This audit is for the psychiatry trainee revising MRCPsych Paper A who owns, or is considering, BMJ OnExamination and wants to read its analytics honestly rather than be reassured by them. It addresses the written Paper A — the scientific and theoretical basis of psychiatry — not the clinical CASC. The principal limitation is that its dashboard reports effort and peer position on a self-selected pool, not exam-standard readiness; and, like any written bank, it does nothing to rehearse the CASC, which is a separate OSCE.
What BMJ OnExamination offers for MRCPsych Paper A right now
The figures below are vendor-reported, from the BMJ OnExamination MRCPsych Paper A product and platform pages as observed on 19 July 2026. Confirm the current numbers on the product page before you buy.
| Item | Vendor-reported detail (19 July 2026) |
|---|---|
| Bank size | 970+ questions, mapped to the current MRCPsych curriculum |
| Question format | Not broken down on the product page; the exam itself mixes best-answer MCQs and extended matching items (EMIs) — check the EMI share in the bank |
| Difficulty control | User-selected difficulty and topic filtering |
| Analytics | Performance graphs benchmarked against peers, high-impact ranking and a daily question; no published percentile or predicted pass score |
| Mock tests | Timed mock tests curated by the BMJ editorial team |
| Explanations | Detailed answer explanations |
| Access and price | Approximately £49.99 (1 month), £84.99 (3 months), £109.99 (6 months) and £149.99 (12 months) — verify current pricing |
| Mobile and trial | Mobile app with offline access; daily free questions |
| Exam components | Written Paper A only — no CASC simulation |
Note the framing before reading on. BMJ OnExamination is described as "adaptive," but on the pages we checked it does not claim a proprietary adaptive-difficulty algorithm, a national percentile or a predicted pass score. It offers user-selected difficulty filtering, peer-benchmarked performance graphs, a curated high-impact set and a daily question. This audit reads the product as what it demonstrably is, and treats both BMJ OnExamination and iatroX as written-knowledge layers — neither is a CASC simulator.
The exam this dashboard is trying to predict
MRCPsych Paper A is a computer-based written paper sat at Pearson VUE — approximately 150 questions in three hours (verify the current count and duration on rcpsych.ac.uk). The Royal College of Psychiatrists confirms the format is a mix of multiple choice questions and extended matching items, in an approximately two-thirds MCQ, one-third EMI balance. Paper A covers the scientific and theoretical basis of psychiatry: behavioural science and sociocultural psychiatry; human development; basic neurosciences (neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neurochemistry and genetics); clinical psychopharmacology; and classification, assessment and the basic psychological processes that underpin the discipline.
Two caveats shape the audit. First, the College publishes a syllabus of content areas rather than a fixed public per-topic question count, so a blueprint audit here maps your attempts to syllabus domains rather than to precise numeric weightings — verify the current syllabus on rcpsych.ac.uk. Second, the clinical CASC (OSCE) is an entirely separate assessment; a written bank does not rehearse it, and neither does iatroX.
Every metric on the dashboard, defined
First-attempt accuracy is your proportion correct the first time you meet an item, and it is the closest proxy for unseen ability — provided you answer before reading the explanation and only within the topics you have attempted. Repeat accuracy rises quickly through recognition of a specific stem, so a near-ceiling repeat score means little; the gap between the two flags memorising versus understanding.
Percentile and peer benchmark is a graph comparing you with other subscribers — directional only, not a national percentile and not a pass probability, and it moves with who else is revising. There is no published predicted score. Coverage is the proportion of the syllabus you have attempted at all, and for Paper A it has a format dimension too: because the exam is roughly one-third EMI, you should check that you are attempting EMIs, not only single-best-answer MCQs, since the product page does not publish the split. Difficulty is a filter you set, so it shapes your percentage rather than measuring your standard. Time per item matters because 150 questions in 180 minutes is about 72 seconds each; use timed mode to confirm you are inside that budget.
Why the headline percentage is not your exam score
Your Paper A percentage is scored on the items you filtered to, in the modes you chose. Anxious candidates tend to avoid the neurosciences and the statistics-flavoured foundations and gravitate to clinical-feeling material, so the number can rise while the hardest domains stay thin. And if the bank's EMIs are a small share of what you attempt, a strong MCQ percentage overstates your readiness for a paper that is one-third EMI. This is the reasoning in "Your Q-Bank Percentage Is Not Your Exam Score": the denominator, the format mix and the filters are doing the talking. Read the headline as a study metric and build your readiness signal separately.
The blueprint audit BMJ OnExamination will not run for you
Map your attempted-question distribution to the Paper A syllabus domains. Because the College does not publish fixed per-domain counts, the aim is not to hit exact percentages but to ensure no domain is neglected and that EMIs are represented.
| Paper A syllabus area | Attempted (%) | First-attempt accuracy | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Behavioural science and sociocultural psychiatry | |||
| Human development | |||
| Basic neurosciences (neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, genetics) | |||
| Clinical psychopharmacology | |||
| Classification, assessment and basic psychological processes | |||
| EMI-format items (across domains) |
Fill it from your own data using the matrix method in "Question-bank completion is not coverage". Any domain sitting far below the others, or an empty EMI row, is an override target. Verify the current syllabus on rcpsych.ac.uk so your domain list matches the live blueprint.
The readiness test — five conditions for a credible signal
Require all five: the block is unseen (never-attempted items, not flagged re-runs); timed at roughly 72 seconds per item; mixed across the syllabus rather than filtered; sat with no assistance; and drawn from a sufficiently large sample (a full-length mock or several mixed blocks, not a 20-item quiz). Add one Paper A refinement: the unseen block must contain EMIs, not just single-best-answer MCQs, or it will flatter you on a paper that is a third EMI.
Algorithm override rules
Force these onto a weekly quota rather than waiting for the filters: EMIs specifically (the format most likely to be under-attempted); the basic neurosciences — neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, receptor pharmacology and genetics; the research-methods and statistics foundations that appear in Paper A; developmental milestones and the psychology of perception, learning and motivation. For any psychopharmacology detail, take drug specifics from the SmPC/electronic medicines compendium rather than a memorised figure. A rising overall percentage must not be allowed to hide a neglected domain or an untouched question format.
Worked dashboard example: from analytics to next week's quotas
Take a candidate five weeks out: overall first-attempt 71%; psychopharmacology 76%; classification and psychology 73%; behavioural science 70%; basic neurosciences 56%; human development thinly attempted; and EMIs making up only a small fraction of attempts. Read it honestly — neurosciences are low and the EMI format is under-practised, so the "71%" is being held up by comfortable MCQ topics.
| Domain / format | Dashboard reading | Next-week quota | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic neurosciences | 56% first-attempt | 100 new items | Topic-filtered, then timed |
| Human development | Thinly attempted | 50 new items | Topic-filtered |
| EMI-format items | Under-sampled | 60 EMIs across domains | Mixed, timed |
| Whole-syllabus check | Not measured cold | one full-length timed mixed mock | Unseen, no filters, EMIs included |
No pass prediction attaches; the plan moves effort to the measured gaps and forces EMIs into the week.
Seven-day pattern: BMJ OnExamination for one job, iatroX for unseen transfer
For a trainee revising around clinical duties, use BMJ OnExamination for one job — building and repairing written recall — and iatroX for unseen transfer measurement. No proprietary-algorithm claims are made for either tool, and neither is a CASC simulator.
- Day 1 (Mon) — BMJ OnExamination: 40 basic-neuroscience items, topic-filtered, every miss logged as a rule.
- Day 2 (Tue) — 40 items across human development and behavioural science; tag error types.
- Day 3 (Wed) — 30 psychopharmacology items plus spaced re-test of Monday's misses; then a 30-item unseen, timed, mixed iatroX MRCPsych Paper A block that includes EMIs, first-attempt recorded by domain.
- Day 4 (Thu) — a dedicated EMI set across domains, timed.
- Day 5 (Fri) — one timed BMJ OnExamination mock under full conditions.
- Day 6 (Sat) — review the mock; short source reads on the two weakest domains.
- Day 7 (Sun) — a full-length unseen, timed, mixed iatroX block; compare with Wednesday.
This is the two-bank pattern from "The two-Q-bank rule": learn on one bank, measure on a different, unseen one. If you also sit Paper B, the companion Paper B audit covers the critical-review third.
Decision checklist: continue, supplement, switch or stop
| Signal (measurable, not sunk cost) | Action |
|---|---|
| First-attempt rising across all domains; neurosciences and EMIs attempted well; syllabus coverage broad | Continue |
| Strong MCQ percentage but EMIs under-practised, or unseen mixed first-attempt lags by more than 10 points | Supplement — add unseen mixed blocks with EMIs and force weak domains |
| Coverage broad and first-attempt stable, but pacing over 72 seconds or accuracy falls under time | Switch emphasis to timed mixed mocks |
| Repeat accuracy at the ceiling, first-attempt plateaued, unseen blocks confirm the standard | Stop drilling; taper |
Bottom line
BMJ OnExamination is a sizeable, curriculum-mapped Paper A bank with useful peer graphs, editorial mocks and clear explanations, and it is a strong option for the written paper. But its dashboard measures your training pool, not the exam; it does not, on its public pages, describe a proprietary adaptive engine or a predicted score; and it is a written product only — it does nothing for the CASC. Two specifics deserve vigilance: the basic neurosciences, which candidates under-attempt, and the EMI format, whose share in the bank is not published. Use BMJ OnExamination to learn and repair; use an unseen, timed, mixed source with EMIs to decide whether you are ready. The forecast comes from questions the system did not choose for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is BMJ OnExamination enough for MRCPsych Paper A on its own? A bank of 970+ items (vendor-reported, 19 July 2026), used with the College's sample questions, can serve as a main written bank for Paper A. But "enough" depends on two things it does not do: it does not measure you on genuinely unseen, mixed, timed items with EMIs once you start recognising questions, and it does nothing for the CASC. Treat it as a strong single bank for the written paper, not a complete MRCPsych programme, and verify the current count on the product page.
Which MRCPsych Paper A component does BMJ OnExamination not reproduce well? The clinical CASC, which is a separate OSCE and not a written format at all — no MCQ or EMI bank rehearses it. Within the written paper, watch the extended matching items specifically: the exam is roughly one-third EMI, and the product page does not publish the bank's MCQ-to-EMI split, so confirm you are practising enough EMIs rather than only single-best-answer questions.
How many BMJ OnExamination questions should I complete per day for MRCPsych Paper A? Balance and review matter more than raw volume; a sustainable pattern for a working trainee is roughly 30–50 first-attempt items on weekdays with every miss analysed, weighted toward under-attempted domains such as the neurosciences, plus a weekend mock. Include EMIs deliberately. Protect at least one timed, unseen, mixed block each week as your measurement rather than chasing a daily total.
When should I stop using BMJ OnExamination and move to mixed mocks? When your syllabus coverage is broad, your first-attempt accuracy is stable, EMIs are well practised, and recognition is creeping into repeats — not at 100% bank completion. At that point shift toward full-length timed mixed mocks and the College's sample questions, keeping BMJ OnExamination open only to patch any residual weak domain the mocks reveal.
How should I combine BMJ OnExamination with iatroX without duplicating practice? Give each a single job. Use BMJ OnExamination to learn and repair — filters, explanations, spaced review — and use iatroX only as the unseen, timed, mixed measurement layer, making sure both MCQs and EMIs feature in the measurement block. Because the item pools differ, an iatroX block is genuinely unseen and does not repeat BMJ OnExamination items, so your calibration stays honest. Neither tool is a CASC simulator, so plan clinical-skills practice separately.
Editorial notes and references
Written by Dr Kolawole Tytler, NHS GP and founder of iatroX. Last checked 19 July 2026; BMJ OnExamination question counts, prices and features are vendor-reported as of that date and change without notice — verify the current figures on the product page before purchase. Disclosure: iatroX operates a competing MRCPsych Paper A question bank, so this audit confines iatroX's role to the unseen-measurement job BMJ OnExamination does not claim to perform, and takes no position on price; neither product is a CASC simulator. Corrections are welcome via the feedback route on iatrox.com.
References: Royal College of Psychiatrists — MRCPsych exams, Paper A and B marking scheme and syllabus (rcpsych.ac.uk; verify the current count, duration and syllabus there); BMJ OnExamination MRCPsych Paper A product page (onexamination.com; vendor-reported figures); iatroX MRCPsych Paper A bank (https://www.iatrox.com/mrcpsych-paper-a); iatroX comparison hub (https://www.iatrox.com/compare); "Your Q-Bank Percentage Is Not Your Exam Score" (https://www.iatrox.com/blog/qbank-percentage-not-your-exam-score).