RCPSC Anesthesiology: Exam Dates, Format, Eligibility and Preparation

Key facts

Royal College Anesthesiology exam overview

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) Anesthesiology examination assesses candidates seeking certification in the specialty. The College schedules it as written before oral, with the components decoupled rather than held as one same-day exam.

Dates and written-format details depend on your training cohort and candidate route. Start with the cohort named in your Royal College ruling and use the matching entry in the 2027 examination schedule.

RCPSC Anesthesiology exam format

Written component

The exam is scheduled as written before oral, with the components decoupled. For the written paper format and blueprint that apply to your sitting, use the Anesthesiology examination-format document on the Royal College’s Information by Discipline page.

Applied oral component

The applied exam is a structured oral assessment. It has eight 15-minute content stations, three minutes between stations and no additional reading time in the listed format. Examiners ask questions at timed stations; scenarios may include visual material such as medical imaging or photographs.

RCPSC Anesthesiology exam dates and registration

The Royal College schedule separates candidates by training cohort and other eligibility categories. The dates below are not interchangeable between groups.

Candidates in the 2022 cohort and specified repeat or non-Canadian-training groups

The written sitting was September 28–29, 2026. The associated applied exam is scheduled for May 4–5, 2027. Registration for that written sitting closed on April 15, 2026.

Candidates in the 2023 cohort and specified repeat or non-Canadian-training groups

The written sitting is scheduled for September 21–22, 2027; the applied exam is listed for Spring 2028. The assessment-application deadline for this group was August 31, 2026. Registration is scheduled to run from February 1 to April 15, 2027.

Read the full 2026 schedule or 2027 schedule against your own candidate category. The Royal College sends your appointment details by email.

Who can take the RCPSC Anesthesiology exam?

You must receive a Royal College ruling confirming exam eligibility before you register. The correct route depends on where and how you completed postgraduate training.

• Traditional Canadian Route: may apply if you are a resident or graduate of a Canadian postgraduate medical program accredited by the Royal College. The College assesses your training before exam registration.
• Practice Eligibility Route (PER): some internationally trained specialists may be eligible for an individual assessment through PER. Training and practice requirements apply.

Use the Royal College pages for the Traditional Canadian Route and the Practice Eligibility Route to identify the process that fits your background. The assessment and exam fees page lists the applicable fee categories.

RCPSC Anesthesiology exam syllabus

Use the Royal College competencies and national curriculum to organize revision around clinical decisions, not disconnected facts. Core areas include:

• Foundations: physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, monitoring, equipment and medical gases.
• Perioperative practice: preoperative assessment, airway management, general and regional anaesthesia, recovery and care outside the operating room.
• Special populations and services: obstetric and paediatric anaesthesia, surgical subspecialties, acute and chronic pain, and perioperative medicine.
• Critical care and emergencies: resuscitation, shock, organ dysfunction, trauma and complications of anaesthesia.
• Professional practice: patient safety, communication, collaboration, leadership, health advocacy, scholarship and professionalism.

The Royal College competencies/anesthesiology-competencies-e.pdf) and National Curriculum for Canadian Anesthesia Residency/anesthesiology-national-curriculum-e.pdf) provide the detailed topic framework.

RCPSC Anesthesiology results

The Royal College posts results according to dates that vary by specialty or subspecialty. Use the result date assigned to your sitting on the exam dates, deadlines and locations page.

How to prepare for the RCPSC Anesthesiology exam

A focused plan builds knowledge first, then makes you practise using it under time pressure.

A 10-week preparation plan

• Weeks 1–2: Map the competencies. Use the Royal College competency document to create a topic list. Complete a timed baseline set and keep an error log that records the clinical principle behind each mistake.
• Weeks 3–6: Consolidate core topics. Revise airway, physiology, pharmacology, monitoring, perioperative care, obstetrics, paediatrics, regional anaesthesia, pain and critical care. Practise explaining the decision, its rationale and a safe alternative.
• Weeks 7–8: Rehearse clinical reasoning. Discuss cases with a colleague. State immediate priorities first, then organize assessment, investigations, management and escalation. Practise clear patient counselling and team communication.
• Weeks 9–10: Simulate the exam. Complete timed written practice and uninterrupted oral circuits. Review recurring errors rather than adding new resources in the final days.

In an oral station, a list of facts is not a management plan. Identify the threat, say what you will do first, explain why and show how you will reassess.

More preparation advice: Mastering the RCPSC Anesthesiology Exams: Your Pathway to Certification in Canada

Frequently asked questions

References

Exam rules, dates and fees change. Always confirm the details with the awarding body before you apply.