Choosing an SCE question bank starts with a surprisingly important check: does the provider sell preparation for your actual examination? A familiar MRCP platform may offer no dedicated bank for your specialty, and a resource described as “cardiology SCE” may mean the European Exam in Core Cardiology, with a different format and registration route.
This guide covers the 12 specialty pathways in iatroX's current catalogue. It is published by iatroX and lists our platform first. Provider coverage and official examination information were checked on 31 October 2026; the comparison focuses on what each purchase helps you do.
iatroX: specialty questions, Tutor and a continuing learning workflow
iatroX's exam directory includes all 12 pathways in the table below. An all-access subscription includes every paid question bank, Socratic Tutor, study planning and CPD tools. For a specialty trainee, the useful combination is practice in the relevant bank followed by discussion of a difficult distinction, then a specific next learning task.
For example, after an endocrine investigation question, ask Tutor which assumption led you towards the wrong answer. After an acute-medicine question, explain why you chose one investigation before another. Keep the question's clinical details in view: a useful follow-up addresses your actual decision rather than generating a broad chapter on the disease. Tutor starts from a question you have attempted.
Up to 10 new sample questions per day, shared across exams and subject to availability, with explanations and no account required.
Full specialty banks and continued Tutor use require all-access. £29/month or £99/year in the UK; US$29/month or US$99/year elsewhere Compare the sample explanation with the type of uncertainty you need to resolve before deciding whether the integrated workflow suits you.
The 12 pathways and current provider coverage
The Federation's specialty directory includes nine examinations retaining the SCE name, alongside the combined gastroenterology and nephrology examinations. EECC is organised through a separate European cardiology partnership. The 12 entries below describe iatroX's specialty family, rather than 12 identically administered Federation SCEs.
| Examination pathway | iatroX bank | StudyPRN bank | BMJ SCE collection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute Medicine SCE | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Dermatology SCE | Listed | Listed | Not listed |
| Endocrinology and Diabetes SCE | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Geriatric Medicine SCE | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Medical Oncology SCE | Listed | Listed | Not listed |
| Neurology SCE | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Palliative Medicine SCE | Listed | Listed | Not listed |
| Respiratory Medicine SCE | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Rheumatology SCE | Listed | Listed | Not listed |
| European Exam in Core Cardiology — EECC | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| European Specialty Examination in Gastroenterology and Hepatology — ESEGH | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| European Specialty Examination in Nephrology — ESENeph | Listed | Listed | Listed |
The provider columns use StudyPRN's examination catalogue and BMJ OnExamination's SCE collection. “Not listed” refers to that current BMJ collection; an old comparison article should not be used as evidence that a product is on sale today.
StudyPRN: an individual specialty resource
StudyPRN offers dedicated resources across this whole group. Its product pages identify editors and authors, describe topic coverage and provide sample-question routes. This makes it a relevant alternative when you want a defined specialty purchase and are comfortable organising the wider revision plan yourself.
Inspect the bank and mock together. For example, the Acute Medicine resource describes 100 questions assigned to a three-hour mock within its advertised total. That is a meaningful practice component, but it is one paper's length rather than the complete two-paper SCE day. Read the chosen specialty's own description instead of assuming every package has identical arrangements.
Subscription duration matters as much as the headline price. Choose the relevant term on the product page, establish when access ends, and allow time to review explanations after your final practice session. A bank that expires before you can revisit its difficult questions may be an awkward fit even if its initial price looks attractive.
BMJ OnExamination: eight currently listed specialty products
BMJ's collection covers eight of these pathways. Its published workflow includes question selection, revisiting difficult items, mock-test features and an app with offline access. A trainee whose revision depends on unreliable connectivity may reasonably give that last feature considerable weight.
BMJ's ESEGH product is a separately listed gastroenterology and hepatology resource. Inspect the current package and its duration before comparing costs. Check which question-review and practice features are included in the access you would receive, particularly if you are using a code supplied through an institution.
For other specialties, confirm the product and duration directly. Institutional arrangements can change your personal cost, but an organisation's BMJ journal or clinical-reference subscription does not by itself establish access to the exam bank you need.
What PassMedicine and Pastest contribute
PassMedicine's homepage includes “DGM and SCE in geriatric medicine” under other examinations. Its accompanying referral information says PassMedicine does not offer a geriatric-medicine resource and recommends PassGeriMed. The menu label should therefore not be counted as a PassMedicine-owned SCE bank.
Pastest's current examination catalogue includes several membership and licensing examinations, but we did not identify a dedicated SCE product in that catalogue. Its MRCP questions may help someone rebuilding general medical foundations; that is a different purchase from specialist examination coverage. Look for the exact product rather than assuming that a familiar MRCP provider also sells your SCE.
Match the bank to the assessment task
The Federation describes its SCE format as two three-hour papers of 100 best-of-five questions. EECC instead has 120 questions over three hours. A single generic “SCE mock” claim cannot establish a match to both.
The content test also differs by specialty. In dermatology, inspect whether image explanations connect morphology to the decision being asked. In nephrology, check how a rationale combines the urine findings, biochemical data and clinical course. In oncology, look for references that let you establish which treatment context an explanation addresses. Total bank size alone does not answer these questions.
For overseas candidates, local familiarity is another consideration. The Federation specifically highlights UK national guidance and, for certain specialties, UK driving rules. A broad international reference can support understanding while leaving those jurisdiction-specific details to be checked separately.
Build a resource plan with three jobs
When you follow a reference, inspect its population, setting and publication or update date. An explanation can cite a recognised organisation while applying guidance intended for a different clinical group. Record the particular recommendation or investigation principle you needed to check, then return to the question and explain how that source changes your reasoning. This makes reference reading purposeful rather than an expanding list of tabs to revisit later.
Give the official blueprint the job of defining coverage. Give the question bank the job of exposing and explaining gaps. Give specialist reference material the job of resolving the particular topic that remains unclear. This keeps a new subscription from becoming a substitute for a study decision.
A respiratory trainee, for instance, might use the bank to identify a recurring lung-function interpretation error, work through that error with a clear rationale or Tutor, and then consult focused teaching before attempting another unfamiliar case. The practical outcome is a better explanation of the finding and its implications, rather than a longer list of completed questions.
If the learning is relevant to ongoing practice, iatroX CPD can turn a targeted question session and your reviewed reflection into an exportable learning record. Record the distinction learned and your intended next action; completing a revision bank and documenting professional learning serve related but different purposes.
Frequently asked questions
Does every SCE provider cover all 12 pathways?
No. iatroX and StudyPRN currently list all 12 in this guide; BMJ's SCE collection lists eight. Check the exact specialty product before purchasing.
Are EECC, ESEGH and ESENeph simply old SCEs with new labels?
Use their current examination names and official guidance. They have their own partnerships and arrangements; EECC also has a different question count and duration from the Federation SCE format.
Should I buy a second question bank?
A second bank is most useful when it supplies relevant unfamiliar practice or clearer teaching in a specific weak area. Establish that need before taking on another full revision target.
Choose your specialty and inspect a question
Open the iatroX exam directory, select your specialty and try an available sample. Review the explanation, then decide whether questions, Tutor and a focused learning record address the work you need to do.