What Is the ANZCA Primary Examination?

The short answer

The ANZCA Primary Examination is an examination set by the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA). Written MCQ + SAQ, then three vivas across two parts. For binding detail, see the official ANZCA examination pages at https://www.anzca.edu.au.

This page is a plain-language definition rendered from PRIMEX's web-verified fact layer. For binding requirements, dates and fees, always confirm against the examining body's own pages.

Who sets the ANZCA Primary

The ANZCA Primary Examination is administered by the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA), the body responsible for setting and marking the examination to a defined competency standard.

Who sits the ANZCA Primary

Registered ANZCA trainee who has completed introductory training and commenced basic training, with clinical anaesthesia time in the prior 52 weeks and all fees paid.

How the ANZCA Primary is structured

The ANZCA Primary has 3 assessed components. Written MCQ + SAQ, then three vivas across two parts. A full breakdown of each component is on the ANZCA Primary format page linked below.

What the ANZCA Primary is for

The ANZCA Primary Examination is consistently regarded as one of the more demanding written examinations in Australian postgraduate medicine, particularly for the depth required in physiology and pharmacology. It sits within the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists training and assessment pathway, and passing it is a milestone toward the qualification or progression that pathway leads to.

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