FCPS Part 1 ENT Past Papers: How to Use Them to Pass

CPSP's item-analysis scoring rewards candidates who can reason through harder, discriminating questions rather than recall isolated facts. Past papers and recall-style questions are the fastest way to learn what those questions look like, and how CPSP phrases a concept compared with a textbook.

Where the Weight Sits

In HighYield's ENT bank of 3,700+ questions, the ENT-specific regions carry most of the weight:

• Nose and paranasal sinuses: the largest region, at roughly 990 questions.
• Ear: about 610 questions, covering anatomy, hearing tests, otitis media, otosclerosis, vertigo and facial nerve disease.
• Larynx and airway: about 590 questions, including stridor, vocal cord palsy, tracheostomy and laryngeal tumours.
• Pharynx and oral cavity: about 565 questions, including tonsils, deep neck spaces, dysphagia and oral lesions.
• Head and neck: about 270 questions, covering neck masses, salivary glands, thyroid and tumours.
• Basic sciences: anatomy, pathology, biochemistry and pharmacology make up the rest.

Weight your time toward the largest regions instead of spreading effort evenly, but do not skip the smaller ones: head and neck questions are often anatomy-heavy and easy to lose marks on.

How to Use Past Papers Effectively

• Timed blocks, then a proper review. Do 40 to 50 questions against the clock, then review every explanation, including those you got right by guessing.
• Keep an error log by region. Revisit your weakest region every two or three sessions.
• Learn the pattern, not the answer. Recall-style questions repeat concepts (site of lesion, next best investigation, drug of choice) rather than exact wording.
• Do not trust a single key blindly. If an answer contradicts your textbook, check a reference. A wrong memorised key costs marks.

Practise With Explanations

HighYield's FCPS Part 1 ENT QBank has 3,700+ MCQs across ear, nose and paranasal sinuses, larynx and airway, pharynx and oral cavity, and head and neck, plus the shared basic sciences. Every question has a written explanation, and subject analytics show which region needs another pass. Your first 20 questions are free, no card required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which ENT topics come up most?

Sinonasal disease and epistaxis, otitis media and its complications, hearing tests and vertigo, the laryngeal nerve supply and airway emergencies, and tonsil and neck space infections.

Should I do past papers before finishing the syllabus?

Start early with untimed practice per region, and move to timed mixed papers in your last few weeks.