Built by a rural NSW anaesthetics registrar.
CICM First Part
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263 study notes across 263 learning objectives and 8,455 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.
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CICM First Part Exam Dates 2026-2027
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, 2027 Sitting 16-20 Jan 2027 (online)
- Written Section, 2027 Sitting 124 Feb 2027 (various AU/NZ cities)
- Oral Section, 2027 Sitting 15-6 May 2027 (Melbourne)
- Application Window, 2027 Sitting 29-23 Jun 2027 (online)
- Written Section, 2027 Sitting 228 Jul 2027 (various AU/NZ cities)
- Oral Section, 2027 Sitting 213-14 Oct 2027 (Melbourne)
Dates already passed
- 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.
Inside PRIMEX, in under a minute
Recorded in the app, with real CICM First Part questions and notes. No sound needed to follow it.
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 flagged as hit or missed
- 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
Work through a full mock viva out loud with this college's AI examiner, in real time. Answer by voice, get probed and interrupted like you would in the real viva, then step out to a graded debrief: how you performed on the station, 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 debrief on every station: your performance tier, the topics you covered, and the gaps to close
- 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
8,455 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.
- 8,455 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
263 study notes across the CICM First Part curriculum, covering the 263 learning objectives mapped across 19 sections. Consistent seven-section format, organised around the published CICM First Part curriculum, with links for further reading. They surface automatically alongside SAQ and viva debriefs.
- 263 study notes covering 263 LOs across 19 sections
- Consistent 7-section structure: scannable, not a wall of text
- Consistent seven-section format, organised around the published CICM First Part curriculum, with links for further reading.
- Full-text search across all notes
- Linked from SAQ debrief, viva feedback, and flashcards
PRIMEX maps 263 learning objectives across 19 sections to the notes and flashcards that cover them, with a Curriculum tab showing a checkbox checklist and progress bar so you know exactly how much of the syllabus you've covered.
- All 263 CICM First Part LOs across 19 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 counts down to your CICM First Part exam 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
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 an examination report after each sitting. PRIMEX is built by Dr Jay Marshall, a rural NSW anaesthetics registrar.
- 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 exam reports rather than one headline figure. In 2026.1, 73% of the 83 written candidates were successful in the MCQ, 57% in the SAQ and 52% in both, and 81% of those who sat the oral (42 of 52) passed. Pass marks are separate and set each sitting (2026.1: MCQ 69.4%, SAQ 47.95%)
Practice every topic with the same AI grader the in-app uses
High-yield learning objectives. Free MCQ practice, 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.
Drug Interactions: Classification and Mechanisms
Drug interactions are ubiquitous in the ICU.
Neuromuscular Junction: Structure and Physiology
The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is the highly specialised synapse between a motor neuron and a skeletal muscle fibre.
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- ✓ 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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