Dr Kola Tytler (MBBS CertHE MBA MRCGP)|21 April 2026|7 min read
The FFICM (Fellowship of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine) is the exit examination for consultant-level intensive care medicine practice in the UK. It consists of three components: the MCQ written paper, the OSCE, and the SOE (Structured Oral Examination). Approximately 400–500 candidates attempt it per year — a fraction of the MRCP or MRCGP candidate pool.
This small candidate volume creates a genuine problem: dedicated FFICM revision resources are scarce. Unlike the MRCP (where PassMedicine alone has 5,100+ questions), the FFICM has only a handful of dedicated platforms, none with enormous question banks. This guide covers how to build an effective FFICM revision strategy with the resources that do exist.
The Resource Landscape
iatroX — The Only Adaptive FFICM Bank
iatroX offers 727 FFICM questions with AI-powered adaptive learning — making it the only adaptive FFICM resource currently available. The algorithm identifies your weak areas across the ICM syllabus and prioritises them automatically. Spaced repetition schedules reviews at optimal intervals.
The FFICM bank is part of iatroX's specialist diploma subscription (£29/month or £99/year), which also includes DRCOG, DFSRH, DGM, DipIMC, and DTM&H. The same account gives you free access to MRCP, AKT, MSRA, and MRCEM — relevant for ICM trainees who may also need these exams.
The integrated clinical AI is particularly useful for ICM. You can query ventilation guidelines, sepsis management protocols, drug dosing in renal or hepatic impairment, and electrolyte correction algorithms in seconds. The clinical calculators include tools used daily in ICM practice.
iatroX is UKCA-marked and MHRA-registered as a Class I medical device.
Try iatroX FFICM Quiz | Compare iatroX vs Intensive Anaesthesia
Intensive Anaesthesia — The PassMedicine Family FFICM Bank
Intensive Anaesthesia is a dedicated FFICM Q-bank from the PassMedicine family. It uses the proven exam engine with peer comparison histograms, timed tests, and revision notes under each question. A Final FRCA resource has been announced.
Intensive Anaesthesia is the traditional Q-bank option — work through questions, read explanations, track performance. It does not offer adaptive learning, but the PassMedicine engine is mature and reliable.
Compare Intensive Anaesthesia vs Crit-IQ | Compare Intensive Anaesthesia vs BMJ OnExamination
Crit-IQ — Independent ICM Platform
Crit-IQ offers an MCQ module with 150+ questions aimed at FFICM written exam preparation, alongside broader ICM training resources. The smaller bank makes it a supplement rather than a primary resource, but the ICM training content (beyond exam prep) adds value for trainees.
BMJ OnExamination — Check Trust Access
BMJ OnExamination offers FRCA and ICM modules that overlap with FFICM content. The FFICM-specific coverage is drawn from the broader FRCA offering, so some questions may test anaesthetics-specific content rather than ICM. However, if your Trust provides free access, this is a useful supplement at zero cost.
Textbooks
The Oxford Handbook of Critical Care is the standard companion text for FFICM preparation. Oh's Intensive Care Manual and Bersten & Handy provide deeper reference coverage. For the basic sciences underpinning the MCQ, the FRCA primary textbooks (Peck, Hill & Williams) are relevant for the physiology and pharmacology components.
The Scarce Resource Strategy
When dedicated Q-bank questions are limited, the revision strategy must adapt.
Do not try to complete a single Q-bank multiple times and assume that is sufficient. With only a few hundred questions available per platform, you will memorise answers rather than learn concepts. Instead, use multiple Q-banks to maximise your exposure to different question styles and content angles.
The recommended approach: use iatroX as your primary adaptive bank (727 questions with weak-area targeting) and supplement with Intensive Anaesthesia (additional questions with the PassMedicine engine). Add Crit-IQ and BMJ OnExamination (if Trust access available) for further exposure. This gives you the widest possible question pool across all available platforms.
Supplement Q-bank practice with structured textbook reading. The FFICM tests at consultant level — the questions require understanding of physiology, pharmacology, and evidence behind management decisions, not just clinical recall. Textbook reading fills the depth gap that limited Q-bank volume cannot cover.
A 20-Week Study Plan
The FFICM is typically sat during Stage 2 of standalone ICM training. Most candidates prepare over 4–5 months.
Weeks 1–4: Build the knowledge base. Read the Oxford Handbook of Critical Care systematically. Do 20–30 iatroX FFICM questions per day in adaptive mode to identify weak areas early.
Weeks 5–8: Targeted revision. Use iatroX's adaptive data to identify your weakest topics. Do focused textbook reading on these areas. Begin working through Intensive Anaesthesia alongside iatroX for additional question exposure.
Weeks 9–12: Breadth expansion. Work through Crit-IQ and BMJ OnExamination (if available). Cover topics that have not appeared in your primary Q-banks — the FFICM syllabus is broad, and gaps in Q-bank coverage are inevitable with smaller banks.
Weeks 13–16: Integration and practice. Do mixed-topic timed sessions. Begin mock exam practice. Focus on the areas where Q-bank performance is still below 60%.
Weeks 17–20: Mock exams, SOE preparation, and consolidation. Do at least two full-length MCQ mock exams under timed conditions. Begin SOE viva practice with a study partner. Review the evidence base for common ICM controversies (these appear in both the MCQ and SOE).
The ICM Trainee Exam Journey
ICM training involves multiple exams. The FFICM is the exit exam, but trainees also need a relevant primary exam (FRCA Primary for anaesthetists, MRCP for physicians, or equivalent) and may sit the EDIC (European Diploma in Intensive Care).
iatroX covers the FFICM (paid specialist bank) alongside free MRCP and MRCEM banks — spanning the full ICM trainee exam pathway on one platform. For anaesthetists, TeachMeAnaesthetics covers the Primary FRCA (1,100+ SBAs), complementing iatroX's FFICM coverage.
Information based on FICM/RCoA publications and public sources as of 21 April 2026. Trademarks belong to their owners.