Royal College Psychiatry Exam Guide
The Royal College Psychiatry exam certifies specialists in psychiatry in Canada. It comprises a written exam and the STACER clinical exam. This guide covers format, blueprint, and a realistic prep plan.
By Dr. M. Lévesque · MD, FRCPC (Psychiatry)
Exam format
The Royal College Psychiatry certification exam includes a written exam (multiple-choice questions and short-answer questions across the psychiatry blueprint) and the STACER, a live standardised clinical assessment.
Both parts must be passed for FRCPC certification. Most candidates write in the spring after PGY-5.
- Written exam: MCQs plus SAQs across the DSM-5-TR aligned blueprint
- STACER: extended standardised patient interview graded by staff psychiatrists
The blueprint
The Royal College Psychiatry Objectives of Training cover mood, anxiety, psychotic, personality, substance use, neurodevelopmental, and neurocognitive disorders across all age groups. The written blueprint distributes questions across these domains proportional to clinical relevance.
MDReview's Psychiatry bank is DSM-5-TR aligned and reviewed by Canadian staff psychiatrists.
A 12-month prep plan
The plan below assumes 45–60 minutes of daily practice, escalating in the final months.
- Months 1–3: 30 vignettes per day, focus on mood and anxiety disorders
- Months 4–6: 40 vignettes per day, add psychotic disorders, addictions, and geriatric
- Months 7–9: 50 vignettes per day, mixed topics, add SAQ practice
- Months 10–11: STACER practice with peers or preceptors
- Month 12: full-length written mock and targeted review
Scoring
The written exam and STACER are scored separately. Both must be passed for certification.
FAQ
Is the exam DSM-5-TR aligned?
Yes. Current Royal College Psychiatry exams use DSM-5-TR criteria. MDReview's Psychiatry bank is fully aligned to DSM-5-TR.
Does MDReview include STACER practice?
MDReview focuses on the written exam. STACER practice is best done with peers and preceptors using the Royal College's published station templates.
How many questions are in the Psychiatry bank?
Several thousand vignettes across the full blueprint, with new vignettes added monthly. Exact counts are visible inside your dashboard.
Ready to start practising?
MDReview turns this guide into daily practice: staff-authored vignettes, spaced repetition, and a full-length mock exam.