The strongest PACES resource combination pairs observed bedside practice with material that helps you understand and discuss what you find. Videos can demonstrate technique and signs; conversational practice can rehearse explanations and clinical reasoning. Neither establishes that you can elicit a physical finding yourself. Choose the combination around the skill you need to demonstrate next.
This comparison is published by iatroX and includes iatroX among the resources considered. Product descriptions and prices were checked on 3 October 2026. It is a comparison of published scope and preparation methods, not a head-to-head trial or a ranking based on pass rates.
Start with the current PACES structure
The Federation's format page, checked on 3 October 2026, describes five stations containing eight encounters. The assessment brings together physical examination, identifying signs, communication, differential diagnosis, judgement, patients' concerns and welfare. Use that structure to identify what your preparation actually covers.
A timetable full of spoken cases may leave physical technique under-observed. A timetable full of bedside examinations may neglect explaining information or responding to an unexpected concern. Neither problem is solved simply by increasing the total number of sessions.
The autumn diet includes different allocations and centres. Build your schedule around your confirmed date and the official dates and fees information, not a universal October or November examination day.
Bedside teaching: the priority when eliciting signs is the gap
Suitable bedside teaching lets an experienced observer assess what you actually do, compare the findings and discuss why your interpretation does or does not follow. Obtain the appropriate consent and follow the clinical setting's arrangements; patients are not a collection of examination specimens.
Ask for targeted observation. A request to watch the whole examination can be useful, but a recurrent technical difficulty deserves explicit attention. Explain which part you are trying to improve and ask the observer to distinguish technique, recognition and interpretation.
The Federation's preparation advice, checked on 3 October 2026, specifically emphasises observed examination practice, including patients without abnormal signs. A resource that shows a finding cannot tell whether you would incorrectly report it in a different person.
Pastest: examine the role of patient videos and teaching cases
Pastest's PACES product, as advertised on 3 October 2026, includes patient examination and discussion videos, teaching cases, and skills material such as spot diagnosis and flashcards. Its listed subscription prices are £179.99 for three months, £249.99 for six months and £299.99 for 12 months; a limited 48-hour trial is advertised separately.
This is a relevant option when you want to observe demonstrations, compare presentations and revisit a discussion outside clinical teaching. Use a video actively: identify what you would look for, explain the significance of a finding and formulate your own summary before hearing the model discussion.
Watching an expert perform a manoeuvre is not equivalent to having your own technique assessed. Treat the video as preparation for an observed attempt or as a way to clarify a specific gap afterwards. The published product design does not establish a guaranteed examination outcome.
Case books and written references: answer a defined question
A written resource is useful when you need a coherent explanation of a finding, differential or investigation strategy. It is less useful when reading becomes a substitute for testing whether you can recognise and present the case yourself.
Select a chapter or reference section from the uncertainty exposed by practice. Ask what distinction it should resolve. Then close the resource and explain the finding in the context of a different fictional patient.
Keep source currency and jurisdiction visible for management questions. A historical teaching case may remain useful for examination technique while its treatment discussion requires checking. Do not assume that a polished model presentation contains every qualification relevant to current practice.
Peers and experienced partners: rehearse adaptation
Peer discussion can expose whether you can explain your reasoning under questioning. Agree the role of the observer and use fresh prompts rather than allowing the candidate to perform a familiar speech without challenge.
An experienced partner is particularly valuable when the disagreement concerns what the findings support. A group can become consistent with itself while remaining wrong. Arrange occasional calibration rather than treating agreement among peers as proof of correctness.
For communication tasks, ask the role-player to explain what remained unclear. Did the candidate address the concern or simply supply more information? Keep that observation separate from whether the medicine was accurate; both matter, but they may require different corrections.
iatroX: repeat the discussion, then inspect the transcript
In its September 2026 simulation launch, iatroX names a PACES track with voice and text, coached practice, uninterrupted exam mode, transcript-linked feedback and Tutor-led remediation. A useful role is repeated clinical discussion and communication practice between observed sessions.
For example, after a bedside session exposes difficulty explaining why a finding changes the differential, practise articulating that distinction in a simulated discussion. Review the exchange and the supporting clinical information before attempting a different case. Do not credit a verbal description of a manoeuvre as evidence that it was physically performed correctly.
Under iatroX's product information dated 3 October 2026, one complete simulation is free. Ongoing simulations are included with question banks, Socratic Tutor, planner and CPD tools for £29 monthly or £99 paid upfront annually, equivalent to £8.25 a month billed annually. This costs less than the listed Pastest PACES subscriptions, but the products provide different types of material. A lower price does not make dialogue a substitute for patient videos or bedside teaching.
A fictional resource combination
Edward is a fictional trainee who can discuss common differentials but is uncertain whether he is eliciting a particular sign reliably. His next purchase should not be justified by the availability of more conversation cases. He needs suitable observed examination, with a demonstration or video used to clarify the technique before another attempt.
A different trainee, Farah, has consistent observed technique but gives unfocused summaries and struggles when the patient asks an unexpected question. She retains bedside practice while adding spoken rehearsal and feedback on the exact point where her explanation becomes unclear.
These scenarios illustrate why the same resource set need not suit both candidates. They do not report tested outcomes or imply that one form of practice can replace every other form.
Verdict by preparation problem
Prioritise appropriate bedside observation when examination or sign identification remains uncertain. Consider Pastest's current video offering when demonstrations and patient discussions would strengthen the work between those sessions. Use a suitable written reference for a defined knowledge gap rather than indiscriminate reading.
Consider iatroX when repeated conversational rehearsal and transcript-linked remediation address your remaining problem. Retain peer and experienced human feedback to challenge assumptions and observe what software cannot. Candidates with a balanced plan may need no additional subscription: a more focused request to their next observer may be the most useful change.
Frequently asked questions
Can I prepare for PACES entirely through online simulations?
Conversation-based practice cannot demonstrate physical examination technique or reliable identification of signs. Appropriate observed clinical preparation remains necessary.
Are patient videos and AI cases interchangeable?
No: videos can show an examination or finding, while conversational cases can rehearse explanations and reasoning. Use each for the task it supports and check what remains unobserved.
Should my PACES date determine which subscription I buy?
Yes: consider the access period and learning you will actually use before and after your allocation. Longer access is not automatically better value when the relevant preparation need is short-lived.