KFP Capping and Grouping: Historical Written-Answer Format
Dec 19, 2024
Archive notice updated · PassGP
Historical article · former written-answer format
This article belongs to an earlier KFP format.
The original commentary below was published on 19 December 2024. It discusses grouping and capping in the former written-answer KFP and is retained as historical material.
RACGP introduced the all-multiple-selection KFP from 2025.2. Candidates now choose responses from an option list. Advice below about composing or writing answers should therefore be read in its original context. Read RACGP’s format-change announcement.
For preparation today, use our current KFP format guide and guide to choosing KFP answers.
Keep historical terminology in context
The earlier discussion of grouping should not be treated as a complete description of current MSQ scoring. In particular, historical capping and the current penalty for selecting too many options are different concepts. Consult the current RACGP AKT and KFP guide for the published marking rules.
The useful study habit remains: examine why each response belongs in this particular case. Repeatedly naming similar ideas is not a substitute for recognising the decisions the question is testing.
Original commentary — 19 December 2024
The article that follows is preserved in its original wording. References to the exam and to PassGP teaching describe the context at the time of publication.
In my personal experience, KFP exams worldwide are full of little almost lovable (!) quirks, much like the little moles on your face that you once hated but have somehow grown to love.
Here is one of them – it is quite possible to answer a question entirely correctly and yet still not be awarded the full range of marks.
But HOW? Welcome to the quirky world of capping.
Capping clumps answers up into classes and puts a maximum cap on what they can score. The theory is that candidates should be able to demonstrate a full breadth of knowledge, and less able ones will be tempted to write down lots of similar answers.
When is this used?
LOTS!
- Drug class and dosage questions
- History findings
- Examination findings
- Skin lesion excisions
- And many more scenarios
There isn’t much more point to delve into it here, except to point out that:
- It is absolutely part of the exam game
- You need to know about it
- With some expert tuition, you can easily mitigate against it
Rest assured - the PassGP Examiners will step you through meticulously exactly how this is applied, and how to avoid being capped.
And we do this over and over until you become so proficient that you start dreaming of capping.
We've got you.
