Anki is free, open-source, and uses the most sophisticated spaced repetition algorithm available for consumer use. Medical students worldwide use it for undergraduate exams. Yet MRCP Part 1 candidates — who face a broader, deeper, and more forgettable syllabus — often do not use it at all, or use it so poorly that it adds workload without adding learning.
This guide covers how to use Anki effectively for MRCP Part 1 — and when a purpose-built alternative like iatroX may be more efficient.
Why Spaced Repetition Matters for MRCP Part 1
MRCP Part 1 covers an enormous breadth of knowledge studied over 16-20 weeks. Without spaced repetition, material studied in week 2 is substantially forgotten by week 16 — the exam is in week 16. The forgetting curve is exponential: within one week of studying a topic, you retain approximately 20-30% of the detail unless you actively review it.
Spaced repetition solves this by scheduling reviews at increasing intervals — you review material just before you would forget it, each time strengthening the memory and extending the interval before the next review is needed. Over 16 weeks, material reviewed through spaced repetition is retained at 80-90%+ versus 20-30% for material studied once and not revisited.
The Anki Setup
Download Anki (free on desktop and Android; the iOS app is paid at approximately £25 but worth it for on-the-go review).
Settings optimisation for MRCP: Set new cards per day to 20-30 (more will overwhelm you within weeks). Set maximum reviews per day to 200 (this is the ceiling — your daily review queue will grow as you add cards but should not exceed 30-40 minutes per day). Use the default algorithm (FSRS is available in recent Anki versions and is more efficient than the legacy SM-2 algorithm — enable it in settings if available).
Pre-made decks: Search AnkiWeb for "MRCP Part 1" decks. Several community-created decks cover the MRCP curriculum — the largest contain 3,000-5,000+ cards covering clinical medicine, pharmacology, clinical sciences, and statistics. Download one as your foundation. Warning: pre-made decks vary in quality. Some contain errors, outdated information, or UK-irrelevant content. Verify uncertain cards against Ask iatroX.
Creating your own cards: The highest-value Anki cards are the ones you create yourself from your Q-bank practice. When you get a question wrong in PassMedicine, Pastest, or iatroX, create an Anki card capturing the key learning point. This creates a personalised deck of your specific weak points — the most efficient revision resource possible.
Card creation principles: Keep cards atomic — one fact per card. Use cloze deletions for lists and sequences. Avoid cards that require memorising entire paragraphs. Include images where visual recognition is tested (ECGs, dermatology, imaging). Add context — "In a patient with CKD and heart failure, which antihypertensive class is first-line?" is better than "What is first-line for hypertension?"
The Daily Routine With Anki
Morning (15-20 minutes): Complete your Anki review queue. This is non-negotiable — the spaced repetition algorithm only works if you review on schedule. Missing a day creates a backlog that compounds.
After Q-bank practice (10-15 minutes): Create 5-10 new Anki cards from the questions you got wrong. This feeds your personalised weakness deck.
Total Anki time: 25-35 minutes per day. This is modest but compounds dramatically over 16 weeks — by exam day, you will have reviewed thousands of facts at optimal intervals, retaining material from week 2 as strongly as material from week 15.
When iatroX May Be More Efficient Than Anki
Anki tests isolated facts (cloze deletions, single-answer cards). MRCP Part 1 tests clinical reasoning through scenarios. There is a gap: knowing that "amiodarone causes thyroid dysfunction" (an Anki card) is different from correctly managing a thyroid function test abnormality in a patient on amiodarone (an MRCP question).
iatroX Q-Bank bridges this gap by implementing spaced repetition at the question level rather than the flashcard level. When you get a clinical scenario wrong, the algorithm resurfaces similar scenarios at optimal intervals — testing the reasoning, not just the fact. The explanations are guideline-grounded with citations, providing deeper learning per interaction than a flashcard.
The optimal combination: Anki for pure factual recall (drug lists, inheritance patterns, statistical formulae, enzyme deficiencies) + iatroX Q-Bank for clinical reasoning and management pathway retention. The two tools test complementary cognitive skills through the same spaced repetition principle.
The Bottom Line
Spaced repetition is the single most evidence-based learning technique available. For MRCP Part 1's breadth, it is close to essential — the alternative is studying material that decays before exam day. Use Anki for facts, iatroX for clinical reasoning, and commit to 30 minutes of review daily. The cumulative effect over 16 weeks is the difference between remembering and forgetting.