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The RCPSC anesthesia applied exam: the oral stations

The applied exam is a structured oral of roughly two hours. You rotate through several equally-weighted stations, each with two examiners, and talk through clinical scenarios out loud. Station scores are combined and averaged into one applied score on the Global Rating Scale (GRS). This page describes what the stations ask; for official rules, format, and locations, see royalcollege.ca.

At a glance

  • A structured oral of roughly two hours across several equally-weighted stations.
  • Two examiners per station; station scores are combined and averaged.
  • Scoring uses the Global Rating Scale (GRS) across clinical-reasoning domains.
  • Each scenario has critical features you must cover, some mandatory to pass it.
  • Examiners may interrupt to probe or advance, and stay neutral with no feedback.
  • Delivered in person in Toronto and Ottawa from Spring 2025 (self-funded travel).

How a station runs

In each station an examiner presents a scenario, usually in two or three parts, and asks you to reason through it out loud. Examiners may interrupt to probe your thinking or move you on, and they stay neutral, giving no feedback and no hints. Some stations use patient-encounter role-play, where the examiner acts as the patient, and others ask you to describe a focused history or a focused physical examination. No actual patient examination is performed.

Critical features and scoring

Within each scenario, certain answers are pre-designated critical features that you are expected to discuss, and some are mandatory to pass that scenario. Your performance is scored on the Global Rating Scale across domains such as clinical reasoning and judgement, differential diagnosis, knowledge, situational awareness, patient safety, organization and flow, and the non-Medical-Expert CanMEDS roles. Because stations are equally weighted, no single station carries the whole result.

Interpreting stimuli

Stations can ask you to interpret visual material: labs, imaging, and videos such as a monitor showing vital signs or dynamic ultrasound (POCUS). You describe what you see and act on it out loud. Rehearsing this narration is exactly what an oral simulator is for. See how the AI simulator works, or read how to prepare. OutLoud MD is a practice tool, not affiliated with the Royal College; for official details see royalcollege.ca.

Frequently asked questions

How is the applied exam structured?
It is a structured oral of roughly two hours. You rotate through several equally-weighted stations, each with two examiners. Station scores are combined and averaged into one applied score using the Global Rating Scale.
What are critical features?
Within a scenario, certain answers are pre-designated critical features that you must discuss, and some are mandatory to pass that scenario. A scenario typically has two or three parts, and examiners may interrupt to probe or advance you.
Do examiners give feedback or hints?
No. Examiners stay neutral and give no feedback during a station. They may act as the patient in a role-play, and you may be asked to interpret visual material such as labs, imaging, or videos of monitors and dynamic ultrasound. No actual patient examination is performed.
Where is the applied exam held?
It is delivered in person, centralized in Toronto and Ottawa from Spring 2025, and candidates self-fund travel and accommodation. For the current format, dates, and locations, see royalcollege.ca.

Key takeaways

  • The applied exam is a two-hour structured oral of several equally-weighted stations.
  • Each station has two examiners; scores combine and average on the GRS.
  • Every scenario has critical features you must cover, some mandatory to pass.
  • Examiners interrupt and stay neutral; it is delivered in person in Toronto and Ottawa.

Updated September 2026

RCPSC Anesthesia Applied Exam: The Oral Stations | OutLoud MD