RANZCR radiodiagnosis written exam (e-Film reading)

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The RANZCR radiodiagnosis written exam (e-Film reading) is part of the RANZCR part 2 examination.

Format

The exam consists of 8 questions of equal value. Each question comprises a case (or two) with a clinical history and relevant imaging with one or a number of different imaging modalities. Whereas previously the cases have been presented as 'hard-copy', since April 2013 the cases have been delivered electronically via a PACS viewer. To ensure loading times for cases are not too long, typically a select number of series/sequences are provided for each case. As with any PACS viewer, there are imaging tools such as magnification, windowing, measurements etc.

Answers are typed into text boxes under the following headings:

  • findings
  • likely diagnosis
  • differential diagnosis
  • further investigation or management.

Currently, it is only held in Sydney, Australia.

Technique

This examination tends to be the most time-constrained of all the RANZCR part 2 written exams, with 15 minutes per case/question if time is allocated evenly. A common technique is to limit each answer to, say, 12 minutes, which leaves 24 minutes at the end for reviewing answers.

It is important to note that the images may take as long as 1 minute to load for each case. For this reason, it may take a while to go back and forward between cases. Most candidates, therefore, tend to answer each case in the order that they are presented, rather than having a quick look at all the cases first and answering the ones they know best before tackling the more challenging cases.

The 4 text boxes (findings, likely diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and further investigation or management) provide the structure for your answer, with subheadings not required. Bullet points may be useful, especially in describing the findings (which tends to be the 'longest' of the answers). In some cases, there is no differential diagnosis, in which case this box does not need to be filled in.

As with the RANZCR anatomy paper 1 exam, typing skills are important; improving your typing speed will essentially provide you with more time to complete the exam. One tip from previous years is to type, rather than dictate, a few of your reports during your day to day work.

Note: details correct at time of writing. Please check with RANZCR for updated details.