10 Things That Gain Marks in the MRCGP AKT Exam
The MRCGP AKT, or Applied Knowledge Test, is sometimes underestimated during GP training. It is often described as the more straightforward exam, yet many trainees find it more demanding than expected. The challenge lies not just in knowledge, but in applying it accurately under time pressure.
The AKT rewards preparation that is structured and deliberate. Broad reading alone is rarely enough. Neither is last minute question practice. Good outcomes come from early planning, focused revision and smart use of time. This is especially important for GPST1 and GPST2 trainees who are balancing busy rotations alongside exam preparation.
Having sat the AKT myself, I clearly remember the areas I found difficult and the approaches that helped me most. Over time, working with trainees, I have also seen the same patterns repeat. Strong candidates tend to prepare in similar ways. Those who struggle often make the same avoidable mistakes.
This guide shares ten practical tips that are often overlooked. They cover both preparation and exam technique, and are designed to help you build a clear plan rather than react late. Many of these principles form the basis of how we structure AKT teaching and resources, because they reflect what actually works in practice. For full details about the exam see our main AKT Blog: What is the AKT and how to prepare.
– Join National AKT WhatsApp Teaching Group here
– Get AKT Updates and Teaching Emails here
– Register for next Free AKT Webinar here
– Pass with AKT Ultimate Package here
1) It Is In The Name
The AKT is not just a test of knowledge. It is a test of applied knowledge. This distinction matters more than many trainees realise.
Knowing facts is only the starting point. The exam tests how you use that knowledge in real GP situations. Clinical decisions. Evidence based judgement. Day to day management problems. Many questions are written so that more than one option looks reasonable at first glance.
This is why the AKT often feels uncomfortable. You are not being asked to recall isolated facts. You are being asked to place yourself in the situation and decide what a safe, sensible GP would do next.
Trainees who struggle often approach the AKT as a memory exercise. They try to cram guidelines and lists. Trainees who do well change their mindset. They read questions slowly. They think about context. They ask themselves what is most appropriate in this scenario, not what is technically true.
What you can do in practice:
– When answering questions, ask “What would I actually do in GP practice?”
– Read stems carefully and look for context such as age, setting and risk
– Accept that more than one answer may seem possible, then choose the best fit
– Focus revision on understanding decisions, not memorising lists
Once you adjust your mindset, AKT preparation becomes more focused and more efficient. You stop trying to learn everything and start learning how to apply what you already know.
2) Use the Two Resources Many Trainees Miss
There are two RCGP resources that should shape your AKT preparation, yet many trainees either overlook them or use them too late.
The first is the RCGP curriculum. This document tells you what the AKT can assess. It shows the breadth of knowledge expected and the areas you should prioritise. Using it early helps you avoid revising blindly. When trainees feel overwhelmed, it is often because they have not anchored their revision to the curriculum. All of our AKT teaching is based on this document.
The second is the RCGP AKT feedback reports. After each exam, the College publishes reports highlighting where candidates struggled. These reports are valuable. They show recurring weak areas and themes that often reappear. While questions change, patterns do not.
Using these resources shifts your preparation from guesswork to direction. You are revising with insight from the organisation that sets the exam.
What you can do in practice:
– Download the RCGP curriculum and use it as a revision checklist
– Review recent AKT feedback reports before you plan your timetable
– Highlight areas that appear repeatedly across reports
– Make sure these topics are revised early and revisited often
When trainees use these two resources properly, their preparation becomes more focused and efficient. It also reduces anxiety because you know what you are working towards rather than revising at random.
3) Address Your Weaknesses Early
Most trainees revise what they enjoy first. If cardiology feels comfortable, it is easy to spend hours there. This feels productive, but it often avoids the areas that cost the most marks.
Strong AKT preparation means doing the opposite. Identify the topics you struggle with and face them early. Choose three areas you actively dislike or feel unsure about. For many trainees this includes statistics, genetics or urology. These topics tend to be postponed until the end, which leads to rushed revision and unnecessary stress.
Tackling weaker areas early has two benefits. First, it reduces anxiety because the hardest topics are no longer hanging over you. Second, it gives you time to revisit them later, which improves retention and confidence.
What you can do in practice:
– Write down three topics you find most difficult
– Schedule these early in your revision plan
– Break them into small sections rather than long sessions
– Revisit them briefly every few weeks
When revision resources are organised into clear chapters, this process becomes easier. You can target specific problem areas without feeling overwhelmed and build confidence steadily rather than relying on last minute cramming.
Addressing weaknesses early is one of the most reliable ways to improve AKT performance and reduce exam stress.
4) Set Clear Targets
Revision without targets rarely works. Many trainees rely heavily on question banks without a clear plan for covering the curriculum. This often feels busy but leads to gaps that only become obvious late in preparation.
Targets give your revision direction. They help you see progress and recognise what still needs work. Without them, it is easy to drift between topics and mistake activity for learning.
Your targets do not need to be complicated. They need to be specific and time based. Decide what you will cover each week and commit to it. If you fall behind during the week, catch up at the end. The key is completion, not perfection.
What you can do in practice:
– Break the curriculum into weekly blocks
– Decide which topics must be covered each week
– Review progress at the end of every week
– Adjust timing if needed, but do not abandon the plan
A simple structure prevents last minute panic and helps you finish the syllabus with confidence. Using one of our free AKT planners can make this easier by turning a large task into manageable steps and keeping your preparation on track.
5) Do Not Follow the Crowd Blindly
It is common for trainees to copy what others are doing. Some rely only on question banks. Others focus almost entirely on reading guidelines. Both approaches feel safe because they are familiar, but neither works well on its own.
Question banks are important. They help with pacing, pattern recognition and exam style. But questions alone do not always build understanding. Reading guidelines without applying them can feel thorough but does not prepare you for how the AKT frames decisions.
What matters is not doing what everyone else is doing, but understanding why you are using each resource. Different formats develop different skills. Used properly, they complement each other rather than compete.
What you can do in practice:
– Use questions to test decision making and exam technique
– Use structured learning to fill gaps identified by questions
– Avoid jumping between resources without a clear reason
– Focus on depth and understanding rather than volume
The strongest preparation is not noisy or chaotic. It is deliberate. When your resources are organised and aligned with the curriculum, you spend less time reacting and more time progressing.
To read about Dr Irbaz Khan scored over 90% in his AKT exam, read here: How I scored over 90% in my AKT Exam.
6) Make Time Pressure Work for You
Most revision happens in comfortable conditions. You pause when you want. You check answers slowly. You take breaks when it suits you. The AKT does not work like that.
Time pressure changes how you think. It forces prioritisation. It exposes hesitation. It shows where your decision making slows down. These are exactly the skills the AKT tests.
If you only revise without time limits, exam day will feel unfamiliar. Many trainees know the content but struggle because they are not used to making decisions quickly and moving on.
Time pressure is not something to fear. It is something to practise with early.
What you can do in practice:
– Set short timed blocks for questions, such as 30 minutes for a fixed number
– Give yourself one hour to revise a defined topic without stopping
– Schedule full length mock exams under exam conditions
– Review not just what you got wrong, but where you ran out of time
As a GP, you already make decisions under pressure every day. The AKT reflects this reality. When you practise with time limits, the exam feels more familiar and far more manageable.
7) Small Words Have a Big Impact
The AKT is full of familiar topics. Because of this, many trainees rely on pattern recognition and answer questions quickly. Sometimes that works. Often it does not.
Small words in the question stem can completely change the correct answer. Words such as usually, most common, first line, best next step or least likely are easy to skim past. When that happens, you may choose an answer that is broadly true but wrong for this specific question.
A common trap is word matching. You see a keyword and your brain jumps to a diagnosis or management option before fully reading the stem. The question may look straightforward, but one or two small words shift the context.
What you can do in practice:
– Slow down when reading stems, especially for familiar topics
– Underline or mentally highlight qualifying words
– Ask yourself what the question is really asking before looking at the options
– Be cautious when an answer feels obvious too quickly
In the AKT, marks are often gained or lost on fine detail. Paying attention to small words helps you avoid easy errors and improves accuracy without learning anything new. This is one example of AKT technique that we teach in our complete AKT programme.
8) Turn Words into Pictures
Long question stems can be difficult to process. By the time you reach the final line, it is easy to forget key details from the start. This is where visualisation helps.
Instead of reading the stem as a block of text, build a picture in your mind. Imagine the patient in front of you. Add details step by step as you read. Age. Sex. How they look. How they move. Any visible signs. This mirrors how you assess patients in real GP practice.
Visualising the scenario helps you hold onto details and spot information that might otherwise be missed. It also reduces the urge to skim, which is a common cause of mistakes.
What you can do in practice:
– Read the stem slowly and pause after each line
– Picture the patient as each new detail is added
– Ask yourself what stands out visually or clinically
– Avoid jumping to answers before the picture is complete
Using imagery helps anchor information in your mind. It improves understanding and reduces careless errors, especially in longer AKT questions.
9) Do Not Prepare in Isolation
AKT preparation can feel lonely. Many trainees revise after long workdays, alone, tired and frustrated. Over time this can affect motivation and confidence.
Studying with others helps more than people expect. It reminds you that the struggle is shared. It also exposes gaps you may not notice on your own. Explaining a topic to someone else often reveals how well you actually understand it.
You do not need large groups or long sessions. Regular, focused contact is enough to make a difference.
What you can do in practice:
– Meet with one or two colleagues once a week
– Use sessions to review difficult topics rather than everything
– Take turns teaching short sections
– Test each other with questions and explain reasoning
– Use virtual meetings if meeting in person is difficult
Preparing together adds structure and accountability. It also reduces isolation, which is a common but rarely discussed part of AKT revision. Strong preparation is rarely completely solo.
Share this with someone who you are preparing with!
10) Expect To Pass
Many trainees say the same things during AKT preparation. “I do not know enough.” “I will never cover all of this.” These thoughts are common, but they quietly make preparation harder.
Believing you will pass does not replace work. But believing you will fail undermines it. When you constantly tell yourself that the task is impossible, motivation drops, focus slips and revision becomes less effective.
Confidence in the AKT does not come from blind optimism. It comes from recognising that you already manage complex decisions every day in GP training. You are not starting from zero. The exam is testing knowledge you are already building in practice.
Preparation works best when belief and effort move in the same direction.
What you can do in practice:
– Replace negative statements with neutral ones, such as “I am covering this step by step”
– Keep a short list of topics you have already improved on
– Remind yourself regularly that no one knows everything going into the exam
– Focus on progress, not total coverage
The AKT is challenging, but it is designed for doctors at your stage of training. When preparation is steady and belief is realistic, performance follows. Expect to pass and allow your work to show it.
How Arora Medical Education Can Support You
Clear Teaching Built for Busy Trainees
If you want a guided path, our AKT resources help you build confidence at each step. Everything is created by senior UK doctors with experience in the exam and in teaching.
You can choose:
– AKT Ultimate – a full AKT preparation system with question banks, videos, audios, live teaching, flashcards and mock exams.
– A live AKT teaching programme held over a few months before each sitting.
– Individual resources such as audios, videos, question banks or mocks.
Each option follows a clear plan that helps you stay organised and focused. Explore these more here.
Also:
– Join National AKT WhatsApp Teaching Group here
– Get AKT Updates and Teaching Emails here.
– Register for next Free AKT Webinar here.
A Final Note
AKT preparation does need to be taken seriously. It is not about doing thousands of questions without direction. What matters is understanding what the exam is assessing and preparing in an organised way. When revision is structured, it becomes more effective and far less draining.
Most trainees do pass the AKT. You will pass the AKT too. It takes planning, consistency and a balanced approach. Starting early, revising efficiently and avoiding reliance on a single method all make a real difference.
If you approach preparation step by step, use your time wisely and focus on applying knowledge rather than memorising lists, you give yourself the best chance of doing well.
If you need guidance along the way, support is available. You do not have to work this out on your own.
Good luck with your preparation.
Aman
#CanPassWillPass
Author Bio - Dr Aman Arora
Hi! I’m Dr. Aman Arora, a Portfolio GP with over a decade of clinical and teaching experience, dedicated to helping doctors achieve their goals with confidence. Having had the privilege of supporting more than 50,000 doctors worldwide across exams such as MRCGP AKT, SCA, MSRA, PLAB 2 and PLAB 1, I understand the challenges you face and the strategies needed to overcome them. Through personalised face-to-face sessions, engaging online courses, mocks, audio and a vibrant social media community, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
Whether you’re looking to pass crucial exams or take the next big step in your medical career, we’re here to help you succeed. Feel free to get in touch with any thoughts, questions, or ideas — I look forward to working with you and being part of your journey.
Author Bio - Dr Pooja Arora
Dr Pooja Arora is a GP with a background in Medical Politics, where she passionately focuses on improving the opportunities and working conditions for junior doctors. She is proud to hold FRCGP (Fellow of Royal College of General Practitioners).
You can find out more about Pooja’s previous roles and qualifications here.
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