Fellowship of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (FRANZCP)

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) Fellowship pathway involves training milestones and assessment requirements beyond the three assessments covered here. The College also identifies workplace-based assessments, Entrustable Professional Activities, the Scholarly Project, the Psychotherapy Written Case, and mandatory online modules as parts of training progression.

This guide focuses on:

• Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) Exam: foundational psychiatry knowledge and critical analysis.
• Modified Essay Questions (MEQ) Exam: written application of clinical knowledge and critical thinking.
• Clinical Competency Portfolio Review (CCPR): a holistic review of recorded Stage 3 workplace-assessment evidence and feedback.

The RANZCP lists the Critical Essay Question (CEQ) examination as discontinued and points to Critical Thinking in Psychiatry learning modules as its replacement. Check current College training information for requirements and transition arrangements that apply to your circumstances.

The College describes the CCPR as drawing on multiple assessment points over time and multiple assessors. Stage 2 ITAs and OCAs are not part of this review.

The RANZCP describes the MCQ as sampling foundational knowledge from the Stage 1 and Stage 2 syllabuses. Its listed areas are examples, not an exhaustive list.

The College describes these different task formats and content areas; prepare for each assessment according to its stated purpose.

MCQ Exam

• You may apply after completing 6 months of full-time-equivalent (FTE) training recorded on your Training Record.
• The College recommends sitting the exam in Stage 2 and states it should normally be passed by 36 months FTE.
• Passing the MCQ is not required to enter Stage 3, but it is required before starting a Certificate of Advanced Training.

MEQ Exam

• You may apply after completing 18 months FTE training.
• The College advises sitting it during Stage 3, described as 30–60 FTE months, and says it should normally be completed by 60 months FTE.

CCPR

• The published standard requirements are at least 12 months of Stage 3 training, two Stage 3 end-of-rotation ITAs, two Stage 3 OCAs, and one Stage 3 IOCA.
• Trainee and specialist international medical graduate (SIMG) candidates need current medical registration. SIMG candidates must be enrolled on the partial-comparability pathway and hold current comparability status.
• Candidates with a not-in-training status are not eligible.
• The one-OCA allowance applied to the September 2026 CCPR round only. The College's stated standard requirement is two Stage 3 OCAs.

Eligibility for an individual assessment is not the same as general entry to the Fellowship pathway. Check the current assessment page for the requirements that apply to your pathway and sitting.

MCQ Exam

1. Organize review around the RANZCP's named sampled knowledge areas, while allowing for the broader syllabus described by the College.
2. Practice timed MCQ sets and separately schedule CAP practice so both parts of the exam receive attention.
3. Use the published 190-minute duration to rehearse pacing. The College provides past papers and study-support materials for familiarization.

MEQ Exam

1. Rehearse five-question sessions within 150 minutes, including reading time.
2. Practice concise, structured written reasoning that shows how clinical knowledge informs your response.
3. Use the College's computer-based demo or guide to get familiar with the testing platform. Copy and paste and spellcheck are disabled in the platform.
4. Check the mark total for your sitting: the published total is 125 before the change to 150 marks from March 2027.

CCPR

1. Keep your training record up to date so the Stage 3 ITAs, OCAs, and IOCAs intended for review are recorded.
2. Review feedback associated with workplace assessments and discuss development needs with your supervisor as part of training progression.
3. Treat the evidence as cumulative: the CCPR reviews multiple Stage 3 assessment records and feedback, rather than a single timed response.

Use the College's current assessment pages for application instructions and the relevant sitting details.

• Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand: MCQ and MEQ delivery is at testing centers in the jurisdictions and locations listed on the respective current exam pages. Confirm the locations available for your sitting.
• SIMG pathways: The CCPR page expressly includes Partially Comparable SIMGs and sets specific pathway and comparability-status requirements. Do not assume those rules apply to every international specialist pathway.
• MEQ delivery: From September 2026, the MEQ is exclusively computer-based and in person. The published 150-mark total begins in March 2027; it does not apply to 2026 sittings.
• CCPR transition: The one-OCA exception was specific to the September 2026 CCPR round. The standard published eligibility list requires two Stage 3 OCAs.
• Broader Fellowship requirements: College training information also refers to staged milestones, workplace-based assessments, a Scholarly Project, a Psychotherapy Written Case, and mandatory online modules. The MCQ, MEQ, and CCPR are not the complete Fellowship checklist.
• Applications and fees: Check the relevant exam page for application instructions, the College timetable for current sitting dates, and the College fees page for fee and cancellation or refund schedules. The timetable may be revised.