How to use this book

The practice exams in this book feature the question formats of the psychiatry certification exam in Canada. This exam has 2 components, set by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada: one written and one oral.

As of spring 2014, the written component comprises only multiple choice questions (no short answer questions).

The oral component is an objective structured clinical exam (OSCE) that approaches questions through case-based scenarios.

Four multiple-choice practice exams

This book features 4 multiple-choice practice exams, each with 50 questions.

The practice exams present all the questions first, without answers. The answers are in sections that follow each exam.

The written component of the qualifying exam itself is a 3-hour exam with around 200 questions. So, you should aim to complete each practice exam in about 45 minutes.

A section of OSCE questions

This book includes 20 OSCE questions, in their own section.

The book presents each question first, followed by answers for each question.

You can approach these questions as short-answer questions: write point-form notes for each and compare your answers to the answers provided.

You can also approach these questions as literal practice for the oral exam, by talking them through with a partner. The partner compares what you say to the answers provided. The advantage of this method is that your partner can also time you. The OSCE component of the qualifying exam is about 4 hours long and divided into “stations” of about 20 minutes each. So, you should spend about 20 minutes completing each question.