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110+ Free LFOM Written Practice Questions

Pass your Licentiateship of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (LFOM) Written Examination exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: LFOM Written Exam

100 questions

Single-best-answer items in one written paper

RCPI — LFOM Written Exam Format

3 hours

Time allowed for LFOM Written, online via remote invigilation

RCPI — LFOM Written Exam Format

EUR 620

LFOM Written fee in Ireland from 1 January 2026

RCPI — LFOM Written Exam Format

EUR 1,370

LFOM Written fee for overseas candidates from 1 January 2026

RCPI — LFOM Written Exam Format

6 attempts

Maximum attempts per LFOM component within a six-year window from September 2024

RCPI — LFOM Regulations October 2025

2 parts

LFOM comprises Written then Portfolio (including viva)

RCPI — LFOM Overview

10 syllabus areas

Faculty guideline topics from hazards through health promotion

RCPI — LFOM Regulations October 2025

100

Free original LFOM-style practice questions on OpenExamPrep

OpenExamPrep

LFOM Written is the first RCPI Faculty of Occupational Medicine exam: one paper of 100 single-best-answer questions in 3 hours online via remote invigilation. Content follows the Faculty syllabus on hazards, toxicology, hygiene, ergonomics, occupational disease, surveillance, fitness for work, Irish workplace law, environment, and health promotion. Fees from 1 January 2026 are EUR 620 in Ireland and EUR 1,370 overseas; up to six attempts per component within six years. Portfolio follows after passing Written. This 100-question bank provides free original practice aligned to the syllabus.

Sample LFOM Written Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your LFOM Written exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 110+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Under the hierarchy of controls, which measure is considered the most effective first step when managing an occupational chemical hazard?
A.Issuing personal protective equipment to exposed workers
B.Training workers on safe handling procedures
C.Eliminating the hazardous substance or substituting a less harmful alternative
D.Scheduling more frequent health surveillance checks
Explanation: The hierarchy of controls ranks elimination and substitution at the top because they remove or reduce the hazard at source. Engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE follow in descending effectiveness.
2An occupational physician is asked to review a workplace risk assessment. Which element is essential for a risk assessment to meet Irish legal requirements under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005?
A.A guarantee that no accidents will occur
B.A list of all employees' medical diagnoses
C.Identification of hazards, assessment of risks, and specification of protective measures
D.Certification by an external insurance company
Explanation: Section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires employers to identify hazards, assess risks (including those to safety and health), and put in place protective and preventive measures. Risk assessment is a living document, not a one-off guarantee of zero harm.
3What is the primary purpose of a workplace Safety Statement under Irish occupational health and safety law?
A.To record individual employees' fitness-for-work certificates
B.To replace the need for risk assessments in low-risk workplaces
C.To set out how the employer manages safety and health, including hazards, risks, and protective measures
D.To satisfy GDPR requirements for occupational health records
Explanation: Section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires employers to prepare a written Safety Statement identifying hazards, assessing risks, and detailing protective and preventive measures, resources, competencies, and emergency arrangements. It is the employer's core documented safety management plan.
4A factory worker reports intermittent chest tightness that improves on days off. Which initial occupational medicine approach is most appropriate?
A.Assume the symptoms are unrelated to work until proven otherwise
B.Advise immediate retirement on health grounds
C.Take an occupational history, compare symptoms with exposure patterns, and consider work-related causes
D.Refer only to a cardiologist without documenting workplace exposures
Explanation: Symptoms that improve away from work raise suspicion of an occupational cause. The occupational physician should take a detailed occupational and exposure history, correlate timing with work activities, and investigate work-related diagnoses such as occupational asthma before assuming a non-occupational cause.
5Which body is the national statutory authority responsible for enforcing occupational safety and health law in the Republic of Ireland?
A.The Health Service Executive (HSE)
B.The Medical Council of Ireland
C.The Health and Safety Authority (HSA)
D.The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA)
Explanation: The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is Ireland's national body for workplace safety and health, established under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. It inspects workplaces, enforces legislation, and provides guidance. Do not confuse it with the UK HSE or the Irish Health Service Executive.
6When conducting a workplace walk-through as part of a health risk assessment, what should the occupational physician prioritise?
A.Interviewing only senior management
B.Collecting personal social media posts from employees
C.Observing actual work practices, talking with workers, and reviewing exposure controls
D.Auditing the company's financial accounts
Explanation: A walk-through survey combines observation of tasks and controls, discussion with workers who know the realities of the job, and review of monitoring data and procedures. This triangulation identifies gaps between written policies and actual exposure.
7A risk assessment identifies that manual handling poses a significant risk of injury. What is the most appropriate next step under the hierarchy of controls?
A.Provide back belts to all workers
B.Increase the weight limit workers are expected to lift
C.Redesign the task to avoid or reduce manual handling, such as using mechanical aids
D.Rely on workers to report injuries after they occur
Explanation: Engineering and ergonomic redesign to avoid or reduce manual handling sits above administrative measures and PPE in the hierarchy. Irish manual handling regulations require employers to avoid hazardous manual handling where reasonably practicable and assess unavoidable tasks.
8Which statement best describes the role of the occupational physician in primary prevention?
A.Treating work-related disease after it has been diagnosed
B.Conducting disability assessments only after permanent harm has occurred
C.Advising on hazard control and safe systems of work to prevent occupational illness and injury
D.Managing workers' compensation litigation exclusively
Explanation: Primary prevention aims to prevent disease before it occurs through hazard control, health promotion, and safe work design. Occupational physicians contribute expert advice on toxicology, ergonomics, and fitness standards to reduce exposure and risk at source.
9An employer asks whether a generic office risk assessment template from another EU country can replace an Irish Safety Statement without modification. What is the most appropriate advice?
A.Yes, EU law is identical in every member state
B.Yes, if the template mentions ergonomics
C.No, the Safety Statement must reflect the specific hazards, risks, and legal requirements applicable to that Irish workplace
D.No, Ireland does not require written safety documentation
Explanation: While EU framework directives inform Irish law, the Safety Statement must address site-specific hazards, the employer's activities, and obligations under Irish legislation enforced by the HSA. Generic foreign templates require adaptation to local law and the actual workplace.
10Biological monitoring in occupational health is best defined as:
A.Measuring hazardous agents in the workplace air
B.Assessing workers' psychological wellbeing through questionnaires only
C.Measuring the absorption of a substance or its metabolite in exposed workers
D.Counting the number of workplace accidents per year
Explanation: Biological monitoring assesses internal dose by measuring the substance or its metabolite in blood, urine, or other biological media. It complements environmental monitoring and is used where valid biomarkers exist, such as lead or certain solvents, under appropriate ethical and consent frameworks.

About the LFOM Written Exam

Licentiateship of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (LFOM) Written is the first knowledge-based examination on the RCPI occupational medicine pathway, accredited by the Medical Council of Ireland. It is an internationally recognised licentiate qualification for physicians applying occupational medicine in clinical and workplace settings. The exam is one paper of 100 single-best-answer questions over three hours, delivered online under remote invigilation. Content follows the Faculty guideline syllabus covering hazard assessment, toxicology, occupational hygiene, ergonomics, occupational disorders, health surveillance, fitness for work and rehabilitation, Irish occupational health law and ethics, environmental work issues, and workplace health promotion. Candidates must pass Written before submitting the Portfolio examination.

Assessment

One written paper of 100 single-best-answer questions. On the live RCPI exam each item has five options; candidates select the single best answer. The paper tests occupational medicine knowledge including clinical medicine and management of occupational health problems. LFOM Written is the first of two parts; Portfolio (with viva) follows after a pass.

Time Limit

3 hours for the single 100-question paper, delivered online via remote invigilation.

Passing Score

No fixed percentage pass mark is published. Answers are automatically scored and performance indicators reviewed by the Board of Examiners, who approve the pass standard for each diet.

Exam Fee

EUR 620 from 1 January 2026 for candidates in Ireland; EUR 1,370 for candidates outside Ireland. HSE Clinical Course and Examination Refund Scheme may apply for eligible candidates working in Ireland who pass. (Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) — Faculty of Occupational Medicine)

LFOM Written Exam Content Outline

10%

Assessment and management of occupational hazards

Hierarchy of controls, Irish risk assessment and Safety Statement duties, HSA role, workplace surveys, primary prevention, and exposure assessment including biological monitoring.

20%

Toxicology and occupational hygiene

Routes of exposure, dose-response, IARC carcinogens, solvents, lead, asbestos, pesticides, CO poisoning, OELs and TLVs, personal and area air sampling, LEV, noise dose, heat stress, and Chemical Agents Regulations.

25%

Ergonomics and occupational health disorders

DSE and manual handling, HAVS, RSI, occupational asthma, contact dermatitis, NIHL, silicosis, zoonoses, COPD, causation assessment, and common occupational diagnoses.

20%

Health surveillance and fitness for work

Statutory surveillance programmes, audiometry and spirometry, confidentiality and GDPR, baseline assessment, fitness certificates, rehabilitation, reasonable accommodation, and return-to-work planning.

25%

Law, ethics, environment, and health promotion

Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, employee duties, PPE regulations, accident reporting, working time, equality and maternity protection, Medical Council ethics, protected disclosures, environmental workplace issues, and health promotion frameworks.

How to Pass the LFOM Written Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: No fixed percentage pass mark is published. Answers are automatically scored and performance indicators reviewed by the Board of Examiners, who approve the pass standard for each diet.
  • Assessment: One written paper of 100 single-best-answer questions. On the live RCPI exam each item has five options; candidates select the single best answer. The paper tests occupational medicine knowledge including clinical medicine and management of occupational health problems. LFOM Written is the first of two parts; Portfolio (with viva) follows after a pass.
  • Time limit: 3 hours for the single 100-question paper, delivered online via remote invigilation.
  • Exam fee: EUR 620 from 1 January 2026 for candidates in Ireland; EUR 1,370 for candidates outside Ireland. HSE Clinical Course and Examination Refund Scheme may apply for eligible candidates working in Ireland who pass.

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

LFOM Written Study Tips from Top Performers

1Use the RCPI Faculty guideline syllabus as your blueprint and distribute revision across all ten topic areas rather than focusing only on clinical medicine.
2Study Irish workplace law systematically: Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, General Application Regulations, HSA guidance, and GDPR in occupational health records.
3Practise single-best-answer questions under timed conditions — roughly under two minutes per item — because the live exam allows three hours for 100 questions.
4Link clinical vignettes to occupational history: temporal patterns (better on leave) are high-yield for occupational asthma and musculoskeletal disorders.
5Understand the hierarchy of controls and when health surveillance is indicated versus when exposure control must come first.
6Plan for both Written and Portfolio early; RCPI notes there are no past papers for LFOM Written, so quality third-party practice and recommended courses matter.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on LFOM Written and how long is the exam?

LFOM Written is one paper of 100 single-best-answer questions sat over three hours online under remote invigilation.

What is the pass mark for LFOM Written?

RCPI does not publish a fixed percentage pass mark. The Board of Examiners reviews scoring data and approves the pass standard for each diet.

How much does LFOM Written cost in 2026?

From 1 January 2026 the fee is EUR 620 for candidates in Ireland and EUR 1,370 for candidates outside Ireland.

What topics does LFOM Written cover?

The Faculty guideline syllabus includes hazard assessment and management, toxicology, occupational hygiene, ergonomics, occupational health disorders, health surveillance, disability and fitness for work, occupational health law and ethics, environmental work issues, and workplace health promotion.

How many attempts are allowed for LFOM?

From September 2024 candidates have six years and up to six attempts per LFOM component (Written and Portfolio), with provision for one additional attempt after the sixth under RCPI policy.

Must I pass LFOM Written before the Portfolio?

Yes. Candidates must pass LFOM Written before submitting a LFOM Portfolio application.