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Diploma in Primary Emergency Care of the College of Emergency Medicine of South Africa

The Diploma in Primary Emergency Care [Dip PEC(SA)] is a qualification for medical practitioners seeking to manage common emergencies encountered in district hospitals. It is aimed at non-specialists, including general practitioners working in emergency centers, rural areas, military health services, and industrial medical services. The diploma equips practitioners with the knowledge and skills to raise the standard of emergency care in South Africa.

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Exam profile

At a glance.

Questions
9,492+
Flashcards
4,029+
Topics
298
Exam parts
3

CMSA-aligned · updated release over release

Exam details

Know the format.

Everything below is pulled from the official CMSA documentation for this certification.

Format
Two online MCQ papers (Paper 1: 100 Single Best Answer MCQ; Paper 2: 100 Stimulus/Image-based MCQ) plus an online OSPE with 4 live stations and Structured Oral Exam components
Duration
Paper 1: 3 hours; Paper 2: 3 hours; OSPE: 4 stations x 10 minutes assessment time + 3.5 minutes preparation time per station
Issuing body
College of Medicine of South Africa
03 parts · aligned to CMSA

Exam parts, one section at a time.

The content is organised to match the official CMSA exam structure, so every minute of prep maps back to what you’ll be tested on.

  1. 01

    Paper 1 - Written MCQ

    100 Single Best Answer MCQ questions in 'best of four' format covering emergency medical services, trauma recognition and initial management, environmental emergencies, surgical and specialty emergencies, and ethics in emergency medicine. No negative marking applies.

    2,851
    Questions
    1,204
    Flashcards
  2. 02

    Paper 2 - Written Stimulus/Image-Based MCQ

    100 Single Best Answer Stimulus (Image-Based) MCQ testing visual interpretation skills including clinical condition photographs, radiographs, CT scans, ultrasound, ECGs, and laboratory data. Candidates demonstrate ability to interpret visual representations relevant to emergency medicine practice.

    6,110
    Questions
    2,612
    Flashcards
  3. 03

    Online OSPE

    Objective Structured Practical Examination delivered online via Zoom with 4 live stations (Interactive Resuscitation, Resuscitation Equipment, Communication, and Structured Oral). Stations include simulation questions, skill demonstration through description, and communication assessments with actors via video link.

    531
    Questions
    213
    Flashcards

Start your Diploma in Primary Emergency Care of the College of Emergency Medicine of South Africa journey today.

Prepare for your Dip PEC(SA) certification with Lorraine’s adaptive learning engine.

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