GP training involves more exams than most trainees realise when they sign up. The MSRA determines whether you get a training post. The MRCGP AKT tests your applied clinical knowledge. The RCA tests your consultation skills. And then — if you want to differentiate your career, develop extended roles, and access enhanced service payments — there is the diploma track: DRCOG, DFSRH, DCH, DGM, DipIMC, and more.
The problem is that revision resources for GP trainees are scattered. Advice is anecdotal ("I used Passmedicine and it was fine"). And you are revising around 8-10 clinical sessions per week, on-call commitments, portfolio work, and the exhaustion that comes with full-time clinical training.
This guide covers every exam in the GP training pathway, the best resource for each, and how to build a revision stack that actually fits around your life.
The GP Training Exam Timeline
MSRA (ST1 entry). The Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment determines your ranking for GP training allocation. Two papers: Clinical Problem Solving (97 questions, 75 minutes) and Professional Dilemmas (50 questions, 95 minutes). For GP and psychiatry, the MSRA score is the sole determinant — no interview, no portfolio, just the score. Sat in January/February of your application year.
MRCGP AKT (during ST2/ST3). The Applied Knowledge Test: 160 questions, 160 minutes (from October 2025). 80% clinical medicine, 10% evidence-based practice/statistics, 10% organisational topics. Pass mark set by modified Angoff (typically 60-70%). Held 4 times per year. Maximum 4 attempts.
MRCGP RCA (during ST3). The Recorded Consultation Assessment (replacing the CSA) tests your consultation skills through recorded patient encounters. This is a clinical skills assessment — different preparation from MCQ-based exams.
Optional postgraduate diplomas. DRCOG (women's health), DFSRH (sexual and reproductive health), DCH (child health), DGM (geriatric medicine), DipIMC (immediate medical care). These are not required for CCT but are increasingly valued for extended roles, enhanced service payments, and career differentiation.
MSRA Revision — The Best Resources for 2026
The MSRA CPS paper tests clinical knowledge at foundation level — the same clinical content tested in finals, applied to UK clinical scenarios. The PD paper tests situational judgement, professionalism, and ethical reasoning.
For CPS: Passmedicine MSRA, Pastest, or Quesmed MSRA banks provide clinical question practice. iatroX Q-Bank provides free adaptive practice for the clinical knowledge that underpins CPS questions, with NICE/BNF-grounded explanations. Use Ask iatroX to verify management pathways — the CPS expects UK-guideline-aligned answers.
For PD: Read GMC Good Medical Practice and the Generic Professional Capabilities framework. Practise SJT-format questions extensively — the ranking format is a specific skill. Dedicated MSRA SJT resources (PasstheMSRA, Medibuddy) provide targeted PD practice.
Key strategy: For GP training, where the MSRA is the only thing that determines your job and location, allocate more preparation time than you think necessary. Every mark matters.
MRCGP AKT Revision — What Actually Works
The AKT is the exam GP trainees spend the most time preparing for — and the one where resource choice matters most.
Top resources: Passmedicine AKT (1,500+ questions, peer comparison, best value), Pastest AKT (3,400+ questions, detailed explanations), Quesmed AKT (clean app, flashcard integration), and BMJ OnExamination (free for BMA members).
iatroX: Free adaptive AKT Q-Bank with NICE/CKS/BNF guidelines integration. The adaptive engine identifies your weakest clinical topics — the specific areas where you will gain the most marks — and targets them. Ask iatroX provides instant guideline reference for every wrong answer, building the applied knowledge the AKT tests.
The one thing most candidates underestimate: The evidence interpretation and statistical questions (10% of the exam). NNT, NNH, sensitivity, specificity, forest plots, funnel plots — these are finite, learnable concepts that many candidates neglect. They are free marks when prepared for and lost marks when not.
Strategy: 12-16 weeks preparation. Start Q-bank practice immediately. Increase volume to 30-50 questions daily in the final 6 weeks. Complete 2-3 full timed mocks. Read RCGP AKT feedback reports (free on RCGP website) to identify consistently weak areas across candidates.
MRCGP RCA Preparation
The RCA tests a different skill set from the AKT — this is not a Q-bank problem. Consultation skills, communication, clinical reasoning demonstrated through patient interaction, and professional values are assessed through recorded consultations.
Resources: RCGP guidance and marking criteria, consultation skills coaching (CSA/RCA-specific courses), practice with colleagues using simulated consultations, and portfolio work.
Where iatroX helps: reinforcing the clinical knowledge that underpins good consultation reasoning. A strong consultation requires accurate clinical knowledge applied with good communication — iatroX builds the knowledge foundation that the RCA requires you to apply.
Postgrad Diplomas — The Underrated Career Advantage
Qualified GPs pursue postgraduate diplomas for tangible career reasons: extended roles in primary care (contraception clinics, paediatric clinics, elderly care clinics), NHS enhanced service payments that require specific qualifications, career differentiation in a competitive salaried GP and partnership market, and professional satisfaction from deepening clinical expertise.
DRCOG (Diploma of the RCOG — Women's Health). 120 SBAs, twice yearly. Covers obstetrics, gynaecology, contraception, and sexual health. Valuable for GPs running women's health clinics, LARC services, and antenatal shared care. iatroX Boards provides 600+ adaptive DRCOG questions.
DFSRH (Diploma of the FSRH — Sexual and Reproductive Health). Four-component assessment (ILP, OTA, SCAs, AHD). Covers contraception, UKMEC, STIs, and clinical decision-making. Arguably the highest career ROI diploma for GPs. iatroX Boards provides 850+ adaptive DFSRH questions.
DCH (Diploma in Child Health). FOP theory exam + clinical OSCE. Covers paediatric medicine at GP level. Useful for GPs running enhanced child health services.
DGM (Diploma in Geriatric Medicine). 100-question KBA + 4-station clinical OSCE. Covers frailty, CGA, polypharmacy, falls, dementia, and end-of-life care. Increasingly valuable as frailty becomes a primary care priority. iatroX Boards provides 400+ adaptive DGM questions.
DipIMC (Diploma in Immediate Medical Care). 180 SBA paper + 14-station OSPE. Covers pre-hospital emergency medicine. Valuable for GPs with emergency medicine interest, expedition medicine, BASICS schemes. iatroX Boards provides 700+ adaptive DipIMC questions.
The revision problem with all of these diplomas is that none have had a dedicated, modern adaptive Q-bank — until iatroX. Passmedicine covers DRCOG with volume, but without adaptivity. The other diplomas have almost no dedicated Q-bank coverage anywhere. iatroX Boards fills this gap with dedicated adaptive banks for each diploma, accessible through a single subscription.
iatroX — The Revision Platform Built Around GP Training
iatroX is the only platform that covers the full GP training pathway from AKT through postgraduate diplomas with adaptive, guideline-grounded Q-banks.
The free Q-Bank covers AKT and MRCP. iatroX Boards covers DRCOG, DFSRH, DGM, DipIMC, FFICM, DTM&H, and DCH — exams that no other adaptive platform covers. A single subscription provides access to all diploma Q-banks.
The NICE/CKS/SIGN/BNF guidelines integration via Ask iatroX ensures every answer is grounded in current UK guidelines. The mobile-first design fits the 10-minute revision windows that GP trainees actually have. The performance dashboard shows topic-level proficiency across every exam — so you know exactly where you are weak before exam day.
iatroX is also UKCA-marked and MHRA-registered — the only medical device-grade adaptive revision platform in the UK.
Building Your GP Training Revision Stack
Foundation (MSRA/AKT): Passmedicine (volume) + iatroX (adaptive targeting + guidelines).
Diplomas: iatroX Boards (sole adaptive platform for DRCOG, DFSRH, DCH, DGM, DipIMC).
Clinical reference throughout: Ask iatroX — during study and during clinical shifts.
The 10-minute rule: Revise daily in short windows rather than weekly in long blocks. iatroX on mobile, 15-20 questions per day, adaptive targeting your weaknesses. The compound effect over 12-16 weeks is more powerful than marathon revision sessions.
When to start: MSRA — 6-8 weeks before. AKT — 12-16 weeks before. Diplomas — 3-6 months before (varies by exam). Start iatroX on day one of your preparation for any exam.
Start with iatroX free. It covers your AKT from day one and your diplomas when you are ready.