The MRCPsych market is dominated by course-based providers rather than dedicated question bank platforms. This creates a gap for trainees who want focused question practice without the cost of a full course.
The pricing problem
SPMM — the dominant MRCPsych provider — charges several hundred pounds for comprehensive course packages that include notes, videos, and question banks. The content quality is excellent, but the price is a genuine barrier for CT1 to CT3 psychiatry trainees who are among the lowest-paid doctors in postgraduate training.
PassMRCPsych offers a more affordable alternative with question banks and audio resources. The question volume is moderate and the audio format suits some learners.
Where iatroX fits
iatroX provides dedicated Paper A and Paper B question banks — over 1,500 questions per paper — with both SBA and EMQ formats. The Paper A bank is weighted to match the exam's 25 per cent psychopharmacology emphasis. The Paper B bank covers all clinical subspecialties including clozapine monitoring, MHA sections, and forensic psychiatry.
The adaptive algorithm tracks performance separately across Paper A and Paper B, ensuring your sciences revision does not interfere with your clinical revision. EMQ sets are grouped by theme, replicating the real exam structure.
All of this costs £29 per month or £99 per year — a fraction of SPMM's pricing and comparable to or less than PassMRCPsych.
The honest trade-off
iatroX does not provide structured notes or video lectures. If you learn best from a taught course with progressive content delivery, SPMM remains the premium option. If you learn best from active recall through question practice with adaptive targeting, iatroX provides more questions, better technology, and a lower price.
Many trainees use both — SPMM notes for content learning, iatroX questions for active recall and exam technique.