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CCFP exam guide

The 2027 CCFP exam format

You won't type your answers anymore. You pick them from a list. Here is what changed, and how to get ready.

Checked by a Canadian family physician, MD, CCFP. Updated October 23, 2026.

Try 20 Free CasesTry both question types

Before 2026Type it

Which investigations would you order? List FOUR.

1. TSH
2. Potassium
3. Hemoglobin
4. Echoc

2027Pick it

Which investigations are the most appropriate? Select FOUR.

Carotid Doppler ultrasonography
Complete blood count
CT pulmonary angiography
Serum electrolytes

+ 8 more choices

The change

What is changing

The written exam is still called SAMPs. You still get four hours. You can write it at a test centre or at home. Only the way you answer changes.

  1. Before 2026Type itYou type each answer in your own words.
  2. 2026Some listsUp to 1 in 4 cases use a list.
  3. 2027 onYour examPick itEvery case uses a list.
“The 2026 Exam will have up to 25 per cent of the cases in either an MCQ or a short-menu format. In 2027 all the exam cases will use multiple choice and short-menu questions.”
College of Family Physicians of Canada, Certification Examination in Family Medicine

Key dates

CCFP exam dates 2027

The CFPC says every case uses a list in 2027. Spring 2027 is the first exam that year.

ExamWritten (SAMPs)Oral (SOOs)How you answer
Spring 2027Apr 5–7, 2027Apr 17–18 or 24–25, 2027Every case uses a list
Fall 2027Oct 12–13, 2027Oct 16–17, 2027Every case uses a list

Dates can change. Check the CFPC site before you book. Source: CFPC, Dates, Fees and Deadlines, checked October 23, 2026.

Question types

Multiple choice and short-menu questions

Multiple choice · Select onePick oneYou see four or five choices. You pick the one best answer.Short menu · Select the number askedPick a fewYou see a longer list. It tells you how many to pick.

Try both below. They come from one of our practice cases.

Atrial fibrillation · Question 1Short menu · Select four

You are the family physician caring for an 84-year-old woman admitted to your hospital's medical ward last night. For three days her heart has felt 'fluttery', and she has been more tired than usual and short of breath walking to her mailbox. The admission electrocardiogram shows atrial fibrillation (AF) at 112/min; one at her checkup a year ago was normal. She looks pale. She has hypertension and knee osteoarthritis. She takes ramipril 5 mg daily, acetaminophen 650 mg as needed, and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) 81 mg daily, started years ago at a walk-in clinic 'to be safe'; she has never had heart disease or a stroke. She also buys naproxen 220 mg, two tablets most days. She drinks a glass of wine on Sundays. Her sister has 'thyroid trouble'. Blood pressure is 132/78 mm Hg. She has no chest pain. Oxygen saturation is 97% on room air, and her legs are normal. The electrocardiogram shows no ischemic changes.

Which of the following investigations are the most appropriate to order at this time? Select FOUR.

0 of 4 picked

Before this one, tests found no heart valve problem. Her ASA and naproxen were stopped.

Later in the same case · Question 3Multiple choice · Select one

Two days later her pulse is 84/min. She weighs 56 kg and her serum creatinine is 98 µmol/L, an estimated creatinine clearance of 33 mL/min. Which of the following is the most appropriate anticoagulant regimen to start? Select ONE.

0 of 1 picked

Scoring

How CCFP multiple choice is scored

Each right pick gets 1 point. A wrong pick gets 0. No points are taken away.

  • Right pick: 1 pointSay a list asks for three. Get two right, and you get 2 points.
  • Wrong pick: 0 pointsA wrong pick does not take away points you got.
  • Pick the number askedThe CFPC has not said what happens if you pick too many. So don’t.

Source: CFPC SAMP writing guidelines, 2026 and the CFPC exam webinar, February 2026.

No change

What stays the same

  • The 105 topicsYou still study the same 105 topics. Now and then, a case may come from outside the list. See all 105
  • Key featuresEach topic still has key features. They say what you must do well.
  • Patient casesEach case starts with a patient. Then come a few questions.
  • The oral exam (SOOs)The CFPC has not said the oral exam will change. You still see five pretend patients online. Each one takes 15 minutes.

Source: CFPC Assessment Objectives, 2020, CFPC SAMP blueprint, 2026 and CFPC exam format.

Blueprint

What the exam covers

The CFPC shows how cases are spread out. Most take place in an office.

Where the patient is

  • Office or clinic55%
  • Hospital15%
  • Emergency or urgent care15%
  • Home or long-term care15%

What the question asks

  • History, exam and the problem20%
  • Tests and diagnosis35%
  • Treatment and follow-up30%
  • Prevention15%

Each number can be 5 points up or down. The CFPC says this is not new. It shows how cases were already made. Source: CFPC SAMP blueprint, June 2026.

Exam day

Exam day, fees and results

  • Written partYou get 4 hours of questions. There is a 15-minute start and a 15-minute break. Plan for 5 hours.
  • Where you write itAt a test centre. Or at home, with a person who watches on camera.
  • What you getYou get a calculator and a list of normal lab results. You can’t bring your own notes. You get a scratch pad on screen, or blank paper at a test centre.
  • Oral partFive cases, 15 minutes each, done online. You do them all in one day.
  • How you passEach part has its own pass mark. You must pass both. A high score on one won’t make up for the other.
  • ResultsAbout 8 weeks later, you get an email. It says your results are ready. You log in to the CFPC site to see them. They stay there for 3 months.
  • RetakesFail one part? You only take that part again. You can do this up to three times.
  • When to applyMost people apply for spring 2027 from Dec 1, 2026 to Feb 1, 2027. Check the CFPC site for your own dates.
  • Need help?Need more time, or other help? Ask for it when you apply.
  • CostSpring 2027 is $4,568 if you come from residency. It is $6,091 if you are in practice.

Source: CFPC candidate guide, CFPC exam FAQ and CFPC eligibility and application, checked October 23, 2026.

Get ready

How to study for the new format

  1. Answer before you look.Read the question. Think of your answer. Then look at the list. The CFPC writes its questions this way.
  2. Test yourself. Don’t just reread.In one study, residents who did tests kept 39% after six months. Those who read again kept 26%.
  3. Read why each choice is right or wrong.Wrong choices are made to look right. They are common mistakes. Check the right answer after each one. In one study, this cut the same wrong pick next time.
  4. Pick the number it asks for.Each list says how many to pick. Pick just that many.
  5. Study a bit each week.Spread your study out. It sticks better than cramming.
  6. Use the guides from Canada.The CFPC says the guides for family doctors matter most. It lists them on its site.

Tips 2, 3 and 5 come from studies of how people learn. See Sources.

Questions

CCFP exam FAQ

Is the CCFP exam multiple choice?

Yes, from 2027. Every case is multiple choice or short menu. In 2026, up to 1 in 4 cases were. Each case is all one kind.

Is the CCFP exam still SAMPs?

Yes. The name stays. For 2027, the CFPC says the S stands for select, not short. Some of its pages still say short. From 2027, you pick your answers.

How many cases are on the exam?

The CFPC does not say. Each case has two to five questions.

Do wrong answers cost points?

No. A wrong pick gets 0 points. It does not take away points you got.

See how it is scored

Is the new format easier?

No one knows yet. A list can help you find the answer. It can also lead you to a wrong one. Study as hard as before.

What is the CCFP pass rate?

The CFPC does not post it on its site. In a 2026 talk, it said about 92 to 94 out of 100 first-time residents pass.

How long is the CCFP written exam?

Plan for 5 hours. You get a 15-minute tutorial and 4 hours of questions. You can take a 15-minute break.

When do CCFP results come out?

About 8 weeks after the exam. The CFPC will email you.

How much does the CCFP exam cost?

Spring 2027 is $4,568 if you come from residency. It is $6,091 if you are in practice.

See exam day and fees

Will the oral exam change?

The CFPC has not said it will. The change is for the written part.

Do the topics change?

No. The 105 topics and key features stay. Now and then, a case may come from outside the list.

Where can I try sample questions?

The CFPC has a free sample. We have 20 free cases in the new format.

CFPC sample (PDF)Try 20 free cases

Sources

Exam facts are from the CFPC. Study tips are from research. Checked by a Canadian family physician, MD, CCFP.

  1. Certification Examination in Family Medicine
    College of Family Physicians of Canada · checked October 23, 2026 · The format change, dates and fees
  2. Select Answer Management Problems (SAMP) writing guidelines
    College of Family Physicians of Canada · PDF · 2026 · Question types, list length and scoring
  3. Family medicine SAMP blueprint
    College of Family Physicians of Canada · PDF · June 2026 · How cases are spread across settings
  4. Candidate guide to the Certification Examination in Family Medicine
    College of Family Physicians of Canada · PDF · Exam day, timing and results
  5. Certification Examination in Family Medicine: FAQs
    College of Family Physicians of Canada · How passing and results work
  6. CCFP exam prep webinar: what to expect and how to feel ready
    College of Family Physicians of Canada · video · February 11, 2026 · No points taken away; 25% means cases
  7. Family medicine sample SAMP section
    College of Family Physicians of Canada · PDF · Sample multiple-choice and short-menu questions
  8. Assessment Objectives for Certification in Family Medicine, 2nd edition
    College of Family Physicians of Canada · 2020 · The 105 priority topics and their key features
  9. Repeated testing improves long-term retention relative to repeated study
    Larsen, Butler, Roediger · Medical Education · 2009 · Trial in residents
  10. Feedback enhances the positive effects and reduces the negative effects of multiple-choice testing
    Butler, Roediger · Memory & Cognition · 2008
  11. Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks
    Cepeda et al. · Psychological Bulletin · 2006 · Spacing study out

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