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
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.
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 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

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 that counts down to your ACEM Primary date and tells you what to study next. A single readiness score blends coverage, accuracy, retention, and consistency into one number out of 100, so you can see at a glance whether you're tracking ahead or behind pace.
- Days-to-exam countdown and pace tracking, ahead or behind
- Readiness score out of 100, blended from four signals
- Coverage, accuracy, retention and consistency broken out
- Streak counter and weekly attempt target
- 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, ARDS,...
Benzodiazepines: Hypnotics and Sedatives
Benzodiazepines are a class of CNS depressants that act at the $\text{GABA}A$ receptor to enhance inhibitory neurotransmission. They are among the...
Cranial Nerves - Overview (ACEM Primary ANAT-71)
There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves (CN I-XII). Their defining anatomical feature is that they exit the cranial cavity through foramina or fissures...
Pharmacokinetics - Biotransformation (PHARM-1.1.3)
Biotransformation refers to the enzymatic and non-enzymatic chemical modification of drugs within the body. It is a central component of...
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, the urinary...
Common questions about the ACEM Primary exam
Pricing and 7-day free trial
Library, study notes, voice viva, OSCE simulator and image-stem practice, all included on every plan. No locked tiers, no per-feature paywalls.
- ✓ All 21 exams: SAQ, MCQ, Viva & Voice
- ✓ Flashcards with spaced repetition & MCQ drill
- ✓ Study notes for every curriculum topic
- ✓ SAQ library & sessions
- ✓ Study plan with pace tracking
- ✓ Community feed
- ✓ All 21 exams: SAQ, MCQ, Viva & Voice
- ✓ Flashcards with spaced repetition & MCQ drill
- ✓ Study notes for every curriculum topic
- ✓ SAQ library & sessions
- ✓ Study plan with pace tracking
- ✓ Community feed
- ✓ All 21 exams: SAQ, MCQ, Viva & Voice
- ✓ Flashcards with spaced repetition & MCQ drill
- ✓ Study notes for every curriculum topic
- ✓ SAQ library & sessions
- ✓ Study plan with pace tracking
- ✓ Community feed
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