PACES preparation contains tasks that can be rehearsed online and tasks that require examining patients. The sensible alternative to a Pastest package depends on which task you need to improve. Videos, bedside teaching and conversational simulation can complement each other, but none should be described as a complete substitute for the others.
This comparison is published by iatroX and includes its PACES simulation track. Product descriptions were checked on 19 September 2026. No claim is made that online simulation validates physical examination competence.
What the online video resource contributes
Pastest's PACES product describes clinical videos, patient cases and learning material. Watching an examination or presentation can help a candidate understand structure, observe an approach and prepare for supervised practice.
That is a different service from an interactive encounter. A video can demonstrate a technique clearly without letting the learner practise responding to an unexpected question. A simulation can support a discussion without letting the learner feel a physical sign.
Compare the exact online package separately from any in-person course. Do not assume that purchasing one automatically includes the other.
Divide the work into acquisition, interpretation and communication
Acquiring a physical finding requires appropriate real-world practice. Interpreting the finding requires knowledge and reasoning. Communicating its significance requires a clear presentation and a proportionate discussion of uncertainty.
A candidate can be stronger in one part than another. Someone who recognises findings but gives a disorganised presentation needs a different exercise from someone who cannot reliably elicit the sign. Buying the same resource for both can obscure the actual problem.
The Federation's PACES preparation material should anchor the assessment context. Independent resources support learning; they do not redefine what the examination requires.
An original resource-allocation example
Consider a fictional candidate who receives consistent feedback that their findings are adequate but their summary is long and poorly prioritised. Repeatedly watching the same examination video may provide limited additional benefit. A targeted presentation exercise, followed by questions about the interpretation, addresses the feedback more directly.
Another candidate can discuss a case convincingly but is uncertain about the physical examination. They should prioritise supervised bedside teaching. A confident simulated discussion should not conceal that gap.
These examples are editorial illustrations, not reports of individual users or examination outcomes.
Where simulation can be useful
Simulation can provide a place to organise a case, explain reasoning and practise responding to questions. The useful debrief identifies what in the presentation was unclear or unsupported, rather than merely awarding a reassuring score.
According to iatroX's September 2026 launch information, its PACES track includes interactive practice and transcript-linked feedback with Tutor follow-up. Evaluate those features against your learning goal. They do not establish that the system can assess physical signs you have not actually elicited.
A useful next step after feedback is to produce a shorter, better-prioritised explanation using a changed case. Merely memorising the corrected wording of one presentation can create familiarity without improving flexibility.
Spend according to the scarce resource
For some candidates, the scarce resource is access to suitable patients and supervision. For others, it is time to rehearse presentations between clinical sessions. The best purchase should address that scarcity.
Do not calculate value by adding together hypothetical prices for every feature in a platform. Count the activities you will actually use. A specialist video package can be worthwhile even when another subscription contains more functions, and a broader learning package can be worthwhile when those functions serve the same PACES goal.
The verdict
Choose Pastest when its video and patient-case teaching fills the gap. Prioritise bedside teaching when physical examination is the weakness. Consider iatroX when repeated presentation, reasoning and communication rehearsal are useful between supervised sessions. The strongest plan assigns each resource a distinct role rather than declaring one platform the universal winner.
The iatroX purchase in context
The September 2026 simulation release includes MRCP PACES, with voice and text interaction, coached and uninterrupted modes, and transcript-linked feedback. Tutor-led follow-up is part of the published design, not an independently validated prediction of examination performance.
The introductory offer is one complete simulation across the platform, not a separate free attempt for every examination. Inspect the debrief as well as the conversation; practical skills still require suitable supervised work.
The UK price published on 19 September 2026 is £99 paid upfront annually, equivalent to £8.25 a month billed annually, or £29 monthly. Paid question banks, Socratic Tutor, the study planner, simulations and CPD tools are included together, not sold as separate simulation or CPD add-ons.
Frequently asked questions
Can AI PACES practice replace examining patients?
No. It can support discussion and communication rehearsal, but physical examination requires appropriate supervised practice.
Are Pastest online PACES access and an in-person course the same purchase?
Do not assume so. Check the entitlement attached to the specific product or course.
What should I practise after a weak presentation?
Identify the specific problem, such as prioritisation or unsupported interpretation, and test a correction in a different case.