The RCVS formative quiz: 110 sample questions for the SME written papers
Updated 20 October 2026
The RCVS gives SME candidates a formative quiz with 110 multiple-choice questions in the same format and to the same standard as the written exams. It is the nearest thing to an official sample, so use it well.
What it contains
According to the RCVS guidance, the quiz has 110 questions: 100 clinical questions and 10 on the Code of Professional Conduct. The questions are not assessed in the final exams, and candidates can access the quiz three times.
How to use it
- Take it once, cold and timed, as your baseline.
- List the systems where you lost marks and plan your weeks around them.
- Keep your second attempt for about halfway through your preparation, and the third for the last month.
- For every miss, write why the correct option is best and why yours was not.
What it cannot do
One quiz of 110 questions cannot cover the three areas in depth. After the baseline, you need volume: hundreds of single best answer questions across companion animal, production animal and equine, with explanations.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in the RCVS formative quiz?
The RCVS describes 110 questions, 100 clinical and 10 on the Code of Professional Conduct.
Does the formative quiz count towards my result?
No. The questions are not assessed in the final exams.
Keep reading
- A 16 week study plan for the RCVS written exam
- How to pass the RCVS Statutory Membership Exam written papers
- RCVS Statutory Membership Exam (SME): what overseas vets need to know