Mastering the New KFP MSQ Exam: 2025 RACGP Strategy Guide by PassGP

The RACGP KFP exam has entered a new era. In 2024, it shifted from short-answer questions to a new Multiple Selection Question (MSQ) format - a change that’s left many candidates feeling uncertain.

At PassGP, we’ve already rebuilt our entire KFP bank to mirror the new structure. Under the leadership of A/Prof George Eskander, PassGP’s Chief Examiner and former National KFP Lead for RACGP, our focus has remained clear: to teach clinical reasoning, not just content.

Here’s everything you need to know to succeed in the new format.

 What Is the New KFP MSQ Format?

Unlike the old KFP, which asked for typed short answers across 3–5 parts of a case, the new KFP presents:

• Standalone clinical scenarios (one stem per question)
• Followed by a multiple selection question
• 10–14 options, of which 2–4 are correct
• No linked questions
• Marked with partial credit, but with penalties for unsafe or irrelevant choices

For example:

“Select the most appropriate next investigations (Select 3).”

Candidates must think like a real GP:

• What is safe?
• What is necessary?
• What is not wasteful or harmful?

📏 What Does the KFP MSQ Actually Assess?

The goal is the same as before: to test whether you think like an unsupervised, safe, and efficient GP. But the structure has changed - making your reasoning even more important.

You're being assessed on:

• Diagnosis and differential reasoning
• Initial and follow-up investigations
• Management (acute and chronic)
• Medication safety
• Clinical prioritisation and judgement

According to A/Prof Eskander:

“It’s not enough to pick the right answer - you must avoid the wrong ones. One unsafe choice can cancel out two correct ones. Precision matters.”

🔍 Common KFP MSQ Topics in 2025

Based on current exam trends and PassGP analytics:

• Emergency presentations (chest pain, headache, shortness of breath)
• Chronic disease (T2DM, asthma, heart failure, CKD)
• Women’s health (PV bleeding, contraception, early pregnancy issues)
• Mental health (risk assessment, SSRIs, eating disorders, PTSD)
• Skin and minor procedures
• Infectious diseases (STIs, cellulitis, COVID-era public health)
• Paediatrics (fever, rash, asthma, developmental delay)

 Strategies to Master the KFP MSQ

1. Use Full-Length MSQs, Not Old-Style KFPs

The old short-answer KFP format is now outdated. You need practice with:

• One-stem, one-question MSQs
• 10–14 options
• Ambiguous distractors
• Penalty-style marking

PassGP has 1,295 KFP MSQs built specifically for this format.

2. Think Like an Examiner: Safe, Relevant, Timely

Don’t pick everything that could be done. Pick what must be done first, safely, and efficiently.

💡 Unsafe + Correct = Score loss.
💡 Correct but irrelevant = No points.

3. Read the Lead-In Carefully

Does it say:

• "Select the most appropriate next steps"?
• "Select the most likely diagnoses"?
• "Select the most appropriate investigations"?

Small differences in wording completely change the correct approach.

4. Use PassGP’s Exam-Mode Practice

With live timing, realistic stem design, and partial scoring, PassGP mirrors the true exam pressure. You’ll learn:

• Time control
• Option elimination skills
• Confidence in high-stakes decisions

 Common Mistakes in the New KFP MSQ

Why PassGP Is Your KFP Power Tool

Created by real examiners - including A/Prof George Eskander, PassGP is built for the exact exam format you're sitting.

✔ 1,295 MSQs
✔ Live-mock scoring engine
✔ Immediate feedback
✔ Mobile-friendly platform
✔ 1:1 coaching and structured study guides

We don’t just teach medicine - we teach how to pass.

Final Thoughts

The new KFP MSQ format is challenging - but fair. You’ll pass if you:

• Think safely
• Choose decisively
• Avoid unnecessary or harmful interventions
• Practise in the exact format of the real exam

 Start your free trial today at PassGP and access the most trusted and up-to-date KFP MSQ preparation in Australia.

Led by examiners. Backed by evidence. Built for your success.