Preparing for the EDAIC Part 2 is fundamentally different from preparing for Part 1. At this stage, knowledge alone is not enough; the examination tests how you structure your thoughts, how clearly you communicate, how safely you reason under pressure, and how well you recover when challenged. That is why most candidates who struggle in the viva do so not because they lack information, but because they have never been trained to speak, think or perform like a Part 2 candidate. The Topic-Based Viva Series was designed specifically to bridge this gap. It transforms passive reading into deliberate, high-fidelity practice—replicating the timing, cadence and examiner behaviour of the real exam—so candidates learn to open with clarity, maintain structure, defend decisions, and close with safe, prioritised plans.

  Each session mirrors the authentic EDAIC viva flow. Candidates face a focused clinical or basic science stem, followed by two to four escalating follow-up questions that probe physiology, pharmacology, management and risk assessment. This format trains the micro-skills that define high-scoring performance: giving a concise framework before answering, signposting reasoning as you progress, maintaining situational awareness, and articulating safety measures as part of every plan. Senior NHS consultants and experienced exam faculty guide this process in real time, modelling how to handle unexpected turns, how to buy thinking time without losing momentum, and how to keep answers both structured and succinct. Because the questioning style resembles the real exam, candidates develop fluency not only in what to say, but in how to say it.

  Scenario-based dialogue is the heart of the course. A stem on septic shock becomes an exploration of airway priorities, fluid responsiveness, vasopressor strategy and ventilatory goals; a discussion on local anaesthetics becomes a conversation about toxicity recognition, lipid rescue and safe block planning; a seemingly simple question on oxygen transport becomes a structured breakdown of haemoglobin physiology, shunt mechanisms and implications for management. By practising these conversations aloud, candidates begin to integrate basic science into clinical reasoning—the exact integration examiners reward in Part 2. The follow-up debrief is equally important. After each viva, faculty deliver concise, personalised feedback—what to keep, what to refine, what to avoid. Candidates log these observations into a working improvement list that gradually shrinks as performance strengthens.

  A significant benefit of interactive training is psychological conditioning. Performing under observation builds the resilience needed for exam day—managing blank moments, dealing with probing questions, and redirecting your answer when the examiner changes direction. Over time, the candidate becomes more agile: taking a brief pause to organise thoughts, acknowledging uncertainty without losing confidence, and pivoting safely when an assumption is challenged. Radiology, ECG interpretation, ventilation graphs and ultrasound clips—common stumbling blocks—are systematically rehearsed using simple, repeatable frameworks. Candidates learn to describe the view, identify the key abnormality, explain its significance, and state immediate implications for anaesthesia. This repetition builds confidence and reduces cognitive load during the actual exam.

  The Series also emphasises timing. A polished Part 2 candidate does not speak continuously—they pace their responses, knowing when to summarise, when to commit, and when to pause. Across the cycle, early sessions prioritise breadth and structure; mid-cycle sessions deepen interpretation and management reasoning; final sessions refine the delivery: sharper openings, cleaner frameworks, and tighter, examiner-friendly conclusions. Peer learning enhances this further. Listening to others answer exposes you to additional phrasing styles, alternative structures, and insights you may not have considered. Shadow answering keeps observers cognitively engaged, turning every viva—whether yours or not—into a learning opportunity.

  Ultimately, EDAIC Part 2 success relies on deliberate practice under realistic conditions. By training in an environment that simulates examiner style, time pressure and clinical escalation, candidates conserve precious exam-day bandwidth. Their frameworks become instinctive, their communication clearer, and their decision-making safer. This is the purpose of the Akamedics Topic-Based Viva Series (Cycle 1 – 2026): to provide structured, consultant-led rehearsal that builds confidence, fluency and exam temperament. If you want to move beyond notes and into performance—if you want to speak like a Part 2 candidate, not just think like one—start early, practise deliberately, and let these sessions reshape how you approach the viva.