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Second Part Paediatric Examination

The Second Part Paediatric Examination comprises written and oral sections covering the theory and practice of intensive care medicine, including relevant aspects of the basic sciences, anaesthesia and clinical medicine as set out in the Competencies, Learning Opportunities, Teaching and Assessments for Training in Paediatric Intensive Care Medicine.

Trainees must successfully complete the Second Part Paediatric Examination to proceed from Phase 2 to Phase 3 of the training program.

Any questions related to the Second Part Paediatric Examination should be directed to the Exams Department.

  • Eligibility
  • Dates
  • Application
  • Special Consideration & Reasonable Adjustments
  • Resources
  • Examination Formal Reports
  • FAQs

To be eligible to present candidates must: 

  • Have completed at least one year (12-months) of Core Paediatric Intensive Care Training. 
  • Previously completed and submitted four OCEs (new form only will be accepted) which are rated at oversight or independent on the assessor’s entrustment scale. 

SIMGs must also provide 4 OCEs to the College as per above if they have not previously completed these. 

  • Have submitted full documentation (e.g. current AVT and Trainee Action Plan if this is not the first attempt at the exam). 
  • Have paid the appropriate College fees (including the annual trainee member fee and any other outstanding College fees). 

These requirements must be satisfied by the advertised closing date of applications. 

The Second Part Paediatric Examination is held once a year and comprises of a written and oral component. The written section may be taken in cities of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand or other areas.   
 
Dates and venues are subject to change. 

2026 Examination Dates
Second Part Paediatric Exam Date Location
Application Window 9-23 June 2026 Online
Written Section 19 August 2026 Various
Oral Section 12-13 November 2026 Melbourne

To apply for the Second Part Paediatric Examination, candidates will need to have the following documents and meet the following requirements to apply for the exam: 

  • Passport quality headshot photo. 
  • College member ID number. 
  • Be a registered trainee or SIMG with the College (paediatric pathway). 
  • Have submitted full documentation (e.g. current AVT and Trainee Action Plan if this is not the first attempt at the exam). 
  • Have paid the appropriate College fees (including the annual trainee member fee and any other outstanding College fees including RPL). 
  • Have completed at least one year (12-months) of Core Paediatric Intensive Care Training. 
  • Previously completed and submitted four OCEs (new form only will be accepted) which are rated at oversight or independent on the assessor’s entrustment scale. 

SIMGs must also provide 4 OCEs to the College as per above if they have not previously completed these.

Late and/or incomplete applications and missing documentations will not be accepted under any circumstance after the advertised closing date of applications.

If this is not your first attempt at the examination, please ensure your current TAP has been submitted to the College prior to applying for the exam.

Please note: Should you wish to withdraw from the exam after the closing date or notification of conditional approval/full approval to sit the exam, a 30% cancellation fee applies. This fee may be waived if an application for Special Consideration has been received and approved by the Chair of the Exam Committee.

2026 examination dates are now available. Applications to sit the Second Part Paediatric Examination can be submitted between Tuesday 9th and Tuesday 23rd June.

Special Consideration and Reasonable Adjustments 
The College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand (CICM) is committed to ensuring the integration of principles of equal access, participation and opportunity for trainees with a disability or medical condition. 
 
Who can apply for Special Consideration or a Reasonable Adjustment?  
Any Trainee and Specialist International Medical Graduate (SIMGs) of the College undertaking a College Examination can apply for special consideration or a reasonable adjustment. 

  • Special Consideration  

A candidate suffers an unforeseen severe and/or grave illness, misadventure, or accident or has extenuating circumstances that have impacted their ability to undertake the examination. In that case, they can apply for special consideration.  
 

  • Reasonable Adjustment 

Reasonable adjustments are put in place for an individual with a disability or medical condition, and these adjustments are designed to minimise the disadvantage experienced.  
 
How to apply for Special Consideration or a Reasonable Adjustment 
You can apply for Special Consideration or a Reasonable Adjustment by making an application using the appropriate form. Appropriate documentation should support the application, which you can refer to in Section 5 of the policy.  
 

  • Special Consideration 

Candidates should notify the College before the examination commences or as early as possible for their need for special consideration. Special Consideration requests cannot be logged in retrospect after the exam result has been received 
 

  • Reasonable Adjustment 

The College recommends that candidates apply for reasonable adjustment when entering the training program. At the latest, applications should be submitted by the advertised closure of the relevant online exam application.  
 
Submitting an Application for Special Consideration or Reasonable Adjustment   
All applications need to be submitted to the Exams Department via email. Special instructions are detailed on the appropriate application form and must be accompanied by supporting documentation.  
 
Queries 
If you have any queries regarding the policy or application process, please do not hesitate to contact the Exams Department. 
 
The Policy and application forms can be found below. 

T-19 Reasonable Adjustment Form 

Download Form 
 
T-19 Special Consideration Form  

Download Form 

T-19 Special Circumstances and Reasonable Adjustment Policy for examinations 

View Policy 

Second Part Paediatric Exam Calendar of Events 2026
Second Part Exam Preparation and Self Assessment of Readiness Tool

2025 SSP Written Paper SAQs 16-30

2025 SSP Written Paper SAQs 1-15 

Second Part Paediatric Exam Syllabus

18.2 Notes to Candidates 

OCE Form 

Candidates Suffering Illness, Accident or Disability 

Appeals, Review and Reconsideration Processes 

Trainee Action Plan editable PDF 

Examination Answer Book - Short Answer Questions
2020 - 2030

Examination reports from 2020 onwards are available on this page. Earlier reports can be accessed via the Examination Hub on Moodle (eLearning Platform). For further assistance, please contact the Assessments and Exams Department.


2025

August/November (PDF)

2024

August/November (PDF)

2023 

August/November (PDF) 

2022 

August/November (PDF) 

2021 

August/November (PDF) 

2020 August/November (PDF)
2010 - 2019

2019 

August/November 

2018 

August/November 

2017 

August/November 

2016 

August/November 

2015 

August/November 

2014 

August/October 

2013 

August/November 

2012 

August/October 

2011 

August/November 

2010 

August/October 

2000 - 2009

2009 

August/October 

2008 

August/October 

2007 

August/October 

What does the examination fee cover?
  • Printing of Short Answer Question booklets 
  • Printing, collation and distribution of Short Answer Question papers 
  • Accommodation for examiners who are volunteering their time to create, workshop and mark SAQ’s, attending the oral section and provide detailed feedback 
  • Venue hire for both written and oral sections 
  • Travel for examiners 
  • IT support 
  • Equipment hire 
  • Catering 
How many questions are in the written section?

These are two papers each consisting of 15 short answer questions (SAQ). The time allowed for each paper is 2.5 hours and this allows approximately ten minutes per SAQ. 

What can be taken into the written examination?

Basic stationery such as pens (blue and/or black pens only), rulers, erasers, and non-programmable calculators, and analogue clocks/watches (must be silent and not internet-capable). Answer booklets are provided by the College. 
 
NOTE: Programmable calculators, personal computers, mobile phones, smart/sport watches, digital clocks/timers and other electronic equipment may not be taken into any section of the examination. 

What mark needs to be achieved in the written section in order to get invited to the oral section?

50%

What is required to pass the examination overall?

Candidates must: 
(a) Achieve a total score of at least 50%; 
(b) Not fail more than one section, and 
(c) Not perform poorly in the clinical section.  

What is a hot case?

A hot case is a 20-minute encounter that focuses on a clinical problem. Candidates will be asked to carry out a physical examination of patients with acute medical or surgical problems in a paediatric intensive care unit and then discuss with the examiners.

What is a cross table viva?

A viva is a 12-minute encounter test knowledge of basic and more difficult questions to allow demonstration of an appropriate level of competence, management, etc. 
 
Some vivas stations will test: 

  • The ability to communicate with relatives and staff and handle ethical and administrative problems 
  • The ability to demonstrate PICU procedures 
  • Radiological interpretation of X-Rays, CT scans and MRI scans

Two minutes are allocated to read the introductory questions outside each viva station, and 10 minutes are spent discussing the topic with one or two examiners.

How long will it take to get results?

Written results can take up to four weeks to prepare and are sent to candidates via email. Results will not be given over the phone. 
Oral section results are handed to candidates in a sealed envelope at the completion of the examination (times to be specified by college staff on the day). Collection of final results is not mandatory, and an alternative method can be easily arranged.  

What is the examination report?

The report provides candidates, tutors and Supervisors of Training with information about the examination. Answers provided are not model answers but guides to what was expected for a particular question. 

What is the feedback available to unsuccessful candidates?

Feedback includes:

  • Overview of the marking process 
  • Breakdown of questions that were passed/failed 

Due to the specific nature of the feedback letters, these may take several weeks to create. 

How many attempts can a candidate have?

A candidate who presents for either the written or oral component has a maximum of five attempts. If unsuccessful on the fifth attempt the candidate will not be eligible for further examination candidacy and will no longer be registered as a trainee.

Example: 

Candidate Dr Jane Doe applies to sit the exam and is successful at the written component. Dr Jane Doe then presents for the oral component but is unsuccessful. This is ONE attempt. 

Dr Jane Doe has FOUR exam attempts remaining. 

Dr Jane Doe applies to sit the exam again at the next sitting, and carries her written mark (first carry) from the previous attempt. Dr Jane Doe presents for the oral component and is unsuccessful. This is ONE attempt. 

Dr Jane Doe has THREE exam attempts remaining. 

Dr Jane Doe applies to sit the exam again at the following sitting, and carries her written mark (last carry) from her first exam attempt. Dr Jane Doe presents for the oral component and is successful. This is ONE attempt. 

Dr Jane Doe passes the exam on her third attempt. 

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