Executive summary
For UK doctors in training, preparing for high-stakes postgraduate exams often comes with a hefty price tag for revision resources. However, a wealth of high-quality, free, and NHS-funded tools are available that can form the backbone of a successful study plan. The key is to start with the official, free practice materials provided by the Royal Colleges and Health Education England, and to layer these with authoritative clinical references like NICE CKS and the BNF, which are free to access in the UK.
You can then supercharge your learning by using your free NHS OpenAthens account to unlock premium resources like BMJ Best Practice. Finally, add a layer of modern, free AI tools like iatroX—for its UK-centric Q&A and adaptive quiz engine—and Anki for world-class spaced repetition, to create a powerful, evidence-based, and budget-friendly revision strategy.
The gold-standard starting point: official, free exam materials
Your first and most important port of call should always be the free resources provided by the official exam bodies. These are the closest you will get to the real thing.
- MRCP(UK) Part 1/Part 2: The Royal College provides free sample questions and an online practice test to help you familiarise yourself with the format.
- MSRA: Health Education England provides a complete practice paper with detailed answers and rationales, which is essential for understanding the style of both the Professional Dilemmas and Clinical Problem Solving papers.
- RCGP AKT: The RCGP website offers current example questions and answer sets to help you calibrate to the exam's difficulty.
- PACES23: The official candidate and examiners’ guides are free to download and are crucial for understanding the new format and the skills being assessed.
- SCA: The RCGP offers a free preparation hub with guidance and webinars on how to approach the simulated consultations.
- UKMLA: The GMC's MLA Content Map is the definitive blueprint for your revision.
Free clinical references you should build into every study session
- NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries (CKS): A library of concise, primary-care-focused summaries of common conditions. It is the best resource for a quick, evidence-based overview and is free to access in the UK.
- BNF/BNFC: The British National Formulary is the UK's prescribing bible. It is available online and via a free mobile app, which includes essential offline access.
- BMJ Best Practice (via NHS OpenAthens): This is a premium point-of-care tool that is nationally funded for all NHS staff and learners. Use your free OpenAthens account to access its excellent evidence summaries, calculators, and offline app.
Free (or free-to-clinicians) AI tools to accelerate learning
iatroX (free, UK-centric)
- Ask/Knowledge Centre: Provides citation-first answers grounded in UK-accepted guidance and peer-reviewed research. It's ideal for quickly verifying a concept after getting a question wrong in a Q-bank.
- Quiz: A powerful adaptive and spaced repetition engine that is mapped to UK exam curricula (UKMLA, AKT, MRCP, MSRA). It’s an excellent, free tool for targeting your weak domains.
OpenEvidence
- A medical search engine that provides evidence-synthesis and is free and unlimited for healthcare professionals, making it a great tool for deeper dives into the literature.
Anki (open-source)
- The gold-standard spaced-repetition flashcard app. Use it to retain high-yield facts, drug doses, and diagnostic criteria over the long term.
Free OSCE/communication practice (CPSA, SCA, PACES comms)
- Geeky Medics: Offers a huge library of free, high-quality OSCE guides, videos, and checklists. It's an indispensable resource for practising your station structure and skills.
- RCGP SCA: The RCGP provides free webinars and a detailed setup guide to help you prepare for the logistics and technique of the simulated consultation assessment.
NHS-funded e-learning you already have
- e-Learning for Healthcare (e-LfH): As an NHS employee or trainee, you have free access to a vast catalogue of e-learning modules. These are perfect for targeted refreshers on specific clinical or professional topics.
- NHS Knowledge & Library Hub: Your OpenAthens account also gives you access to your local library's discovery gateway, which can provide links to full-text journals and other databases.
“All free” weekly blueprint
| Day | Activity (60–90 mins) |
|---|---|
| Mon–Thu | 20–40 mins: Official practice questions (MRCP/MSRA/AKT).<br>10–20 mins: Debrief misses using CKS/BNF/BMJ Best Practice.<br>10–15 mins: Lock in learning with iatroX Quiz or Anki spaced review. |
| Fri | 45–60 mins: Run through one full OSCE/SCA station using a free Geeky Medics guide. Record yourself and self-score against the checklist. |
| Weekend | Optional: Work through the official MSRA practice paper or review the PACES23 candidate guide to consolidate your exam technique. |
The "Free vs Paid" Honesty Box
When is free enough? For the early and middle phases of your revision, you can build an incredibly powerful study plan using only the free resources listed above. They are perfect for blueprinting your knowledge gaps, drilling core topics, and practising your OSCE structure.
When to consider a short, paid subscription: In the final 2–4 weeks before your exam, you may find it helpful to purchase a short subscription to a commercial Q-bank. This can help you align with the specific stem density and user interface of the real exam. Most providers offer free trials or demos, so you can time a short, paid period judiciously.
Resource matrix
| Task | Primary Free Resource | Why It’s High-Yield | How to Debrief/Verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Find official practice | MRCP sample Qs / MSRA paper | Closest you'll get to the real exam style | CKS/BNF/BMJ Best Practice |
| Close knowledge gaps fast | iatroX / OpenEvidence | Citation-first answers; free to clinicians | Save key concepts into an Anki deck |
| OSCE structure & feedback | Geeky Medics | Free checklists & videos aligned to UK exams | N/A |
FAQs
- Is BMJ Best Practice really free?
- Yes, for all NHS staff and learners. Access is provided via your free NHS OpenAthens login. Once you've signed in, you can create a personal account to enable the excellent mobile app and its offline features.
- Are there truly free AI tools for revision?
- Yes. iatroX offers a free, UK-centric Q&A tool and an adaptive quiz engine. OpenEvidence provides free medical search for healthcare professionals.
- What are the best free OSCE resources?
- Geeky Medics is the gold standard for its free library of guides and videos. This should be supplemented with the official preparation materials from the RCGP for the SCA and the Royal Colleges for PACES.