At a Glance
Who is it for?
iatroX:UK trainees who want durable retention, not just on-the-spot clarification
Pastest Tutor Mode:UK trainees & students already inside the Pastest Qbank (AKT, MRCP, UKMLA, etc.)
Why choose iatroX?
- **Socratic-first by default** — Pastest Tutor Mode answers on demand; iatroX asks you first
- **Diagnoses your specific misconception** before teaching, rather than restating the explanation
- **Grounded in the latest guidelines and content underpinning the exam's blueprint** (NICE/CKS/BNF/SIGN for UK exams) plus the exam's own reference — not only the bank's own notes
- **Per-exam calibration** across a wider exam range (UK core + diplomas + international boards)
- **UKCA-marked, MHRA-registered Class I Medical Device**
- Built around retrieval-practice evidence rather than convenience
Why choose Pastest Tutor Mode?
- **Mature, trusted UK Qbank** with large, well-regarded SBA banks across AKT, MRCP and more
- **Explanations are a genuine strength** — they teach reasoning and explain why each distractor is wrong
- **Tutor Mode is frictionless** — opens in a side panel, resets per question, desktop and mobile
- Full mock exams, a searchable textbook, podcasts and rich-media questions
- Long-standing brand recognition among UK trainees
- On-demand hints/instant answers suit a last-minute crunch
Feature Comparison
| Capability | iatroX | Pastest Tutor Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching Model | **Socratic-first** (asks you to reason; answer withheld by default) | **On-demand** clarification / hints / instant answers |
| Grounding | **The guidelines/content behind the exam's blueprint + its own explanation/reference** | Trained on **Pastest's own content** and expert insight |
| Misconception Diagnosis | **Yes** — identifies your specific gap first | Clarifies the question/options you ask about |
| Exam Breadth | **Wide** — UK core, specialist diplomas, SCEs, international boards | Strong across major UK exams (AKT, MRCP, UKMLA) + USMLE |
| Explanation Depth | Concise, source-anchored; depth via guideline citation | **Detailed, reasoning-led explanations** (a core Pastest strength) |
| Governance | **UKCA-marked Class I Medical Device** | N/A (educational Qbank) |
| Price | Pro feature inside the Q-bank (£29/mo or £99/yr); core clinical AI free | Paid subscription (premium feature within it) |
In-Depth Analysis
Overview
This is the closest UK-vs-UK comparison in the set, because both tools live inside a Qbank and help on the question in front of you. The difference is what they optimise for.
Pastest Tutor Mode is an on-demand helper: open the side panel, ask it to clarify the stem or explain an option, and it answers — trained on Pastest's own content, exam-focused, resetting with each question. It is fast and frictionless, and it sits on top of one of the most respected explanation libraries in UK exam prep.
The iatroX Socratic Tutor deliberately resists answering first. On a question you got wrong, it diagnoses your misconception and asks you to reason toward the answer, because that retrieval effort is what builds durable memory. It is grounded in the latest guidelines and content underpinning the specific exam plus its own reference, and it spans a wider exam range.
When To Use Each
- Use Pastest Tutor Mode when: you are already revising in the Pastest Qbank and want instant, in-context clarification — or you are in a last-minute crunch and need answers fast.
- Use the iatroX Socratic Tutor when: you want the items you get wrong to actually stay learned, you want answers anchored to the guidelines behind your exam's blueprint (NICE/CKS/BNF for UK exams), and you want one tutor across UK core exams, diplomas and boards.
In-Depth Comparison: On-Demand vs Question-First
Pastest's model is convenience: it gives you what you ask for, immediately. iatroX's model is pedagogy: it gives you what the evidence says you need — retrieval practice — even though that feels slower. Neither is "wrong"; they serve different moments. The honest framing iatroX takes is that an on-demand explainer feels better and a question-first tutor learns better, and it keeps an override for the legitimate times speed matters.
In-Depth Comparison: What the Tutor Knows
Pastest Tutor Mode is trained on Pastest's own (genuinely strong) explanations. iatroX is grounded in the latest guidelines and content that underpin the exam's blueprint plus the exam's own referenced explanation — so when you ask why, the answer traces to the source material behind the exam (NICE/CKS/BNF/SIGN for UK exams) rather than to a single bank's house notes.
A Fair Note on Explanations
Pastest's written explanations are a real differentiator — they walk through the reasoning and explain why each distractor is wrong, and many trainees use them as a primary learning resource. If explanation depth on the page is what you value most, that is a Pastest strength. iatroX's bet is that how you engage with an explanation (retrieve, then confirm) matters more than its length.
Public information as of 25 May 2026. Trademarks belong to their owners.
Use-Cases
Quick clarification mid-question
When to choose iatroX
- Available, but the default makes you reason first.
When to choose Pastest Tutor Mode
- **Strong.** On-demand panel clarifies the stem/options instantly without leaving the question.
Locking in weak areas for the long term
When to choose iatroX
- **Stronger by design.** Question-first retrieval on the items you miss.
When to choose Pastest Tutor Mode
- Re-reading the (excellent) explanation; retention depends on you doing the recall work.
Verifying against the exam's source guidance
When to choose iatroX
- **Recommended.** Answers anchored to the guidelines behind the exam's blueprint (NICE/CKS/BNF/SIGN for UK exams) + the exam reference.
When to choose Pastest Tutor Mode
- Grounded in Pastest's own notes; not a live guideline lookup.
Night-before-the-exam cramming
When to choose iatroX
- Use the 'just explain it' override for speed.
When to choose Pastest Tutor Mode
- **Strong.** Instant answers and hints are exactly the on-demand model.
FAQs
- How is the iatroX tutor different from Pastest Tutor Mode?
- Pastest Tutor Mode answers on demand — you ask, it clarifies or explains. The iatroX Socratic Tutor withholds the answer by default, diagnoses your specific misconception, and asks you to reason first, because retrieval practice produces more durable recall.
- Is Pastest Tutor Mode grounded in UK guidelines?
- It is trained on Pastest's own content and expert insight. iatroX grounds its answers in the latest guidelines and content that underpin the specific exam's blueprint (NICE/CKS/BNF/SIGN for UK exams) plus the exam's own referenced explanation.
- Can I use both?
- Many trainees do. A common stack: Pastest for its depth of explanations and large bank, with iatroX layered on for question-first retrieval and guideline verification on the items you keep getting wrong.
- Is the iatroX Socratic Tutor free?
- The core iatroX clinical AI is free; the Socratic Tutor is a Pro feature inside the Q-bank (£29/month or £99/year).