Eur J Anaesthesiol 2013; 30:579
BOOK REVIEW
SBA and MTF MCQs for the Primary FRCA
James Nickells, Benjamin Walton and the FRCAQ.com
Writers Group
Cambridge University Press, 2012
ISBN 978-1-107-60406-3 (paperback)
Recommended Retail Price £18.50
To become a Fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthe-
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tists (FRCA) by examination, candidates must pass the
Primary (or a recognised exemption qualification) and
then Final examinations. Many Primary FRCA candi-
dates are UK or Ireland trainees in anaesthesia, but full
eligibility criteria can be found at www.rcoa.ac.uk/exam-
inations.
This examination book is written by the FRCAQ.com
writers group, and is the first Cambridge publication by
the author on Primary FRCA questions following several
covering Final FRCA questions. The book contains
questions from the FRCAQ.com website. It is available
in paperback (220 pages) or to download as an e-book.
The preface discusses methods of revision, focusing on
the advantages of web based resources (large volumes of
material can be accessed and updated easily, performance
can be analysed and compared with others, and candi-
dates can feed back comments about questions) such as
that provided by FRCAQ.com, which has been devel-
oped in conjunction with Cambridge University Press.
The book is intended to provide a taster of the content on
the website and an alternative format to suit individual
preference. Some practical examination tips are also
given.
The book is structured into two question papers, answers,
and explanations. As in the examination, each question
paper contains 90 multiple choice questions (MCQ):
60 multiple true/false (MTF) followed by 30 single best
answer (SBA) questions. The questions are evenly dis-
tributed across the Primary FRCA syllabus. The answer
section provides a simple list, enabling quick reference.
The questions and answers are relisted (with a descrip-
tion linking to the index) in the explanation section,
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removing the need to flick back and forth between
sections when marking. Two explanations are then pro-
vided: a short one, which should serve as a reminder if the
reader is familiar with the topic, and a long one, for topics
that the reader has not yet revised so thoroughly!
Occasional diagrams and tables are used, but the vast
majority of explanations are text only. References are
provided at the end of most explanations, mainly to
commonly used anaesthesia textbooks which the reader
should have easy access to. The index directs the reader
to question numbers and explanation page numbers,
thereby allowing targeted revision.
There is a wide range of textbooks and other resources
available to guide the Primary FRCA candidate, and
practice examination questions will form just one com-
ponent of revision material. Whilst other books may
contain more MCQs, this has the advantage of being a
recent publication providing an up-to-date representa-
tion of examination papers at a reasonable price. The
biggest strength of the book is a user friendly structure
that is well tailored to the audience – question papers
presented as in the actual examination, explanations
suited to different stages of revision, references to aid
further revision, and an index to guide those who wish to
test their knowledge of specific topics. It could certainly
be improved by featuring more diagrams and pictures
where relevant but overall, a very worthwhile investment.
Leanne Darwin
Specialty Registrar in Anaesthesia
North West Deanery
UK
E-mail: leanne.m.darwin@doctors.net.uk
Malachy Columb
Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care
University Hospital of South Manchester
Southmoor Road
Wythenshawe
Manchester
UK
DOI:10.1097/EJA.0b013e3283632fff