CCFP :Overview of Exam

Preparing for the CCFP Exam


Overview


The CCFP Exam is designed to assess the knowledge and skills of candidates in relation to the four principles of family medicine:

  • The family physician is a skilled clinician.
  • Family medicine is a community-based discipline.
  • The family physician is a resource to a defined practice population.
  • Patient/physician relationship.

The exam has 2 components: the written examination (SAMPs) and the oral component (SOOs).

The written examination is conducted on the first day and is approximately six hours in length divided between morning and afternoon. It is comprised of approximately 40 to 45 short answer management problems (SAMPs) designed to test a candidate's recall of factual knowledge and problem solving abilities in the area of definition of health problems, management of health problems, and critical appraisal. Basic information regarding the presentation of a patient will be provided and a series of three or four questions will follow for each scenario.

The oral examination is comprised of five simulated office orals (SOOs) each 15 minutes in length. Contrary to other exams, family physician examiners are trained to role-play patients presenting with specific complaints. This examination will assess both the definition and management of health problems. During SOOs, the candidate will not perform a physical examination, but will be required to discuss the problem with the patient and bring the visit to a satisfactory conclusion within the defined time frame. The candidate is expected to define and manage the problems presented by the patient. In scoring, an emphasis is placed on understanding the patient's perspective of her or his problems and on arriving at a plan of management that is satisfactory to both parties. The scoring system has been devised to focus on the candidate's approach to dealing with patients -- including their ability to understand the patient's unique experience and to establish a positive doctor-patient relationship.

In the choice of items for the exam, the College’s Board of Examiners is guided by a document entitled “Defining competence for the purposes of certification by the College of Family Physicians of Canada: The new evaluation objectives in family medicine” which defines 99 priority topics. A copy of this document is available on the CFPC website (www.cfpc.ca) in the Exams and Certification section.