The UKMLA is not just an exam of memorised medical facts. The GMC has been explicit about this: the MLA tests the core knowledge, skills and behaviours of doctors who want to practise in the UK. It includes the Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) and the Clinical and Professional Skills Assessment (CPSA), and it is designed to assess whether a candidate is safe to practise — not just whether they can recall pathology lists.
That changes what the right question bank looks like. Volume is not the most important variable. Applied reasoning, UK guideline alignment, and integration with clinical practice are.
This guide compares the four credible UKMLA question bank options — PassMedicine, Pastest, Quesmed and iatroX — and explains which fits which candidate.
What the UKMLA actually tests
Understanding the comparison requires understanding the exam.
Applied clinical knowledge, not pure recall. The MLA tests whether candidates can apply medical knowledge to clinical scenarios, not whether they can list features of a condition in isolation.
Safe practice. The threshold for the assessment is whether the candidate is safe to register as a doctor in the UK. This is a competency threshold, not an academic ranking.
UK threshold for registration. This is the licensing exam. The clinical context — NHS pathways, NICE guidelines, BNF prescribing rules, UK referral routes — matters.
Clinical and professional capabilities. The CPSA tests OSCE-style clinical and professional skills, and the AKT tests the underlying applied knowledge.
Not just recall. The exam is deliberately designed to discriminate between candidates who can apply knowledge and those who can only repeat it.
A question bank that fits this exam should be organised around applied UK clinical reasoning, not generic medical fact retrieval.
What a good UKMLA Q-bank should include
The specification follows from the exam structure.
SBA-style applied questions in volume — enough to cover the MLA content map.
Coverage across medicine, surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, psychiatry, primary care, prescribing, ethics and professionalism.
UK guideline grounding. Explanations should reference NICE, CKS, BNF, SIGN and NHS sources, because that is the evidence base the exam expects.
Prescribing and PSA-style practice. Prescribing safety is a significant component of UK clinical practice and features in the exam.
OSCE and CPSA awareness, even if delivered through a separate platform or supplement. Candidates need to think about the CPSA, not only the AKT.
Weakness tracking that actually changes what the platform surfaces next.
Mock exams under timed conditions.
Spaced repetition to handle long-term retention across the very broad UKMLA syllabus.
PassMedicine for UKMLA
PassMedicine's medical finals and UKMLA resource is one of the largest available, with over 11,000 SBA questions, a high-yield textbook, OSCE resources and Prescribing Skills Assessment material. The combination is comprehensive for candidates who want maximum question volume on a familiar interface.
The strengths are the bank size, the broad coverage and the brand familiarity. Many medical schools have informal cultures around PassMedicine, and shared revision plans tend to assume its use. For high-volume practice in the final months of preparation, it is efficient.
The limitations are the static model and the relative absence of adaptive features. Candidates who want the platform to identify weak areas and surface them automatically will find PassMedicine's approach more manual than newer alternatives.
The fit is strongest for candidates who want familiar, high-volume practice and are confident self-directing revision.
Pastest for UKMLA
Pastest's UKMLA material includes OSCE station resources and procedure videos alongside SBA practice. The platform is more polished than PassMedicine and offers a more structured course-style approach.
The strengths are the comprehensive package, OSCE preparation resources and the polished interface. For candidates who want a premium revision experience covering both the AKT and CPSA dimensions of the MLA, Pastest provides this under one subscription.
The limitations are pricing and the content-library model. Candidates who want adaptive sequencing and clinical AI will find these are not central to Pastest's positioning.
The fit is strongest for candidates who want a structured premium revision package with OSCE preparation integrated.
Quesmed for UKMLA
Quesmed's UKMLA page includes mocks, PSA practice exams and a knowledge library. The platform is modern, student-friendly, and combines questions with notes, flashcards and videos.
The strengths are the multimedia layer, the integrated notes, and the interface design. For medical students who want a comprehensive single-subscription study hub for finals and the MLA, Quesmed is a credible option.
The limitations are weaker clinical AI integration and the study-platform rather than clinical-ecosystem positioning. The platform optimises for the exam preparation phase rather than for ongoing clinical use.
The fit is strongest for medical students who value multimedia content and want a modern study platform for UKMLA preparation specifically.
iatroX for UKMLA
iatroX includes the UKMLA bank in its free UK core tier alongside PLAB 1, MRCGP AKT, MRCP Part 1, MRCEM, PSA, MSRA and PANE. No subscription required for UKMLA-specific content.
The architecture is adaptive: the system identifies weak topics across the MLA content map and surfaces them automatically. Spaced repetition resurfaces material at intervals designed for retention. Active recall replaces passive recognition. Explanations cite NICE, CKS, BNF, SIGN and NHS sources explicitly — the same evidence base the MLA expects.
Ask iatroX answers clinical follow-up questions in-platform with guideline-grounded reasoning. Over 80 clinical calculators sit alongside the Q-bank, including the ones that come up in UKMLA scenarios.
The platform was built by a qualified UK GP, which informs the UKMLA-relevant features: explicit NICE and CKS reasoning, NHS clinical context, and an emphasis on the kind of applied reasoning the exam tests.
The fit is strongest for candidates who want adaptive AI plus UK guideline grounding, free access to the core UKMLA bank, and a platform that remains useful beyond finals.
Verdict by learner type
| Learner | Best platform |
|---|---|
| Wants maximum question volume | PassMedicine |
| Wants structured premium revision with OSCE | Pastest |
| Wants multimedia student learning | Quesmed |
| Wants adaptive AI plus UK guideline grounding | iatroX |
| Wants revision tool useful after finals | iatroX |
| Wants free access to UKMLA core bank | iatroX |
| IMG entering NHS needing UK clinical context | iatroX |
A practical UKMLA study workflow
The structure that fits the exam:
Start with a baseline diagnostic block to establish where you stand across the MLA content map.
Use adaptive mode to target weak areas systematically — the platform handles the prioritisation.
Layer in spaced repetition daily for the topics flagged as weak. Short sessions matter more than long ones.
Use Ask iatroX to clarify clinical reasoning the moment you encounter a gap.
Add prescribing practice — the PSA-style components are high-yield and discriminating.
Run timed mocks in the final month to build exam-condition familiarity.
Consider a CPSA-focused supplement (Geeky Medics or similar) for OSCE preparation, alongside whichever AKT platform you choose.
Final recommendation
For maximum question volume, PassMedicine remains the largest single bank. For structured premium revision with OSCE integration, Pastest delivers. For multimedia student learning, Quesmed fits.
For UKMLA specifically — an exam designed around UK applied clinical reasoning, NICE and CKS alignment, prescribing safety and the threshold of safe NHS practice — iatroX is the most directly aligned option. The free core UK Q-bank includes UKMLA. The explanations cite the exact UK sources the exam expects. The clinical AI layer handles follow-up questions. And the platform remains useful into clinical practice afterwards.
Traditional Q-banks help you practise. iatroX helps you learn, verify, retain and apply.