Built by an anaesthetics registrar in regional Australia.
CICM First Part
mastered.
155 sourced study notes across 252 learning objectives and 8,305 spaced-repetition flashcards across the CICM First Part curriculum. AI SAQ grading on the Fail / Borderline / Pass / Distinction tier, a cross-table viva simulator, and an unlimited MCQ library. Built around the four domains of the First Part.
CICM First Part Exam Dates 2026
Published dates for the upcoming sittings. Always confirm against the official CICM First Part Examination page before scheduling, I refresh this section quarterly as new windows are announced.
- Application Window, Sitting 16–20 Jan 2026 (online)
- Written Section, Sitting 125 Feb 2026 (various AU/NZ cities)
- Oral Section, Sitting 129–30 Apr 2026 (Melbourne)
- Application Window, Sitting 29–23 Jun 2026 (online)
- Written Section, Sitting 25 Aug 2026 (various AU/NZ cities)
- Oral Section, Sitting 214–15 Oct 2026 (Melbourne)
Written sections may be sat in various AU and Aotearoa NZ cities; oral sections are generally Melbourne. Updated First Part Syllabus (Fifth Edition) is active from the 2026.2 sitting.
Topics tested in the CICM First Part exam
How candidates prepare for the CICM First Part

Write a First Part SAQ and get an examiner-style debrief: tier (Fail / Borderline / Pass / Distinction), score estimate out of 20, a marking checklist with every point flagged as hit or missed, an examiner comment, and a full model answer. Written to the standard of CICM exam reports.
- Fail / Borderline / Pass / Distinction tier with score out of 20
- Every marking point checked against CICM examiner report themes
- Model answer with specific values, normal ranges, and ICU application
- Topic sessions or random sets from the question library
- AI question generation in First Part SAQ format

Runs sessions in First Part cross-table viva format: 2-minute reading time on a single basic science topic, then 10 minutes of ICU-applied probing with a structured debrief. Voice mode transcribes spoken answers using medical speech recognition.
- Timed cross-table format: 2 min reading, 10 min viva on one topic
- ICU-specific follow-ups: sepsis, ARDS, organ failure scenarios
- Voice mode: speak your answer, no typing needed
- Debrief with tier, strengths, gaps, and key learning after each session
- Covers all physiology, pharmacology, and measurement topics

8,305 curriculum-mapped flashcards across the CICM First Part curriculum, with spaced repetition: cards you get right come up less often, cards you miss come back sooner. Card types include mechanism, drug profile, pharmacokinetics, normal values, and ICU clinical correlates.
- 8,305 cards across all four First Part domains
- Card types: mechanism, PK/PD, normal values, drug comparison, equations
- MCQ drill mode for rapid-fire practice
- One click from card to full study note
- Image cards: pressure-volume loops, waveforms, pharmacokinetic curves

155 sourced study notes across the CICM First Part curriculum, covering the 252 learning objectives mapped across 20 sections. Written to a consistent seven-section format and aligned to the published CICM First Part curriculum, Australian guidelines and primary literature. They surface automatically alongside SAQ and viva debriefs.
- 155 study notes covering 252 LOs across 20 sections
- Consistent 7-section structure: scannable, not a wall of text
- Aligned to the published CICM First Part curriculum and Australian guidelines
- Full-text search across all notes
- Linked from SAQ debrief, viva feedback, and flashcards

The CICM First Part curriculum defines 252 learning objectives across 20 sections. PRIMEX maps every LO to the study notes and flashcards that cover it, with a Curriculum tab showing a checkbox checklist and progress bar so you know exactly how much of the syllabus you've covered.
- All 252 CICM First Part LOs across 20 sections
- Checkbox completion persisted across sessions
- Click any LO to jump directly to the relevant study note
- Per-section and overall progress bars at a glance

Interactive, active-recall trainers built for the physics and physiology the First Part leans on. Tap and drag the live model (flow-volume loops, ventricular pressure-volume loops, ABG interpretation, the oxygen cascade, vasopressor and inotrope selection) and watch the traces, values, and interpretation update in real time, then test yourself in Recall and Exam modes.
- Trainers across respiratory, cardiovascular, acid-base, and pharmacology
- Flow-volume loops, PV 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 CICM First Part exam 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 are 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
CICM First Part format and structure: MCQ, SAQ and viva
The CICM First Part Examination tests the scientific foundations of intensive care medicine: physiology, pharmacology, and clinical measurement. It is the gateway to the Fellowship examination and to advanced ICU training. The exam sits twice yearly; CICM publishes per-sitting examiner reports with component pass marks rather than a single headline figure (for example, the 2025.2 sitting set the MCQ pass mark at 65% and the SAQ pass mark at 47.81%, with about 45% of candidates successful overall). PRIMEX is built by Dr Jay Marshall, an anaesthetics registrar in Taree, NSW.
- OrganiserCollege of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand (CICM)
- FormatWritten section of two 2.5-hour papers, each 50 MCQs + 10 SAQs (100 MCQs + 20 SAQs total); the MCQ section has its own Angoff pass mark and must be passed to progress to the orals, which are 8 cross-table vivas of 10 min each
- DomainsPhysiology (~55%), Pharmacology (~25%), Measurement & Equipment (~10%), Microbiology & Research (~10%)
- SittingsTwice yearly, typically March and September
- Pass rateCICM publishes per-sitting examiner reports with component pass marks (2025.2: MCQ 65%, SAQ 47.81%, oral 59.2%; ~45% of candidates successful overall). There is no single headline figure
Practice every topic with the same AI grader the in-app uses
Five high-yield learning objectives. One free SAQ + 3 MCQs each, graded against college-standard marking points. No signup needed.
Anti-Arrhythmic Drugs - CICM First Part Study Notes
Anti-arrhythmic drugs are classified by the Singh-Vaughan Williams system based on their primary electrophysiological mechanism. Understanding this...
Drug Interactions: Classification and Mechanisms
Drug interactions are ubiquitous in the ICU. The critically ill patient receives an average of 10-20 concurrent medications, and polypharmacy is the...
Humidification Methods: Passive HME and Active Heated Humidification
Under normal physiological conditions, inspired ambient air (relative humidity approximately 50-60% at 20°C) is progressively warmed and humidified...
Neuromuscular Junction: Structure and Physiology
The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is the highly specialised synapse between a motor neuron and a skeletal muscle fibre. It is among the most studied...
Vasopressin and Its Analogues: Pharmacology for the ICU
Vasopressin (arginine vasopressin, AVP; also called antidiuretic hormone, ADH) is a nonapeptide synthesised in the hypothalamus and stored in and...
Common questions about the CICM First Part 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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