How long should you revise?
There is no single right answer, but the consensus from successful candidates is several months of consistent, "little and often" study rather than a short, intense cram. Many who pass first time describe roughly six months of steady revision alongside clinical work.
The curriculum is too broad to cover at the last minute, and the exam rewards depth of understanding that builds over time.
A sample study timeline
Months 4–6 out: build the foundation
- Download the FRCEM regulations and information pack, and read the blueprint.
- Map the SLOs to your strengths and weaknesses.
- Work systematically through the curriculum, tackling your weakest areas first while motivation and time are highest.
- Use structured learning resources to build knowledge, and start light question practice to learn the format.
Months 2–3 out: consolidate and practise
- Shift the balance towards questions.
- Work through topics by SLO, reading around every question you get wrong.
- Keep a running list of facts that won't stick, and revisit them.
- Start reading the key guidelines in summary form.
Final 4–6 weeks: questions, mocks and weak areas
- Move to high-volume question practice and timed mocks.
- Sit at least one — ideally several — full two-paper mock under realistic conditions to build stamina and pace.
- Use your analytics to target weak SLOs.
- Revise the College guidelines, statistical definitions, spot diagnoses (rashes, ECGs, X-rays) and core procedures.
The final week
- Consolidation only — review your weak-area list and high-yield guidelines.
- Protect your sleep.
- Confirm your test-centre location and ID.
How to study around full-time shifts
EM rotas are punishing, and revision time is scarce. Practical tactics that work:
- Use the commute for podcasts.
- Do short, frequent sessions (20–45 minutes) rather than waiting for long blocks.
- Protect a fixed weekly study slot — less-than-full-time trainees can often build their plan around a defined study day. Not LTFT? Consider whether it might be worthwhile while undertaking the FRCEM (both SBA and OSCE).
- Buddy up with a study partner or small group. You might think an MCQ is suited to solo study, but it can be useful to bounce difficult concepts and revision strategies off each other from time to time.
- Use a mobile-friendly question bank so you can practise in the gaps between other commitments.
The best resources for the FRCEM SBA
RCEM and RCEMLearning
RCEMLearning is the most frequently cited resource for the FRCEM SBA and is the only exam-preparation material endorsed by the College.
Its learning sessions, clinical cases, reference pages and practice SBAs map directly to the curriculum, and the "Exam Prep" section includes official advice on the blueprint, exam technique, statistics and QI.
FOAMed
Free Open Access Medical education is excellent for keeping current and for understanding rather than rote learning. Widely recommended sources for UK EM include:
- St Emlyn's
- The Resus Room
- Life in the Fast Lane (especially the ECG library)
- EM3 and First10EM
Note that some popular podcasts are based on non-UK practice, so always check recommendations against UK guidelines.
Guidelines
You must read the relevant NICE, RCEM, Resuscitation Council UK, BTS/SIGN and other national guidelines. Our companion page on key guidelines for the FRCEM SBA summarises the highest-yield ones.
Question banks and mocks
High-volume, exam-style question practice is the backbone of SBA preparation, but quality matters more than quantity — not all banks reflect the real exam. Choose a bank whose questions are mapped to the RCEM 2021 curriculum, based on current guidelines, and reviewed for accuracy.
Bolus is built for exactly this: a large bank of questions written by trainees who have passed the FRCEM, all filterable by topic and by SLO so you can revise to the blueprint. Timed mock tests let you rehearse the full two-paper format, and the reference library summarises the guidelines behind each answer so reviewing a question doubles as revision.
Bolus is also mobile-optimised and has a companion app, to make studying on the go straightforward.
A note on active recall
However you build your plan, prioritise active recall — testing yourself — over passive reading. Set clear daily or weekly goals, simulate exam conditions regularly, and spend extra time on the topics you find hardest. Reviewing why each wrong option is wrong is where most of the learning happens.