Free Gastroenterology mock exam

What the real Gastroenterology licensing exam looks like

What is on the Gastroenterology exam: the full blueprint

The published blueprint splits into 13 domains and 255 testable sub-topics. The diagnostic above samples across all of them, which is why its breakdown maps onto the structure the real paper is built from.

• Oesophageal Diseases~8%19 topics

  part of the SCFHS/DHA published section 'Oesophageal and Gastric Diseases' at 14%; split here for granularity - est.

• Gastric and Duodenal Diseases and Helicobacter pylori~6%19 topics

  remainder of the SCFHS/DHA 'Oesophageal and Gastric Diseases' 14% section - est. split

• Gastrointestinal Bleeding~15%20 topics

  SCFHS/DHA published section: 15%

• Pancreatic Diseases~8%20 topics

  part of the SCFHS/DHA published section 'Pancreaticobiliary Diseases' at 15%; split here for granularity - est.

• Biliary Tract and Gallbladder Disease~7%19 topics

  remainder of the SCFHS/DHA 'Pancreaticobiliary Diseases' 15% section - est. split

• Chronic Liver Disease, Cirrhosis and Portal Hypertension~13%20 topics

  part of the SCFHS/DHA published section 'Liver and Liver Related Conditions and Diseases' at 25%; split here for granularity - est.

• Viral Hepatitis, Acute Liver Injury and Transplantation~10%20 topics

  remainder of the SCFHS/DHA 'Liver and Liver Related Conditions and Diseases' 25% section - est. split

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease~4%20 topics

  part of the SCFHS/DHA published section 'Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Small and Large Intestine' at 6%; SCFHS Fellowship promotion blueprint weights IBD at 25% - est. split for the licensure paper

• Small and Large Intestine Disorders (non-IBD)~3%20 topics

  remainder of the SCFHS/DHA 'Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Small and Large Intestine' 6% section - est. split

• Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Malignancies~9%20 topics

  SCFHS/DHA published section 'Gastrointestinal Malignancies': 9%

• GI Motility, Functional GI Disorders and Nutrition~6%19 topics

  SCFHS/DHA published section 'Gastroenterology Nutrition Motility Disorders': 6%

• Endoscopy Practice, Sedation and Procedural Complications (Miscellaneous)~4%19 topics

  est. - the DHA exam coverage list includes a 'Miscellaneous' heading and names Cotton & Williams Practical Gastrointestinal Endoscopy as a core reference; not a separately weighted SCFHS section

• Patient Safety, Professionalism, Ethics and Evidence-Based Practice~10%20 topics

  SCFHS/DHA published: Patient Safety 5% + Professionalism and Ethics 5%; the SCFHS Fellowship blueprint instead embeds these across domains

Questions

~150 (DHA Specialist Gastroenterology, code GES5171 - CONFIRMED). SCFHS Gastroenterology classification exam is 200 MCQs. SCFHS Adult Gastroenterology Fellowship Promotion Examination is not less than 100 MCQs plus up to 10% unscored pretest items. QCHP/NHRA/MOHAP specialty papers are typically ~150. DOH and OMSB gastroenterology question counts are unverified.

Duration

3 hours (DHA - CONFIRMED, and the stated duration is inclusive of registration and process introduction). SCFHS classification exam 4 hours. NHRA 3-hour seating with about 2.5 hours of exam time. QCHP typically 3 hours. DOH and OMSB durations vary by classification and are unverified.

Pass mark

65% (DHA Specialist Gastroenterology - CONFIRMED; higher than the 60% DHA default applied to many other titles). SCFHS 65% Registrar / 70% Senior Registrar. SCFHS Fellowship promotion bands: <50% Clear Fail, 50-59.4% Borderline Fail, 60-69.4% Borderline Pass, >70% Clear Pass. NHRA 60%. QCHP 60% general with 65% on several specialty papers. OMSB reported >65% to qualify for the viva (unverified). DOH/MOHAP gastroenterology cut scores unverified.

Single-best-answer MCQs with one correct option out of four (SCFHS states this explicitly for the Adult Gastroenterology paper). Items are predominantly clinical vignettes and include image-based stems: endoscopic and colonoscopic views, capsule endoscopy frames, ERCP and MRCP images, EUS stills, abdominal CT/MRI, liver and GI histopathology slides, oesophageal manometry and pH-impedance tracings, and liver function / serology panels. Question types span clinical presentation (history, examination findings, patient approach), diagnosis and investigation, management (therapeutic and non-therapeutic, plus complications of management), materials and instruments (device properties, usage and selection - relevant to endoscopic accessories, stents and scopes), and health maintenance (screening, prevention, risk factor assessment, prognosis). SCFHS mixes K1 recall/comprehension items with K2 interpretation, analysis, reasoning and decision-making items. Delivery: DHA/MOHAP/SCFHS/QCHP/NHRA through Prometric; DOH and OMSB through Pearson VUE. DHA reports Pass/Fail only through Sheryan and does not release a numeric score. SCFHS may lower the pass score incrementally to reach a target pass rate but never below the stated floor, and allows +/-3% (classification) or +/-5% (fellowship) variation per blueprint category. Where an oral assessment applies (DHA Consultant Gastroenterology, SCFHS consultant classification interview, OMSB viva), it is a separate additional hurdle; DHA clause 4.19.2 requires the CBT to be passed first where both are required for a profession.

A worked Gastroenterology exam question

Every question in the diagnostic and in the paid bank is written to this standard: a clinical stem, four plausible options and the reasoning for the answer, with its source.

How to use this diagnostic properly

1. 1Sit it cold, once. Do not look anything up. A diagnostic you help yourself through tells you nothing. The number you get is only useful if it is honest.
2. 2Read every rationale - especially the ones you got right. Getting a question right by elimination is not the same as knowing it. The worked reasoning is free above, whether or not you buy anything.
3. 3Work weakest domain first. The breakdown orders your domains worst-first for exactly this reason. Studying what you are already good at feels productive and moves nothing.
4. 4Re-sit under full exam conditions later. The real paper is far longer than this and stamina matters. Full-length timed papers are what the paid bank is for.

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