can’t confirm your identity before your exam, you may not be permitted to sit.

No. We’ll provide a pen for you. We will have ample spare pens at each venue in case your pen stops working. You can keep the pen at the end of the exam if you want or leave it behind – all pens will be disposed of at the end of each day as part of our COVID-safe plan.

No. You must use the black ball-point pen provided for you to ensure your paper can be scanned by our exam vendor. Inks from fountain pens, markers, and other types of pens are prone to smudge, bleed, or run, which could make your answers harder to read, or may not be compatible with the scanning process. To ensure your responses are clearly recorded, you must use the black ball-point pen you are provided with on the exam days.

If you make a mistake in a multiple-choice question, place a cross through the circle you want to remove and shade a new choice. To re-select a crossed-out answer, circle your choice and make sure to cross out any unwanted choices. If there is any doubt, a human examiner will review your answer.
 
If you need to change a response to a written question, cross it out and re-write it nearby. Ensure it is obvious which question your answer applies to.

We will be printing spare exam papers. Every venue will have a small number of spare papers available if a candidate needs a new paper because their original paper is damaged during the exam.

Please take your time when completing the exam paper and try your best to write as neatly as possible. We have added 30 minutes of additional time allowed to complete the KFP.

KFP answers do not require full sentences, and you do not need to provide the rationale behind your answer unless it is specifically asked for. The answer booklet contains more than sufficient room to write answers of the appropriate length.

For the KFP:
You will receive spare paper in your exam to make notes. We ask you not to make notes in the exam booklet to ensure clarity for our markers. The more writing, notes, and annotations there are in the booklet, the less clear it will be for our examiners to know exactly what you intend for your answer to be. Noting that over coding penalties still apply in the KFP (refer to the RACGP Examinations guide), we suggest candidates do not write anything on the page that they do not intend to be considered as part of their exam answer. 

If you wish to underline, circle or flag key information in a question you may do so, but we urge you to take care not to risk confusing your marker.
 
For the AKT:
You will receive spare paper in your exam to make notes. You may underline, circle or flag key information and may make notes in the question booklet if you wish to do so. Other than shading in the selected bubbles, it is critical that you do not make any notes or other marks in the answer booklet.

The RACGP has well-established procedures for handling incidents in exam venues. If there is an interruption, please follow the instructions provided by staff at the venue.

Hand-completed answer sheets are scanned, and your answers will be digitally recognised. Where the computer cannot confidently identify your answer, human intervention is used to recognise your intent – this is most common when you’ve had to cross out an answer.

Your answer booklet will be scanned. Multiple choice answers are digitally recognised. Written responses are read by our markers, who are Fellows of the RACGP.

Answer sheets are professionally scanned, so there should not be problems with the digital version of your answers being hard to read. If a scan is low-quality, the original paper exam can be retrieved and reviewed.

Because our markers are Fellows of the RACGP, they understand the medical terminology and will work to interpret what you have written. Markers can refer difficult-to-read handwriting to other RACGP Medical Educators if they are unsure of your intent.

So long as we can understand your intent, marks will be awarded appropriately. The only time you will be penalised for messy handwriting or poor spelling is if your answer cannot be understood at all. 

All candidates enrolled in the AKT or KFP will receive a PDF copy of the paper-based practice exam. The practice exam format is the same as the real exam format. The exam booklets on exam day are printed and bound, not loose-leaf.