The Q-bank you choose for UKMLA AKT preparation shapes both the quality and efficiency of your study. The market has fragmented — some platforms were built for the MLA from the ground up, others adapted existing question pools, and others serve broader audiences with partial UKMLA relevance. Understanding which category each falls into matters more than feature-by-feature comparison.
Quesmed
Quesmed was built with the MLA content map as a core curriculum reference. It combines Q-bank questions, doctor-written revision notes, video content, and OSCE mark schemes in an all-in-one platform covering UKMLA, PLAB, PSA, and OSCE preparation.
Strengths: Strong MLA alignment from the ground up. Integrated notes and questions — study a topic and test yourself in one workflow. Video content for visual learners. OSCE preparation included. Modern, clean interface.
Considerations: Question pool is growing but smaller than legacy platforms like Pastest. Premium pricing reflects the all-in-one approach.
Pricing: Approximately £60-100 for 6-12 months. Medical school group discounts often available.
Best for: UK medical students wanting a single, MLA-native platform covering AKT, OSCE, and PSA.
Pastest
Pastest is one of the longest-established UK medical exam platforms with a reputation for expert-written questions and exceptionally detailed explanations. The UKMLA/finals content draws on decades of question-writing expertise.
Strengths: Outstanding explanation quality — Pastest explanations teach clinical reasoning, not just correct answers. Large question pool with extensive clinical coverage. Strong reputation among medical educators and programme directors.
Considerations: Interface feels more traditional than newer competitors. May have questions from the pre-MLA era that have not been fully updated to the longer vignette style, alongside updated MLA-aligned content.
Pricing: Approximately £50-100 for 3-6 months.
Best for: Candidates who prioritise explanation depth and want to learn the reasoning behind every answer.
Geeky Medics
Geeky Medics provides free and paid content including clinical examination guides, OSCE resources, revision notes, and a Q-bank. It is widely used by UK medical students for OSCE preparation and clinical skills.
Strengths: Strong OSCE and clinical examination content — the best free clinical skills resource available. Revision notes covering the MLA curriculum. Growing Q-bank.
Considerations: The Q-bank is less mature than Pastest or Quesmed for SBA-style AKT preparation. The platform's core strength is clinical skills and OSCE, not written exam questions.
Pricing: Free content plus paid Q-bank subscription (approximately £20-40).
Best for: UK students who need OSCE/CPSA preparation alongside AKT. Supplementary to a primary AKT Q-bank rather than a sole resource.
UWorld
UWorld is the gold standard for USMLE preparation with over 4,000 clinical vignette questions and detailed explanations. It is not specifically designed for the UKMLA, but the clinical knowledge overlap is substantial — particularly in medicine, surgery, and clinical reasoning.
Strengths: Exceptionally high-quality clinical vignettes and explanations. Develops the clinical reasoning that MLA-style questions demand. Large question pool. Excellent performance analytics.
Considerations: US-centric content — drug names, guidelines, and management pathways follow US practice rather than NICE. Expensive. Not mapped to the MLA content map specifically.
Pricing: Approximately $300-400 (£240-320) for 3-12 months.
Best for: Candidates who are also preparing for USMLE or who want the most rigorous clinical reasoning practice available, supplemented with UK-specific guideline knowledge.
iatroX Q-Bank
iatroX is free, MLA-mapped, and uses AI-driven adaptive spaced repetition. Every explanation is grounded in NICE, CKS, SIGN, and BNF with citation links. The platform integrates clinical reference (Ask iatroX), clinical reasoning (Brainstorm), and guideline browsing (Knowledge Centre) alongside the Q-bank.
Strengths: The strongest adaptive algorithm in this comparison — automatically targets your weakest areas using spaced repetition. Guideline-grounded explanations with citations to the specific NICE recommendation. Integrated clinical reference for instant verification. Free. Available on web, iOS, and Android. UKCA-marked and MHRA-registered.
Considerations: Growing question pool — best used as a complement to a larger paid Q-bank for exam-volume practice.
Pricing: Completely free. No subscription, no trial, no paywall.
Best for: Every UKMLA candidate — as a free adaptive layer alongside their primary paid Q-bank. The spaced repetition targets weaknesses that fixed-order Q-banks miss. The guideline-grounded explanations ensure every wrong answer becomes a learning opportunity tied to the authoritative UK source.
The Optimal Combination
Primary Q-bank (paid): Quesmed (MLA-native, all-in-one) or Pastest (explanation depth). Choose one.
Adaptive layer (free): iatroX Q-Bank. Daily practice alongside your primary bank. The algorithm handles weakness targeting automatically.
Clinical reference (free): Ask iatroX. Verify every wrong answer against the UK guideline.
OSCE preparation: Geeky Medics (free clinical examination content) plus Quesmed (OSCE mark schemes).
Clinical reasoning (if using UWorld): Supplement with Ask iatroX to translate US-centric UWorld explanations into UK-guideline-aligned practice.