ACEM Primary
nailed.
404 sourced study notes and 13,200 spaced-repetition flashcards across the 415-LO ACEM Primary curriculum. Integrated viva simulation and an MCQ library. Built around the four basic sciences: physiology, pharmacology, anatomy, and pathology.
- 415 LOs mapped
- Voice viva simulator
- 7-day free trial
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ACEM Primary Exam Dates 2026
Published dates for the upcoming sittings. Always confirm against the official ACEM exam calendar before scheduling. I refresh this section quarterly as new windows are announced.
- Primary Written 2026.113 Feb 2026
- Primary Written 2026.27 Aug 2026
- Primary Viva 2026.17-8 May 2026
- Primary Viva 2026.25-6 Nov 2026
Written applications close ~4 weeks prior; viva ~9 weeks prior.
Inside PRIMEX, in under a minute
Recorded in the app, with real ACEM Primary questions and notes. No sound needed to follow it.
Topics tested in the ACEM Primary exam
Practice on real radiology images
Used with permission from LearningRadiology.com. Every image links to its full teaching case. Tap to open.
Deep sulcus sign (supine pneumothorax)
Haemorrhagic stroke (intracerebral haemorrhage)
Large bowel obstruction
Barton fracture (volar shear of distal radius)
How the PRIMEX viva simulator works
Thirty seconds, animated: how a viva actually runs in PRIMEX. The simulator asks, listens, and presses further with follow-up questions, the way an oral exam really moves.
Read the transcript
The viva is a conversation under pressure. Reading notes will not rehearse it. The PRIMEX viva simulator asks, listens, and presses further, the way examiners do. Practise the conversation before it counts. PRIMEX. Practise like the exam.
How candidates prepare for the ACEM Primary
Single-best-answer MCQs across all four domains, mapped to the ACEM Primary curriculum. Full explanations for every option, including distractors. A community answer distribution shows how other candidates responded after each question.
- MCQs across physiology, pharmacology, anatomy and pathology
- Curriculum-mapped to the April 2017 ACEM Primary syllabus
- Explanation for every option, including the distractors
- Community answer distribution after each question
- Timed mock mode replicating written exam conditions
Runs timed sessions in ACEM Primary integrated viva format: one body-system theme across all four disciplines. Anatomy first, then physiology, then pharmacology, then pathology. Twenty minutes, scored out of 10. Voice mode transcribes spoken answers using medical speech recognition.
- 4-discipline integrated viva: anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology
- One body-system theme per session, just like the real thing
- Examiner pushes for specific values, mechanisms, and ED application
- Voice mode: speak your answer, no typing required
- Debrief per phase: tier and specific learning point for each discipline
Work through a full mock viva out loud with this college's AI examiner, in real time. Answer by voice, get probed and interrupted the way the real examiner would, then step out to a graded debrief: a readiness verdict, the topics you covered, your strengths and gaps, and how you handled the pressure. Every mock viva feeds your weak-topic plan, so what to practise next is always clear.
- Real-time spoken viva in this college's examiner voice, fully interruptible
- Graded readiness verdict: on track, borderline, or at risk
- Communication and composure feedback: pacing, hesitation, clarity under pressure
- Weak topics flow straight into your study plan and daily practice
- Part of PRIMEX Pro, with monthly mock vivas included
Curriculum-mapped flashcard decks with spaced repetition across the ACEM Primary curriculum. Cards you get right resurface less often; cards you miss come back sooner. Card types cover mechanisms, drug profiles, pharmacokinetics, anatomical correlates, and pathological processes. MCQ drill mode included.
- Spaced repetition: review what you're forgetting, not what you know
- Card types: mechanism, drug profile, anatomy correlate, pathological process
- MCQ drill mode for rapid-fire practice between sessions
- One click from card to full study note
- Image cards: anatomical diagrams, curves, physiological graphs
404 sourced study notes across the ACEM Primary curriculum, one for every covered learning objective. Consistent seven-section format, referenced to the published ACEM Primary curriculum, Australian guidelines, and primary literature. Notes surface automatically alongside viva debriefs and MCQ explanations, so you read straight from the result.
- 404 sourced study notes across the 415-LO curriculum
- Consistent 7-section structure: scannable, not a wall of text
- Aligned to the published ACEM Primary curriculum and Australian guidelines
- Full-text search across all notes
- Linked from viva debrief, MCQ explanations, and flashcards
The official ACEM Primary curriculum mapped to every topic, note and flashcard. The Curriculum tab lists every LO under its section header, with checkboxes, a progress bar, and per-LO launchers that drop you straight into a focused note, an MCQ set, or the matching flashcards.
- Official ACEM Primary curriculum mapped to every topic
- Curriculum tab with LO checklist and progress bar
- Each LO row launches notes, MCQs or flashcards in one click
- Per-LO focused study note for the LOs that need a deeper pass
- Identify gaps before your exam date
Interactive, active-recall trainers built for the basic sciences the Primary tests. Tap and drag the live model (ECG rhythm recognition, ventricular pressure-volume loops, ABG interpretation, flow-volume loops, the oxygen cascade) and watch the traces, values, and interpretation update in real time, then test yourself in Recall and Exam modes.
- Trainers across cardiovascular, respiratory, acid-base, and pharmacology
- ECG rhythms, PV loops, flow-volume loops, ABG, and the oxygen cascade
- Explore freely, then test recall against the model in Recall and Exam modes
- Embedded directly in the matching study notes
An adaptive study plan counts down to your ACEM Primary date and tells you what to study next. The written-readiness score combines eligible syllabus coverage with accuracy from recognised written results. Activity pace and supplemental practice are shown separately and do not change the score.
- Days-to-exam countdown and pace tracking, ahead or behind
- Written-readiness score backed by eligible written assessments
- Coverage and accuracy broken out with evidence context
- Activity pace and weekly target shown separately from readiness
- Study this next: the topic queued for today, one tap to open
ACEM Primary format and structure: MCQ and viva
The ACEM Primary Examination tests the basic science foundations of emergency medicine: physiology, pharmacology, anatomy, and pathology. Passing it is a prerequisite for entering the ACEM Fellowship training pathway. The written is a select-choice question paper of 360 questions over 6 hours; candidates who pass sit four integrated vivas, each covering all four disciplines through a single body-system theme. ACEM publishes no fixed pass-rate percentage: the Primary is criterion-referenced and results are released per sitting. PRIMEX is built by Dr Jay Marshall, an anaesthetics registrar in Taree, NSW.
- OrganiserAustralasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM)
- FormatWritten paper (360 select-choice questions over 6 hours), followed by 4 integrated vivas for candidates who pass the written component
- DomainsPhysiology (~45%), Pharmacology (~30%), Anatomy (~15%), Pathology (~10%)
- SittingsTwice yearly: written in February and August, integrated viva in May and November
- Pass rateACEM publishes no fixed pass-rate percentage; the Primary is criterion-referenced and results are released per sitting
ACEM Primary pass rates and exam statistics
- Curriculum learning objectives mapped
- 415
- Sourced study notes
- 404
- Spaced-repetition flashcards
- 13,200
- Curriculum sections covered
- 22
- Viva format
- Integrated, 4 disciplines, 20 min
- Curriculum version
- April 2017
- Trial
- 7 days, free
The 415 ACEM Primary learning objectives across 22 syllabus sections (April 2017) are mapped to 404 sourced study notes and 13,200 spaced-repetition flashcards. The Curriculum tab persists checkbox progress across sessions and shows per-section progress bars, so you know exactly how much of the syllabus is covered before each sitting.
Try the same AI grader our subscribers use.
Five high-yield ACEM Primary topics. One free SAQ and three MCQs per topic, graded against college-standard marking points. No signup.
Acute and Chronic Inflammation
Inflammation is the fundamental pathophysiological process underpinning the majority of critical presentations seen in the ED: sepsis.
Benzodiazepines: Hypnotics and Sedatives
Benzodiazepines are a class of CNS depressants that act at the receptor to enhance inhibitory neurotransmission.
Cranial Nerves - Overview (ACEM Primary ANAT-71)
There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves (CN I-XII).
Pharmacokinetics - Biotransformation (PHARM-1.1.3)
Biotransformation refers to the enzymatic and non-enzymatic chemical modification of drugs within the body.
Smooth Muscle Physiology - ACEM Primary Study Notes
Smooth muscle is the effector tissue of the autonomic nervous system and governs the function of blood vessels, airways, the GI tract.
Liked those five? That's a sliver of what's inside.
Get 404 study notes, 13,200 spaced-repetition flashcards, unlimited question practice and the full exam simulator. Free for 7 days, then from A$44.99/month.
Start free trial, 7 days free Cancel anytime · no commitmentCommon questions about the ACEM Primary exam
Specialist pricing and 7-day free trial
Specialist unlocks every PRIMEX exam track: the specialist pathways, AMC and Medical Student. Every study tool is included, with no per-feature paywalls.
- ✓ Every exam track: specialist pathways, AMC & Medical Student
- ✓ Flashcards with spaced repetition & MCQ drill
- ✓ Study notes for every curriculum topic
- ✓ SAQ library & sessions
- ✓ Study plan with pace tracking
- ✓ Curriculum tracker & readiness insights
- ✓ Every exam track: specialist pathways, AMC & Medical Student
- ✓ Flashcards with spaced repetition & MCQ drill
- ✓ Study notes for every curriculum topic
- ✓ SAQ library & sessions
- ✓ Study plan with pace tracking
- ✓ Curriculum tracker & readiness insights
- ✓ Every exam track: specialist pathways, AMC & Medical Student
- ✓ Flashcards with spaced repetition & MCQ drill
- ✓ Study notes for every curriculum topic
- ✓ SAQ library & sessions
- ✓ Study plan with pace tracking
- ✓ Curriculum tracker & readiness insights
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