The RCGP Consultation Toolkit is the best free SCA resource available. It was originally produced by the NW England Deanery GP School and has been updated for the SCA format. It is free. It is authoritative. It breaks down exactly what examiners are looking for across all three SCA marking domains. And most trainees either do not know it exists or dismiss it because it comes as a PDF document rather than a polished app.
This is a mistake. The Consultation Toolkit should be the first thing every trainee reads before spending money on any SCA preparation tool.
What the Consultation Toolkit Contains
The Toolkit provides a granular breakdown of the three SCA marking domains: Data Gathering, Technical and Assessment Skills; Clinical Management; and Interpersonal Skills (Relating to Others). For each domain, it describes what examiners are specifically looking for — not in vague terms ("communicate well with the patient") but in specific, actionable behaviours ("use an appropriate mix of open and closed questions," "share your clinical reasoning with the patient," "check understanding before closing").
The level of detail is what makes it valuable — it translates the RCGP marking criteria from institutional language into practical consulting behaviours. It tells you what "clear pass" looks like in each domain, what "needs further development" looks like, and what specific behaviours produce each grade.
SCA Revision's own marking page references the Consultation Toolkit — an implicit endorsement from a commercial competitor that underlines the Toolkit's authority. When a paid SCA platform directs users to a free resource, that resource is genuinely essential.
Strengths
Authority and specificity. The Toolkit is produced by RCGP-affiliated educators — the people who train examiners and define the marking criteria. The specificity of the behavioural descriptors is unmatched by any commercial SCA resource. It is free. It requires no subscription, no account, no app download.
For trainees who read it carefully, the Toolkit provides the marking framework that informs every SCA consultation — knowing exactly what examiners reward allows you to structure your consultations deliberately rather than hoping your natural consulting style is sufficient.
Limitations
It is a document — not interactive. It does not provide case practice, AI simulation, or structured feedback. Reading the Toolkit tells you what to do; practising with SCA Revision, MedTutor AI, or Clinitalk teaches you how to do it. The Toolkit is the theory; practice tools provide the application.
The document format means some trainees dismiss it as "just another PDF" without engaging with the content. This is unfortunate — the content is genuinely more useful for SCA preparation than many paid resources.
How to Use the Consultation Toolkit
Read it once, carefully, before starting any SCA practice. Highlight the specific behaviours described for each domain. During every subsequent SCA practice session (whether with a study partner, AI simulator, or written case), consciously apply the behaviours the Toolkit describes. After each practice consultation, review your performance against the Toolkit's criteria — not just "did I get the management right?" but "did I demonstrate the specific data-gathering behaviours the Toolkit describes?"
The Toolkit becomes your internal marking framework — the lens through which you evaluate every consultation practice session.
Where iatroX Fits
The Consultation Toolkit tells you what examiners want. iatroX ensures you have the clinical knowledge to deliver it. Start with the Toolkit for the SCA framework. Use iatroX adaptive quiz to consolidate the guideline-grounded management plans your consultations need. Use Ask iatroX to verify specific NICE pathways before practising them in simulation. Then practise delivery with Clinitalk, MedTutor AI, or SCA Revision. The Toolkit provides the framework. iatroX provides the knowledge. SCA tools provide the practice.