Fellowship Examination

Overview

The Fellowship examination is a summative assessment undertaken towards the end of each Surgical Education and Training program or as a requirement of a SIMG assessment. The examination is comprised of written and clinical/viva components. In each specialty, there are seven segments in total, with most being divided into two written papers and five clinical/viva segments.

The required standard for this examination is a level of competency equivalent to that of a consultant surgeon in his or her first year of independent practice. The surgical competencies espoused by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons are used as a guideline for the examiners who follow agreed marking guidelines and the predetermined standard. The examination is blueprinted to each specialty's curriculum.

Shorter Examination Delivery Days

From 2025, the exam will be delivered across two days, Saturday and Sunday.  The results release and presentation to the Court will take place on the following Monday in Australia and New Zealand, except for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery examinations, which will run from Friday to Sunday with the results released on the Monday along with the other specialties.

Uncoupling of the Fellowship Examination in 2025

From 2025, the Fellowship Examination will be uncoupled, i.e. the Written and Clinical/Viva components will be examined separately. All candidates will need to achieve a pass in the Written components of the Fellowship Examination before progressing to the Clinical/Viva components of the exams.

1) Candidates who meet the standard for a pass in the Written exams in their specialty will be invited to sit the Clinical/Viva exams.

2) Candidates who do not meet the standard for a pass in the Written exams will not be invited to sit the Clinical/ Viva exams and must repeat the written exams prior to progressing to the Clinical/ Viva exams.

3) Candidates who pass the Written exams but go on to fail the overall exam will EITHER be given a one-time exemption from sitting the Written components again at the next sitting of the FEX (within 6 months) OR will be asked to sit the Written exams again. This decision will be based on the candidate’s level of performance in the Written exams and will be made at the Specialty Court Examiner’s meeting with ratification by the Court of Examiners Executive.