Whether you are a UK final-year student or an IMG preparing for PLAB 1, the AKT requires the same structured approach: systematic content coverage, intensive Q-bank practice, clinical reasoning development, and timed exam simulation. This 12-week plan covers all four.
Weeks 1-4: Foundation Phase
Cover the major clinical domains systematically. Each week tackles one or two high-volume specialties.
Week 1: Cardiovascular + respiratory. Week 2: GI + renal + endocrine. Week 3: Neurology + psychiatry + pharmacology. Week 4: Women's health + paediatrics + musculoskeletal.
Daily targets: 40-50 questions from your primary Q-bank (Quesmed, Pastest, or PLABable) plus 20 questions from iatroX Q-Bank. The iatroX algorithm starts building your weakness profile from day one. Use Ask iatroX to verify every wrong answer against the NICE guideline — build this habit immediately.
Weeks 5-8: Expansion and Reasoning Phase
Cover remaining domains and shift focus to clinical reasoning.
Week 5: Surgery + emergency medicine (use Brainstorm for acute scenario practice). Week 6: Dermatology + ENT + ophthalmology + haematology. Week 7: Ethics, professionalism, law (GMC principles, consent, capacity, safeguarding — do not underestimate this). Week 8: Public health + evidence-based medicine + prescribing safety.
Increase daily targets to 50-60 primary questions plus 25 iatroX questions. Complete your first full timed mock at the end of week 8.
Weeks 9-12: Consolidation and Exam Readiness
Week 9: Targeted weakness revision based on mock exam analysis and iatroX performance data. Focus on your 5-6 weakest topics.
Week 10: Mock exams 2 and 3 under strict timed conditions. Analyse results same day.
Week 11: High-yield review of the 20 most-tested topics. Mock exam 4.
Week 12: Light revision of incorrect questions only. Final mock at start of week. Rest for the last 2 days.
The Resource Stack
Primary Q-bank: Quesmed or Pastest (paid). For volume and exam-realistic questions.
Adaptive layer: iatroX Q-Bank (free). Daily spaced repetition targeting weaknesses.
Clinical reference: Ask iatroX (free). Instant guideline verification.
Clinical reasoning: Brainstorm (free). Structured scenario practice.
Guideline browsing: Knowledge Centre (free). Systematic coverage by condition.
Mock exams: 4-5 full timed mocks from your primary bank.
Consistency beats intensity. 6 focused hours daily for 12 weeks outperforms 14-hour days for 4 weeks followed by burnout. The spaced repetition from iatroX ensures early material is retained throughout — you build durable knowledge, not short-term cramming that decays before exam day.