Executive summary
The UK Medical Licensing Assessment (UKMLA) is now the single, national standard for entry to the medical register, comprising an Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) and a Clinical & Professional Skills Assessment (CPSA). Both are anchored to the official GMC MLA Content Map, which must be your primary syllabus. For final-year students, success hinges on a smart, efficient, and UK-aligned study stack.
Your high-quality free foundations are the official GMC materials, NICE CKS for concise, exam-relevant summaries, the BNF for all prescribing, and Geeky Medics or Zero to Finals for OSCE/CPSA technique and core notes. You can then add a powerful AI layer with iatroX. It provides a free, UK-centric platform with fast, cited answers from a library of peer-reviewed research and other UK-accepted guidance, plus an adaptive, spaced-repetition quiz mapped to the UKMLA curriculum. This is a toolkit you can use to pass your exams now and keep using when you start work—at which point you will also gain free NHS OpenAthens access to tools like BMJ Best Practice.
Understand the assessment (start with the source)
Before you start revising, you must understand the exam. The UKMLA is a two-part assessment:
- AKT (Applied Knowledge Test): A computer-based single-best-answer (SBA) exam.
- CPSA (Clinical & Professional Skills Assessment): A practical, OSCE-style exam.
Both parts are derived directly from the GMC MLA Content Map. This is your syllabus. Your first action should be to download it from the GMC website, as every study block you plan should align with its domains, conditions, and presentations. The Medical Schools Council (MSC) also provides guidance on how schools will administer the CPSA.
Free, authoritative clinical references (daily habits to build)
- NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries (CKS): This should be your first-stop for management pathways. CKS provides over 370 topics with concise, primary-care-oriented guidance on common presentations and red flags. It is free to access in the UK and is ideal for debriefing MCQs.
- BNF (British National Formulary): This is the definitive UK reference for prescribing, dosing, and interactions. It is indispensable for both the AKT and the Prescribing Safety Assessment (PSA). The online version is free to access in the UK.
Free CPSA/OSCE skill-builders
- Geeky Medics: The gold-standard free resource for practical skills. It provides step-by-step guides, checklists, and videos for examinations, procedures, and communication stations, all closely mapped to UK exam requirements.
- Zero to Finals: An excellent source of free, concise notes, flashcards, and videos that are perfect for building your conceptual foundation before tackling question banks.
- Mind The Bleep: A pragmatic, peer-written survival guide for final-year students and FY1s. It is particularly strong on the "ward-craft" and "how-to" articles that smooth the transition to foundation doctor.
An AI layer you can keep using after you qualify
iatroX — free, UK-centric
iatroX is an AI platform designed for UK clinicians and trainees that you can use for free during your studies and keep using throughout your career.
- Knowledge Centre / Ask iatroX: Provides rapid, citation-first answers from a curated library of peer-reviewed research and other UK-accepted guidance (like SIGN). It is ideal for closing knowledge gaps after a tough question bank session or for exploring a topic you saw on placement.
- iatroX Quiz: This is a powerful revision engine. It features an adaptive learning mode to target your weak areas and a spaced repetition mode to help you lock in knowledge for the long term. The question bank is mapped to UK exam curricula, including the UKMLA.
NHS Knowledge & Library Hub (post-qualification)
This is a key resource to be aware of for when you start work. As an NHS employee, you will get a free NHS OpenAthens account. This unlocks a huge range of nationally-funded resources, including the full BMJ Best Practice platform, which is an invaluable point-of-care tool. The habits you build now—checking CKS/BNF and using iatroX—will transfer directly to your work as an FY1.
Weekly study blueprint
| Day | Time | Activity | Tools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon–Thu | 90 mins | 45–60 mins: Mixed AKT blocks (from free or paid banks).<br>15–20 mins: Debrief misses using CKS & BNF.<br>10–15 mins: Spaced review of errors on iatroX Quiz / Anki. | Passmedicine, Quesmed, etc.<br>NICE CKS, BNF<br>iatroX Quiz / Anki |
| Fri | 60 mins | One full CPSA station: Use Geeky Medics guide → practise to time → review against checklist. | Geeky Medics |
| Weekend | Optional | Content-map sweep: Pick 3 presentations from the GMC MLA Content Map and close knowledge gaps. | GMC MLA Content Map |
Resource matrix
| Task | Free Primary Resource | Why It’s High-Yield | AI Add-on / Next Step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Map Your Syllabus | GMC MLA Content Map | The definitive blueprint for both AKT & CPSA. | — |
| Guideline Look-ups | NICE CKS | Concise, exam-relevant summaries. | Use iatroX Ask to explore related concepts with citations. |
| Prescribing Checks | BNF Online | Definitive UK doses & interactions. | Use iatroX Quiz to drill prescribing principles (spaced repetition). |
| CPSA Technique | Geeky Medics OSCE | Free station guides & checklists. | Use iatroX Q&A to help script concise patient explanations. |
| Consolidation | Zero to Finals / Mind The Bleep | Clear explanations & FY1-ready tips. | iatroX Quiz for spaced repetition. |
| After You Qualify | NHS Knowledge & Library Hub | Free OpenAthens access to BMJ Best Practice. | Keep iatroX for fast UK-specific look-ups & CPD. |
FAQs
- Is all of this genuinely free?
- Yes. NICE CKS and the BNF are free to access online in the UK. Geeky Medics offers an extensive library of free OSCE content. iatroX’s Knowledge Centre, Ask, and Quiz features are free. The NHS Knowledge & Library Hub (including BMJ Best Practice) is free to all NHS staff and learners via OpenAthens.
- What’s the single best starting point?
- Download and annotate the GMC MLA Content Map. Plan your entire revision by mapping your question bank practice and reading against its listed presentations and conditions.
- Will these habits help once I’m an FY doctor?
- Yes, absolutely. The habit of checking CKS and the BNF as your primary sources of truth, and using a tool like iatroX to accelerate your learning and eventually log your CPD, is the exact workflow you will use as an FY doctor.
Calls to action
- Today: Download the GMC MLA Content Map and choose five presentations to cover this week.
- This week: Make NICE CKS and the BNF your default debriefing tools after every practice question block. Add your errors to the iatroX Quiz for automated spaced review.
- For life after finals: Register for your NHS OpenAthens account as soon as you are eligible. Bookmark the NHS Knowledge & Library Hub and keep iatroX as your quick, UK-specific front door to guidance.