Up to 30 days per year. Most GP trainees use fewer than 20. The unused days represent lost preparation time that could make the difference between passing and failing an exam, or between a stressful ARCP and a smooth one.
Entitlement
Up to 30 days study leave per year, pro-rata for LTFT trainees. The SCA exam day is normally granted as additional study leave (not deducted from your 30 days). Some deaneries interpret the allowance slightly differently — check your local policy.
What Counts as Study Leave
Exam preparation courses (Emedica, Arora, RCGP courses). Conferences relevant to GP training. Deanery teaching days (often automatically counted). Self-directed study with ES agreement. Mandatory training (safeguarding, BLS). Audit and quality improvement project time.
What Does Not Count
Annual leave. Sick leave. On-call commitments. Bank holidays.
Strategic Use
2-3 days before AKT sitting. Intensive final revision. Use iatroX adaptive quiz data to identify your weakest topics and dedicate protected time to closing gaps.
3-5 days before SCA sitting. Intensive simulation practice — daily MedTutor/SCA Revision sessions, peer practice under exam conditions.
1 day per month for portfolio maintenance. Updating learning logs, scheduling WPBAs, reviewing capability coverage on the training map. This prevents the ARCP-week panic.
Course attendance. Emedica SCA Intensive, Arora AKT course, RCGP SCA preparation courses — all require study leave alongside budget claims.
Common Mistakes
Not taking the full entitlement — days expire at year-end. Using study leave for low-yield activities when exam preparation would be higher-impact. Not booking early enough — some activities require advance approval and popular course dates fill up.
LTFT Considerations
Study leave is pro-rata based on your WTE. A 0.6 WTE trainee gets approximately 18 days. Exam dates are fixed regardless of WTE — plan study leave around them carefully.
Where iatroX Fits
Study leave days are limited — make them count. Use iatroX's adaptive quiz data to identify your weakest topics before a study leave block, then spend protected time on targeted deep-dives rather than unfocused revision.