RCVS Statutory Membership Examination (SME) · UK · Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papersX-ray physics and radiation safety, positioning and interpretation, contrast studies, ultrasonography (including reproductive), endoscopy and the basics of CT and MRI.
In the exams: ECFVG / NEB CPE radiographic positioning section; NAVLE items with images (about 15-20%); ICAR AIEEA-PG 13 (Surgery & Radiology)
How our questions for RCVS Statutory Membership Examination spread across the units of Diagnostic Imaging: Radiology and Ultrasonography. Difficulty: 7 easy, 26 medium, 9 hard.
| Radiographic interpretation by body system | 9 | |
| Radiographic positioning | 6 | |
| Reproductive ultrasonography | 6 | |
| Radiation safety | 5 | |
| Endoscopy | 5 | |
| CT and MRI basics | 4 | |
| Contrast studies | 3 | |
| X-ray physics | 2 | |
| Ultrasonography | 2 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
A foot radiograph of a horse is to be made with the heel region thicker than the toe along the cassette. To use the heel effect to even out density, the thicker part should be placed:
B. Towards the cathode end of the tube
The beam is less intense on the anode side because photons leaving towards the anode pass through more target material. Placing the thicker part under the cathode side, where intensity is higher, evens out density. Moving the part away from the receptor only increases magnification and blur.
Why must the collimated beam edges be visible on every radiograph?
B. It confirms the beam was restricted to the area of interest, which lowers scatter, dose and fog
Visible collimation margins prove the primary beam was limited to the region being examined. A smaller field means less scattered radiation to staff, lower patient dose and a sharper, less fogged image. The margins do not tell you about grid focus, exposure index or the heel effect.
A large-breed dog presents with non-productive retching and a distended abdomen. Which single radiographic view is most useful to confirm gastric dilatation-volvulus?
C. Right lateral abdomen
In right lateral recumbency gas rises into the displaced pylorus, which lies dorsal and to the left in volvulus, showing the compartmentalised stomach. A left lateral view fills the pylorus with fluid, hiding the sign.
Which set of findings is typical of pleural effusion?
D. Interlobar fissure lines, lung lobes retracted from the chest wall and effaced heart borders
Fluid between lobes creates fissure lines, pushes lobes away from the wall and effaces the soft-tissue heart border. A lifted heart with no peripheral markings is pneumothorax; cranioventral air bronchograms suggest pneumonia; tracheal elevation suggests left atrial enlargement.
Which feature suggests an aggressive bone lesion?
D. A long, poorly defined zone of transition with permeative lysis
Aggressive lesions (neoplasia, osteomyelitis) show cortical destruction, permeative or moth-eaten lysis, a long zone of transition and interrupted or spiculated periosteal reaction. The other options are features of non-aggressive lesions.
An anechoic structure in the liver shows a bright band of increased echogenicity deep to it. This artefact is:
C. Acoustic enhancement, supporting a fluid-filled cyst
Fluid attenuates less than tissue, so tissue deep to it appears brighter (acoustic enhancement), supporting a cyst. Shadowing is dark, not bright, and follows mineral or gas; reverberation gives repeated lines; mirror image occurs across strong curved reflectors such as the diaphragm.
During an abdominal FAST scan in a dog hit by a car, which finding is being looked for at the diaphragmatico-hepatic, splenorenal, cystocolic and hepatorenal sites?
D. Free anechoic fluid in the abdomen
FAST is a rapid, standardised search for free abdominal fluid, usually blood or urine after trauma, at defined windows. A fluid score guides whether to sample, monitor or operate. The other findings need a full abdominal examination.
From about which day of gestation is the equine embryonic vesicle normally detectable by transrectal ultrasonography?
B. About day 11 to 14 after ovulation
The vesicle is usually detectable from about day 11 to 14; it is mobile until fixation at about day 16 to 17, and the heartbeat is usually seen from about the fourth week.
The upper airway of a horse is examined by resting endoscopy to assess arytenoid function. Why is sedation usually avoided?
D. Sedatives alter laryngeal movement and can produce false findings
Sedation depresses laryngeal and pharyngeal function and can mimic or exaggerate asymmetry, so the larynx is assessed in the unsedated horse. The other options are not reasons.
In CT, reducing the window width while keeping the window level the same will:
C. Increase the image contrast across a narrower range of CT numbers
Window width is the range of HU mapped to the grey scale; a narrower width assigns grey shades to fewer HU, so contrast increases. Windowing is post-processing and does not change dose; the level sets the centre.
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