How to pass the RCVS Statutory Membership Exam written papers

Updated 20 October 2026

The written stage is three best-of-five clinical papers and an open-book Code of Professional Conduct paper. You must pass every area, so the winning approach is steady coverage of all of them, plenty of timed practice and a habit of learning from every miss.

The papers

Paper	Questions	Time
Companion animal	175	About 2 hours
Production animal (including veterinary public health)	105	About 2 hours
Equine	87	About 2 hours
Code of Professional Conduct (open book)	See the guidance	About 2 hours 15 minutes

Technique for single best answer questions

Read the last line first so you know what is being asked, then read the vignette.
Several options are often partly right. Choose the best one for this patient, in a UK general practice setting.
Cover the options and think of your own answer before you look.
Negative marking is not applied, so never leave a question blank.
Flag and move on if you are stuck. At about 40 seconds a question there is no time to stall.

Pacing

A full paper is a stamina test as much as a knowledge test. Sit at least two full timed papers before the exam, in the same conditions: a quiet room, a webcam, no breaks.

Cover all three areas

Candidates usually have one comfortable area and two weaker ones. Use your first baseline to find the weaker areas and give them most of your time, because a strong equine score does not make up for a failed production paper.

Learn from every miss

Keep a list of the questions you got wrong and clear it before you sleep.
Write the one-line reason you were wrong, not only the right answer.
Redo the same questions a week later.

The Code paper

Because it is open book, learn where things are in the Code and the supporting guidance, and practise finding the right paragraph in under two minutes.

Frequently asked questions

Is there negative marking in the RCVS written exam?

No. The RCVS guidance says negative marking is not applied, so answer every question.

How many questions are in the RCVS written papers?

The 2027 guidance describes 175 companion animal, 105 production animal and 87 equine questions, about 2 hours each.

Do I have to pass every area?

Yes. You need a pass in each clinical area and the Code paper to progress to the OSCE, although failed papers can be resat in May.