FFICM Study Guide 2026

Everything you need to pass the FFICM exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.

FFICM exam key facts

The FFICM Final OSCE consists of 13 seven-minute stations, of which 12 are live and one is a test station. Source
The FFICM Final MCQ lasts 3 hours. Source
The FFICM Final MCQ pass mark is set by examiners using Angoff referencing rather than being a fixed score. Source
If a candidate fails one FFICM Final OSCE/SOE component but passes the other, only the failed component needs to be retaken; if both are failed they must be retaken together. Source
A pass in the FFICM Final MCQ is valid for three years. Source

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📋 FFICM Exam Format at a Glance

130

Questions

180 min

Time Limit

70.00%

Passing Score

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📚 FFICM Topics to Study (39)

Emergency Response Procedures · 7 cards Emergency Response Procedures · 7 cards Emergency Response Procedures · 7 cards Emergency Response Procedures · 7 cards Patient Communication Skills · 7 cards Patient Communication Skills · 7 cards Patient Communication Skills · 7 cards Patient Communication Skills · 7 cards Pharmacology Fundamentals · 7 cards Pharmacology Fundamentals · 7 cards Pharmacology Fundamentals · 7 cards Pharmacology Fundamentals · 7 cards Research and Development · 7 cards Research and Development · 7 cards Research and Development · 7 cards Research and Development · 7 cards Respiratory Management and Mechanical Ventilation · 7 cards Safety and Infection Control · 7 cards Safety and Infection Control · 7 cards Safety and Infection Control · 7 cards Safety and Infection Control · 7 cards Clinical Procedures and Protocols · 6 cards Clinical Standards and Guidelines · 6 cards Documentation and Record Keeping · 6 cards Education and Training · 6 cards Emergency Response Procedures · 6 cards Evaluations · 6 cards FFICM Critical Care Monitoring and Hemodynamics · 6 cards FFICM Critical Care Monitoring and Hemodynamics · 6 cards FFICM Critical Care Monitoring and Hemodynamics · 6 cards

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✍️ Sample FFICM Questions & Answers

1. During a hospital surge in disaster conditions, Crisis Standards of Care (CSC) allow ICU teams to do which of the following that would be unacceptable under normal conditions?

✓ Reallocate a ventilator from a patient unlikely to survive to one with better prognosis

Crisis Standards of Care permit ventilator reallocation using pre-established triage protocols when supply is critically exceeded, with oversight by an independent triage team, not the bedside clinician.

2. The Emax model of pharmacodynamics predicts that doubling the dose above the EC90 will:

✓ Yield minimal additional effect as the response approaches the maximum

The sigmoidal Emax model plateaus near the maximum effect; above EC90, the dose–response curve is nearly flat and large dose increases produce little additional benefit.

3. A researcher calculates the number needed to treat (NNT) from a trial where 30% of controls and 20% of treatment patients died. What is the NNT?

✓ 10

NNT = 1 / absolute risk reduction = 1 / (0.30 − 0.20) = 1 / 0.10 = 10.

4. What is the primary pathophysiology of Type 1 hepatorenal syndrome (HRS-AKI)?

✓ Severe renal vasoconstriction from portal hypertension-driven splanchnic vasodilation

HRS-AKI results from extreme renal vasoconstriction triggered by compensatory neurohormonal activation in response to effective arterial underfilling from splanchnic vasodilation in cirrhosis.

5. A patient on clopidogrel requires emergency CABG. The most appropriate management regarding antiplatelet reversal is:

✓ Delay surgery 5–7 days to allow new platelet generation if clinically safe

Clopidogrel irreversibly inhibits P2Y12 receptors on platelets; since platelet lifespan is ~7–10 days, waiting 5–7 days allows sufficient new platelet generation to reduce bleeding risk.

6. During rapid sequence intubation (RSI) in a hemodynamically unstable trauma patient, which induction agent best preserves cardiovascular stability?

✓ Ketamine 1–2 mg/kg

Ketamine maintains sympathetic tone, making it the preferred induction agent in hemodynamically unstable patients requiring emergency RSI.

🎯 Free FFICM Practice Tests

Research and Development · 7 questions Research and Development · 7 questions Research and Development · 7 questions Research and Development · 7 questions Safety and Infection Control · 7 questions Safety and Infection Control · 7 questions Safety and Infection Control · 7 questions Safety and Infection Control · 7 questions Patient Communication Skills · 7 questions Patient Communication Skills · 7 questions

📖 FFICM Guides & Articles

Your FFICM Study Path

1. Learn with Flashcards → 2. Drill Practice Tests → 3. Take the Full Exam Simulation

🃏 FFICM Flashcards (255)🏆 FFICM Exam Simulation

What Practice Test Geeks adds beyond an AI chat for FFICM

An AI chatbot can quiz you, but it can't reproduce the exam conditions or keep your record. Here you get:

A timed, full-length FFICM mock exam — 130 questions in 180 minutes with a 70% pass mark, modeled on the official exam's question count and time limit, followed by a score report broken down by exam domain.
A fixed FFICM question bank: the same test every attempt, so your score is comparable from one try to the next instead of changing with every regenerated quiz.
Progress saved on your device: completed tests, scores and missed questions stay in My Progress, so you can retake only what you got wrong.
A printable FFICM cheat sheet you can print or save as a PDF.
FFICM flashcards built from the same question bank.
Free FFICM practice tests with the correct answer shown after each question.

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How this page was made: written with AI tools and published by Nathan Beja, founder of Practice Test Geeks, who is responsible for its content. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy

Sources & references

Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy

ficm.ac.uk — Exam dates, fees, registration deadline, registration, retake policy, score release, test delivery, eligibility, late registration, passing score · verified Oct 2026