If you are searching for an “SCE nephrology question bank”, the current examination is the European Specialty Examination in Nephrology: ESENeph. The former UK SCE and European certificate combined in February 2020. Preparation should follow the current examination and its full renal curriculum, rather than an old assumption that the test happens each June.
The Federation's current ESENeph page lists the next sitting on 5 May 2027, with applications from 13 January to 10 February 2027. It describes delivery every nine months. The examination has two three-hour papers, each containing 100 best-of-five questions, administered at test centres.
This guide is published by iatroX, which appears first below. Examination and product information was checked on 31 October 2026. The aim is to choose a renal question bank and a review process that cover the work you need to do before that sitting.
iatroX: nephrology practice with question-linked follow-up
The iatroX ESENeph pathway combines nephrology questions, explanations, Socratic Tutor and timed question practice. All-access includes every paid bank, planning and CPD tools. Its useful role is the connection between a case, the assumption behind your answer and the next question you need to practise.
For example, after a renal investigation question, use Tutor to explain which finding drove your answer and which alternative you rejected. Keep the discussion tied to the supplied urine results, biochemical trend and clinical context. That is more targeted than asking for a general account of glomerulonephritis after every mistake.
Up to 10 new sample questions per day, shared across exams and subject to availability, with explanations and no account required.
Full ESENeph access and continuing Tutor use are paid. £29/month or £99/year in the UK; US$29/month or US$99/year elsewhere The pathway offers timed practice at the papers' question count and pace; use the official examination information to establish delivery and marking arrangements.
What the official blueprint actually weights
The blueprint linked from the Federation's ESENeph page provides indicative question numbers across the complete 200-question examination:
| Blueprint area | Indicative questions |
|---|---|
| Glomerulonephritis and tubulointerstitial nephritis | 30 |
| Acute kidney injury, acute renal replacement therapy, fluid, electrolytes and acid–base disorders | 26 |
| Chronic kidney disease, haematuria and proteinuria | 24 |
| Renal bone disease and renal anaemia | 12 |
| Cardiovascular disease, hypertension, renovascular disease and diabetes | 20 |
| Urological presentations | 14 |
| Inherited and rarer diseases | 14 |
| Peritoneal dialysis | 8 |
| Haemodialysis | 14 |
| Renal transplantation | 14 |
| Other | 24 |
The blueprint says actual numbers may vary and topics are distributed across both papers. Glomerular and tubulointerstitial disease is therefore a substantial combined area, but it should not consume the entire study plan. The “Other” category is also sizeable; familiar clinic diagnoses alone will leave gaps.
Use these areas as a coverage checklist, then record where your own practice reveals difficulty. A trainee confident in chronic kidney disease may still need deliberate work on acute replacement therapy, transplantation or inherited disease. That is a more useful allocation decision than treating the largest category as the only important one.
StudyPRN: a dedicated ESENeph bank and one-paper mock
StudyPRN's ESENeph page currently advertises 657 questions, including 100 allocated to a three-hour mock. It describes explanations, further reading, online revision notes, peer-response comparison and a route for questions to its editor. These are provider-reported features to inspect through the available sample.
The mock allocation matters when comparing totals: those 100 questions are included in the resource, rather than an additional set beyond its advertised count. Its duration and length correspond to one ESENeph paper. Plan how you will practise maintaining concentration across the complete two-paper day as well as how you will review the mock afterwards.
Inspect the selected subscription duration and resulting price together. The product offers different access periods, so a headline amount copied from an old article may describe a different term. Buy enough review time for the unfamiliar topics you identify, rather than simply allowing enough days to click through the bank once.
BMJ OnExamination: another specialist written resource
BMJ's ESENEPH product currently advertises more than 240 questions. Its published workflow includes choosing difficulty, returning to difficult items, mock-test features, group learning and an app with offline access. The last feature may be useful if your revision routinely happens away from a dependable connection.
The important comparison is what the explanation helps you resolve. Take an unfamiliar renal case and identify whether your uncertainty concerns interpretation of an investigation, differentiation between mechanisms or choosing the requested next step. Then inspect whether the rationale addresses that uncertainty clearly.
A smaller advertised total does not establish inadequate coverage of a particular disease. Nor does a larger total establish greater depth in every blueprint area. Ask about the relevant topic coverage and sample the explanation, rather than multiplying the overall bank size by an examination weighting and treating the result as a verified number of glomerulonephritis questions.
Audit glomerular disease by the connections it teaches
A useful learning check has several parts: recognise the clinical presentation, interpret the urine and blood findings, understand what additional investigation contributes and explain how the eventual diagnosis changes the management question. Being able to name a biopsy pattern addresses only part of that sequence.
When reviewing a sample, write a short reasoning chain before reading the rationale. Which details point towards your proposed mechanism? Which expected detail is absent? What does the question actually ask you to decide? Compare that chain with the explanation and record the precise link you missed.
For a fictional trainee who recognises immune-mediated disease but confuses the role of different tests, the next study task is focused investigation teaching followed by an unfamiliar case. Repeating the same diagnostic label several times may improve recall without addressing that error. Use discussion or Tutor for the unresolved link, then check whether you can explain it independently.
Keep dialysis and transplantation visible in the plan
Separate dialysis and transplant work from a general “renal medicine” target. Peritoneal dialysis, haemodialysis and transplantation occupy distinct blueprint rows. A bank score dominated by common ward AKI questions can conceal limited practice in all three.
During question review, distinguish a problem with understanding the modality from a problem interpreting the patient's current complication. Create a specific learning note: the process you could not explain, the investigation you misread or the contextual detail you overlooked. That gives the next reading session a defined purpose.
The same principle applies to cardiovascular and metabolic complications, inherited disease and urological presentations. Revisit a blueprint row because it remains under-explored, even if it is not the topic that naturally attracts your attention after a busy renal shift.
Use guidelines and renal teaching for the right job
KDIGO's guideline directory separates topics such as CKD evaluation, glomerular disease, ANCA-associated vasculitis, lupus nephritis and transplantation. Check the relevant topic and document version when a practice explanation raises a currency question. A reference to one CKD guideline does not establish that every part of a nephrology bank reflects every subsequent specialty update.
The Federation also links guideline sources, textbooks, the UK Kidney Association and other renal teaching resources. These support the reading behind a difficult question. They serve a different purpose from a timed examination bank, so give each a specific role instead of accumulating a second complete reading curriculum.
For ongoing professional learning, iatroX CPD can connect a focused question session with your reviewed reflection and an exportable record. A useful renal learning entry identifies the distinction learned and the follow-up action, such as checking a particular guideline section or discussing an unfamiliar interpretation with a supervisor.
Frequently asked questions
Is SCE Nephrology still the current examination name?
The current assessment is ESENeph, the European Specialty Examination in Nephrology. Older “SCE nephrology” resource labels should be checked against that examination.
Is ESENeph held once a year in June?
The Federation currently describes a nine-month cycle and lists the next sitting on 5 May 2027. Use its current dates and application window for your plan.
Can I infer a bank's glomerulonephritis coverage from its total size?
No. The official examination blueprint does not establish the distribution inside a commercial question bank. Inspect the topic structure, sample explanations and provider information directly.
Start with a renal question and a specific gap
Open the iatroX ESENeph pathway, try an available sample and review the reasoning. Use the official blueprint to choose the next area you need to explore before the May sitting.