The AKT tests applied clinical knowledge across general practice — but the format and content distribution require specific preparation strategy.
Format
200 SBAs. Three content domains: clinical medicine (~80%), evidence-based practice and statistics (~10%), and organisational/professional topics (~10%). The clinical domain is the largest — but the EBP/stats and organisational domains are the most commonly neglected, and questions in these areas are often straightforward if you have studied them.
Weeks 1-4: Foundation
Systematic clinical topic coverage using NICE CKS as your primary reference — CKS is free and covers every major GP presentation with evidence-based management pathways. Start with the highest-yield GP clinical areas: cardiovascular (hypertension, AF, CHD, heart failure), mental health (depression, anxiety, serious mental illness), musculoskeletal (back pain, osteoarthritis, RA, gout), women's health (contraception, menopause, cervical screening), and respiratory (asthma, COPD). Do 30-40 questions daily. Begin EBP/stats revision alongside clinical content — the statistics topics (sensitivity, specificity, NNT, study design, bias) are finite and highly scoreable.
iatroX adaptive mode (free) — daily 15-minute sessions targeting your weakest AKT topics from day one.
Weeks 5-8: Application
Increase to 50-60 questions daily. Focus on weak clinical areas. Add organisational content: GP contract structure, QOF, referral pathways, practice management, NHS structure. This content feels dry but represents reliable marks. Practice exam at end of week 8.
Weeks 9-12: Performance
Timed blocks. Final practice exam. Targeted revision of persistent gaps. High-yield review: cardiovascular, mental health, MSK, women's health, prescribing, statistics, organisational topics.
Resource Stack
NICE CKS (free, essential — the primary reference for GP clinical practice). iatroX (free adaptive AKT Q-bank with spaced repetition). Passmedicine or GP SelfTest (paid primary Q-bank). Oxford Handbook of General Practice.