If you are looking for a Pass the MSRA alternative in 2026, the choice is between a modular notes-and-flashcards study kit and a free adaptive question bank. Pass the MSRA offers revision notes, flashcards, rapid quizzes and free podcasts across both MSRA papers, tuned by recent candidates. iatroX takes a different approach: a low-cost MSRA bank built around a Socratic tutor and a genuinely adaptive engine, strongest on the Clinical Problem Solving paper. This guide compares the two honestly, and is clear about where Pass the MSRA's notes and Professional Dilemmas materials do something iatroX doesn't. For context, the MSRA is two papers — a 75-minute Clinical Problem Solving paper and a 95-minute Professional Dilemmas paper — scored in bands.
What Pass the MSRA is, and why doctors use it
Pass the MSRA is an MSRA-focused study platform built by UK doctors who have sat the exam, covering both the Clinical Problem Solving (CPS) and Professional Dilemmas (SJT) papers. It is deliberately modular: high-yield revision notes, flashcards, accordion-style summaries, rapid quizzes and free podcasts, so you can use as much or as little as your time allows. Its content is built on the MSRA curriculum and updated against NICE CKS and RCGP standards. Its appeal is varied study formats and explicit SJT preparation, useful for candidates who learn from notes and flashcards rather than questions alone. The MSRA itself is now one of the highest-stakes hurdles in UK specialty recruitment — it is the sole determinant of an offer for GP and core psychiatry, and the main shortlisting factor for radiology, anaesthetics and core surgical training — so candidates understandably want every format of support they can get, and a resource that packages notes, flashcards and audio is attractive when the syllabus is this broad.
How iatroX compares
iatroX's MSRA bank is on a low-cost subscription (£29/month or £99/year), and it is built around five things: a Socratic tutor that works back through the reasoning behind a wrong answer; questions mapped meticulously to the MSRA blueprint; spaced repetition; a genuinely adaptive engine that targets your weak areas; and native iOS and Android apps. Its strength is the clinical (CPS) side, where adaptive drilling keeps surfacing the topics you are weakest on. It also covers the rest of a career — MRCP, MRCEM, the PSA and more, with MRCP, MRCEM, the PSA and PARA among them free — on the same platform. Because the clinical paper draws on a very wide syllabus, from cardiology to dermatology to paediatrics, an adaptive engine earns its keep here: rather than re-testing what you already know, it keeps pulling you back to the areas where you are losing marks, which is where time is best spent when the content is this broad.
The honest comparison
| iatroX | Pass the MSRA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | MSRA bank £29/mo–£99/yr | Subscription (some free content) |
| Format | Adaptive Q-bank plus a Socratic tutor | Notes, flashcards, quizzes, podcasts |
| Clinical (CPS) | Adaptive, blueprint-mapped | Notes and quizzes |
| Professional Dilemmas (SJT) | Limited | Dedicated notes and flashcards |
| Coverage | MSRA plus the rest of a career | MSRA only |
(Competitor details as of mid-2026 — confirm current pricing and content on Pass the MSRA's site.)
Where iatroX wins
The headline is price: a low-cost MSRA bank versus a paid subscription. The adaptive engine and Socratic tutor target weak areas and rebuild reasoning on the clinical paper, rather than working through fixed material, and one platform also covers MRCP, MRCEM, the PSA and more, with MRCP, MRCEM, the PSA and PARA among them free — useful across specialty training, not just for this exam. There is also a cost angle worth naming: many candidates end up paying for two or three MSRA resources in succession, and anchoring your routine practice on a adaptive bank means any spend on notes or SJT material is additive rather than duplicated.
Where Pass the MSRA wins
Its Professional Dilemmas materials are the clearest strength: the SJT paper is a distinct skill, and dedicated notes and flashcards for it are something iatroX's clinical bank does not replicate. Its varied study formats — notes, flashcards, accordions and podcasts — suit candidates who do not want to learn from questions alone, and the free podcasts and modular structure are easy to dip into around a busy rota. For the Professional Dilemmas paper in particular, working through scenario-based material and the reasoning behind each best response is closer to how that paper is actually marked than clinical question practice is.
When Pass the MSRA is the smarter choice
If you want explicit SJT preparation and like learning from notes, flashcards and podcasts, Pass the MSRA is built for that. A sensible combination is iatroX for adaptive drilling on the clinical paper, with Pass the MSRA's notes and SJT materials alongside. That split — a adaptive bank for the clinical paper, a dedicated kit for the SJT — covers both papers without paying twice for the clinical side.
How to choose
If you want adaptive practice for the clinical paper, start with iatroX — the MSRA bank is on a low-cost subscription. If you want dedicated SJT prep and varied study formats, Pass the MSRA covers that ground. And if you are sitting other exams later, such as MRCP or the PSA, iatroX covers them, with MRCP, MRCEM, the PSA and PARA among them free, on the same platform.
A few common questions
Is iatroX's MSRA bank free? Not in full — the MSRA bank is on iatroX's £29/month or £99/year subscription, with free sample questions to try first; MRCP, MRCEM, the PSA and PARA are free.
Does iatroX cover the Professional Dilemmas paper? Its strength is the clinical paper; dedicated SJT materials are where tools like Pass the MSRA add value.
Is Pass the MSRA just a question bank? No — it is notes, flashcards, quizzes and podcasts, modular by design.
Can I use both? Yes — iatroX for adaptive clinical drilling, Pass the MSRA for SJT and notes.