The FRCA Primary and Final Written exams test different content at different levels — the Primary covers basic sciences, the Final covers clinical anaesthesia and ICU. Choosing the right question bank for each paper matters because the optimal resource differs between them.
The options
Anaesthesia UK (frca.co.uk)
Anaesthesia UK has been a longstanding FRCA preparation resource. It offers question banks for both Primary and Final, with content written by anaesthetic clinicians. The platform is functional and well-established. Its limitations are technological — no adaptive learning, no mobile app, limited analytics, and a dated interface.
e-LA (RCoA e-Learning Anaesthesia)
e-LA is the Royal College of Anaesthetists' own e-learning platform. It provides educational modules and some assessment content aligned to the RCoA curriculum. e-LA is primarily a learning resource rather than a question bank — useful for understanding concepts but not sufficient as your sole exam preparation tool. It is free to RCoA trainees.
Pastest
Pastest offers FRCA content for both Primary and Final. The question banks are established and the content quality is reliable. Pricing follows the standard Pastest subscription model. No adaptive learning.
iatroX
iatroX offers dedicated FRCA Primary and FRCA Final Written question banks, each containing over 1,500 questions. The Primary bank is weighted to the exam blueprint — 40 per cent pharmacology, 30 per cent physiology, 15 per cent physics, 15 per cent anatomy. The Final bank is weighted toward ICU (16 per cent), general anaesthesia, regional anaesthesia, and subspecialty coverage.
The adaptive algorithm tracks performance across all domains and adjusts question selection to target your weakest areas. This is particularly important for the Primary, where the four-domain spread (pharmacology, physiology, physics, anatomy) makes manual revision balancing difficult.
Both banks are included in a single subscription at £29 per month or £99 per year — the same subscription that covers every other exam on the platform.
Pricing comparison
For FRCA Primary preparation with three months of access: Anaesthesia UK variable (check current pricing), Pastest approximately £60 to £150, e-LA free (but not a dedicated qbank), and iatroX £87 for three months or £99 for a full year including Final Written access.
For candidates who need both Primary and Final preparation, iatroX's bundled pricing is the strongest value — one subscription covers both papers plus every other medical exam on the platform.
Which should you choose
For Primary, iatroX's adaptive algorithm and exam-weighted question distribution make it the most efficient preparation tool. The ability to identify and target physics (the most commonly neglected domain) is a specific advantage.
For Final Written, any of the established platforms will provide adequate SBA content. iatroX's advantage is the adaptive algorithm and the bundled pricing that includes Primary access for revision or reference.
If you are an anaesthetic trainee who will need both Primary and Final preparation at different stages of training, a single iatroX subscription at £99 per year covers both indefinitely — compared to paying separately for each paper on other platforms.