10 Common FRACS Exam Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them)

The Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) exam is a beast. It is a test of endurance, knowledge, and psychological resilience. Every year, brilliant trainees fail—not because they don't know the medicine, but because they fall into predictable traps.

Here are the 10 most common pitfalls and actionable strategies to avoid them.

Pitfall #1: Starting Too Late (The Denial Phase)

The Trap: "I'll start studying properly after this rotation." "I have 6 months, that's plenty." The Reality: The syllabus is infinite. You cannot cram 5 years of training into 3 months. The Fix: Start 12-18 months out. Even if it's just 30 minutes a day. The "Compound Interest" of studying means early hours are worth triple late hours.

Pitfall #2: Passive Reading (The Illusion of Competence)

The Trap: Reading Miller cover-to-cover. Highlighting sentences. Nodding along. The Reality: Recognition is not Recall. You recognize the words, so you think you know them. In the exam, you have to generate the answer from scratch. The Fix: Active Recall. Do not read. Test yourself. Use Anki. Do MCQs. If your brain doesn't hurt, you aren't learning.

Visual Element: Chart comparing retention rates of Passive Reading (10%) vs Active Recall (80%).

Pitfall #3: Ignoring Weak Areas (The Comfort Zone)

The Trap: You are a Knee fellow, so you study Knees because it makes you feel smart. You hate Tumor, so you avoid it. The Reality: You can score 100% on Knee and still fail if you score 30% on Tumor. The exam requires a minimum standard across ALL domains. The Fix: Eat the Frog. Study your worst subject first thing in the morning. Dedicate 50% of your time to your bottom 3 subjects.

Pitfall #4: Death by Subspecialty (The Weed Diver)

The Trap: Memorizing the 5th generation cementing technique for revision elbows. The Reality: The examiners are Generalists. They want to know if you can manage a simple ankle fracture safely. They don't care about the minutiae of your subspecialty. The Fix: Focus on the Core. Know the common things perfectly. Know the dangerous things perfectly. Forget the super-specialist trivia.

Pitfall #5: Neglecting the Written Paper

The Trap: "I'm good at talking, I'll make up for the written in the vivas." The Reality: The written paper is the gatekeeper. If you enter the vivas with a borderline written score, the pressure is immense. A high written score gives you a buffer. The Fix: Treat the written (MCQ/Short Answer) with the same respect as the viva. Practice timed papers.

Pitfall #6: Poor Exam Technique (The Rambler)

The Trap: In the viva, you talk for 2 minutes without answering the question. You list every investigation known to man. The Reality: Examiners have a checklist. They need to tick boxes. If you ramble, you waste time, and time is points. The Fix: Structure. "History, Exam, Investigation." "Conservative, Operative." Answer the specific question asked. Stop talking when you have answered.

Pitfall #7: Social Media Study Groups (The Noise)

The Trap: WhatsApp groups with 50 candidates debating controversial papers. The Reality: It breeds anxiety. "Did you read the latest paper on X?" No, and you don't need to. The Fix: Curate your circle. Pick 2-3 study partners you trust. Ignore the noise of the masses.

Pitfall #8: Burnout (The Wall)

The Trap: Studying 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. Skipping the gym. Eating junk. The Reality: You will crash 2 weeks before the exam. Your brain will shut down. The Fix: Schedule Rest. Treat the gym and sleep as "Study Tasks." They are maintenance for the machine (your brain). Take one full day off a week.

Pitfall #9: Not Learning from Practice (The Volume Trap)

The Trap: Doing 5000 MCQs but just checking the score and moving on. The Reality: You are measuring your weight, not losing weight. You need to learn why you got it wrong. The Fix: The Error Log. Keep a spreadsheet of every question you get wrong. Write down WHY. Review this log weekly.

Pitfall #10: The Dangerous Answer (The Fatal Flaw)

The Trap: "I would perform a hindquarter amputation." (Without checking if the patient is alive). The Reality: You can fail a station in 10 seconds by being unsafe. The Fix: Safety First. Always mention "ATLS principles." Always check "Comorbidities." Always offer "Non-operative management" first (unless it's an emergency).

Conclusion

The FRACS is a game. The rules are known. The pitfalls are known. Avoid these 10 traps, and you are halfway to the handshake.

Actionable Takeaway: Pick ONE pitfall from this list that you are guilty of. Fix it today.