What makes the CICM Second Part Paediatric Examination hard in practice?

The most common difficulty drivers are content breadth, the requirement for structured answers under time pressure, and the gap between everyday clinical practice and examiner expectations on what a complete answer looks like.

How Hard Is the CICM Second Part Paediatric Examination?

Q: Is the CICM Second Part Paediatric Examination considered a difficult examination?

Yes. The CICM Second Part Paediatric Examination is an applied paediatric-intensive-care examination where structured hot-case and viva performance and age-appropriate, weight-based SAQ answers carry significant weight. Most candidates plan for 26-52 weeks of structured preparation, and the standard is set against a fixed bar rather than a candidate ranking.

The honest answer

The CICM Second Part Paediatric Examination is an applied paediatric-intensive-care examination where structured hot-case and viva performance and age-appropriate, weight-based SAQ answers carry significant weight. Plan for 26-52 weeks of structured preparation. Treat the examination as a fixed standard, not a ranking against other candidates: success comes from meeting the bar, and the bar is high but well-defined.

Honest difficulty calibration starts with the real pass-rate position: CICM does not publish a single headline pass rate for the Second Part Paediatric Examination. Per-sitting, per-component results (written, hot cases, vivas) are reported in the College's Second Part Paediatric Examination reports, which also note the Angoff-derived written cut for that sitting. There is no fixed numerical pass mark. For authoritative figures and any sitting-specific reports, consult the examining body directly rather than relying on a single headline percentage.

What makes this examination challenging

Difficulty in the CICM Second Part Paediatric Examination comes from a small number of consistent sources:

Breadth. The curriculum spans more material than any single clinical attachment will cover, so dedicated study is essential.
Answer technique. Examiners want prioritised, structured responses, not stream-of-consciousness clinical notes.
Time pressure. Under exam conditions, slow recall and disorganised structure both lose marks fast.
Standard. The bar is set against a defined competency level, not against the rest of the cohort. You are competing against the standard, not other candidates.

What separates pass-tier from fail-tier candidates

Across multiple sittings, these patterns repeat among candidates who do not pass:

Applying adult ICU frameworks without adjusting for paediatric physiology, weight-based dosing and age-specific targets.
Hot-case anxiety in the PICU: an unstructured bedside examination that misses the marks in each scored domain.
Thin coverage of neonatal and congenital-heart presentations and of paediatric-specific emergencies (DKA with cerebral oedema, status epilepticus, single-ventricle physiology).
SAQ answers that list differentials instead of giving a prioritised, child-specific management plan with doses per kilogram.

How to calibrate your preparation

Sit a timed practice paper or simulated viva 8 to 12 weeks before your exam to expose weak domains while you have time to act.
Spend roughly half your study time on practice questions and timed answers, not just reading.
Identify two or three weak domains and revisit them weekly until performance is consistent.
Rehearse the structure of your answers under time pressure, not just the content.

How PRIMEX helps you cross the pass line

Curriculum-mapped question bank with AI-graded answers calibrated to examiner expectations.
Spaced repetition surfaces weak areas automatically, so revision lands where it counts.
Progress analytics show your trajectory so you can act on data, not anxiety.

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Frequently asked questions

Is the CICM Second Part Paediatric Examination considered a difficult examination?

Yes. It is an applied paediatric-intensive-care examination where structured hot-case and viva performance and age-appropriate, weight-based SAQ answers carry significant weight. Plan for 26-52 weeks of structured preparation and assess the standard, not the cohort.

What makes it hard in practice?

Content breadth, structured answer technique under time pressure, and the gap between everyday clinical practice and examiner expectations of a complete answer.

What separates candidates who pass from those who do not?

Consistent question practice volume, structured answer technique, and targeted revision of weak domains identified through analytics. Clinical experience alone is rarely sufficient.

What is the CICM Paediatric pass rate?

CICM does not publish a single headline pass rate for the Second Part Paediatric Examination. Per-sitting, per-component results (written, hot cases, vivas) are reported in the College's Second Part Paediatric Examination reports, which also note the Angoff-derived written cut for that sitting. There is no fixed numerical pass mark.

How does PRIMEX help?

PRIMEX provides curriculum-mapped practice, AI-graded answers and weak-domain analytics for the CICM Second Part Paediatric Examination, so revision time lands where it matters most.