PassMedicine has been the default UK Q-bank for over a decade. It is well-known, widely recommended by trainees and programme directors, and has a large question bank covering PLAB, MRCGP AKT, and MRCP. If you are reading this, you have probably already used PassMedicine — or been told to.
iatroX represents a different approach — AI-adaptive learning with clinical AI integration, mock exam simulation, and an AI study planner. Both platforms produce questions. The difference is in everything that surrounds the questions.
This is a fair comparison. PassMedicine is a credible product with genuine strengths. Where iatroX is stronger, we will say so. Where PassMedicine has advantages, we will say that too.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | iatroX | PassMedicine |
|---|---|---|
| Adaptive engine | Yes — AI adjusts difficulty based on performance | No — static question order |
| Spaced repetition | Yes — built-in, algorithm-driven | No |
| Mock exams (timed simulation) | Yes — 29 exam specs, real format | No |
| AI study planner | Yes — personalised daily schedule + readiness score | No |
| Clinical AI co-pilot | Yes — Ask iatroX (NICE/BNF-grounded) | No |
| Clinical calculators | Yes — 84 tools | No |
| CPD tracking | Yes — with exportable evidence | No |
| Study notes | Yes — UKMLA Academy (402 pages) | Yes — integrated notes |
| Exam coverage (UK) | PLAB 1, UKMLA, MRCGP AKT, MRCP, MRCEM, MSRA, PSA, PANE + 7 diploma banks + GPhC | PLAB, MRCGP, MRCP |
| International coverage | US (USMLE, ABFM, ABIM, ABEM), Canada (MCCQE, CCFP, RCPSC), Australia (AMC, RACGP, RACP, ACEM) | UK only |
| Mobile app | iOS + Android (native) | Web-based |
| MHRA registered | Yes — Class I medical device | No |
Content Coverage
PassMedicine covers PLAB, MRCGP AKT, and MRCP Part 1 — the three highest-volume UK postgraduate exams. Its question bank for these exams is large and well-established. The question quality is solid — RCGP-endorsed style with detailed explanations. The integrated study notes provide a reference layer alongside the questions.
iatroX covers these same exams plus MRCEM, MSRA, PSA, PANE, UKMLA, and 7 specialist diploma banks (FFICM, DipIMC, DTM&H, DFSRH, DRCOG, DGM, DCH). It also covers the GPhC Common Registration Assessment — a market no other major Q-bank serves. Beyond the UK, iatroX covers US (USMLE Step 2 CK, Step 3, ABFM, ABIM, ABEM), Canadian (MCCQE, CCFP, RCPSC IM/EM), and Australian (AMC CAT, RACGP AKT, RACP, ACEM) exams.
For candidates sitting only PLAB, MRCGP, or MRCP — PassMedicine's coverage is sufficient. For candidates sitting MRCEM, MSRA, diploma exams, GPhC, or any international exam — PassMedicine does not cover these at all.
Pricing
iatroX: Core UK exams (PLAB 1, UKMLA, MRCGP AKT, MRCP, MRCEM, MSRA, PSA, PANE) are free — no subscription required. Premium features (mock exams, AI study planner, diploma banks, GPhC) are included in the subscription (£29/month or £99/year). One subscription covers everything.
PassMedicine: Subscription required for all access. Pricing varies by exam and duration — typically £35-50 for 4-12 months of access to a single exam's Q-bank.
The pricing comparison depends on what you need. If you want free AKT practice with adaptive targeting, iatroX is free and PassMedicine is not. If you want maximum question volume for MRCP Part 1 specifically, PassMedicine may offer more questions in that specific bank. If you want mock exams, a study planner, clinical AI, calculators, and CPD tracking alongside your Q-bank, only iatroX provides these — at any price.
The Approach Difference
This is the fundamental distinction. PassMedicine is a question bank — a database of questions you work through. You choose the topic. You do the questions. You read the explanations. The platform does not decide what you should study, does not adapt to your performance, and does not tell you when you are ready. It is a tool you operate.
iatroX is an adaptive learning platform — a system that analyses your performance and tells you what to study. The adaptive engine selects questions based on your weakest areas. The study planner generates a daily schedule. The readiness score tells you whether you are on track. Mock exams test your performance under exam conditions. The platform operates on you.
The practical difference is visible in a single study session. On PassMedicine, you open the MRCGP AKT Q-bank, select "cardiology," and do 30 questions. Your accuracy is 82%. You feel good. You move to respiratory. But your endocrinology is at 45% — and PassMedicine does not tell you this, does not redirect you there, and does not flag it as a priority. You study what you choose, not what you need.
On iatroX, you open the MRCGP AKT Q-bank and start a session. The first question is endocrinology — because the engine identified it as your weakest domain. The second is dermatology — your second-weakest. The third is cardiology at a harder difficulty level than you have previously attempted — because your cardiovascular accuracy is high enough to warrant increased challenge. Over 30 questions, you practise 5-6 topics weighted toward your gaps. You did not choose the topics. The engine chose them based on your data.
For self-directed learners who want to control every aspect of their revision, PassMedicine's manual approach may feel more comfortable. For candidates who want a system that optimises their preparation based on data rather than intuition, iatroX's adaptive approach is structurally superior.
What iatroX Offers That PassMedicine Cannot
Mock exams. iatroX provides timed mock exams for all 29 exam specifications — matching real exam formats (question count, time limit, navigation rules, deferred feedback). PassMedicine does not offer mock exam simulation. The difference matters: untimed topic-filtered practice builds knowledge, but only timed mixed-topic mocks build exam performance. Candidates who arrive at the exam having never sat a full-length timed simulation underperform relative to their knowledge level — because time management and uncertainty tolerance are skills that only mock practice develops.
AI study planner. The study planner generates daily tasks based on your performance, schedules mocks at optimal intervals, and provides a readiness score tracking your trajectory toward exam day. PassMedicine provides questions — it does not tell you which questions to do today, how many to do, or whether you are ready. The planner eliminates the daily decision of "what should I study?" — replacing it with a data-driven answer.
Clinical AI. Ask iatroX provides NICE/BNF-grounded answers to clinical queries — useful during revision (verifying management pathways from question explanations) and during clinical practice (daily reference). PassMedicine does not offer clinical AI. The result: on PassMedicine, when an explanation raises a follow-up question, you search CKS or BNF manually. On iatroX, you ask the AI and receive a cited answer in seconds.
Clinical calculators. 84 scoring tools (iatroX Calculators) integrated into the same platform. PassMedicine does not offer calculators.
Fair Acknowledgement
PassMedicine has been serving UK medical trainees for many years. It has a large, loyal user base. Its question quality for PLAB, MRCGP, and MRCP is well-established. Many candidates have passed their exams using PassMedicine — and will continue to do so. It is a functional, reliable Q-bank.
What PassMedicine has not done is evolve. The platform in 2026 is fundamentally the same as it was in 2018 — a static question bank without adaptive learning, without AI, without mock simulation, and without a study planner. In a market where AI-adaptive learning, timed mock simulation, and data-driven readiness assessment are now available — at zero cost for core UK exams — the question is no longer "is PassMedicine good enough?" but "why would you not also use a platform that offers everything PassMedicine does plus everything it does not?"
The optimal approach for many candidates is both: PassMedicine for additional question volume in their target exam, iatroX for adaptive targeting, mock exams, the study planner, and clinical AI. The two platforms complement each other — PassMedicine provides breadth of question exposure, iatroX provides the intelligent learning layer that PassMedicine lacks. And since iatroX's core Q-banks are free, adding iatroX to your PassMedicine subscription costs nothing. The marginal effort is minimal — the marginal benefit to your exam preparation is significant.
Try iatroX's free Q-bank and see the adaptive difference at iatrox.com/quiz-landing.