Boost Your MRCGP AKT Pass With Arora

When preparing for AKT,  there are two main chosen approaches – question-bank based and ‘formal revision’ based. 

Relying on one alone leave can leave you a little short. No question bank can cover every aspect of the AKT, whilst purely reading books and guidelines means you won’t gain any experience of dealing with questions you may face in the exam.

 If planned well, both should be used hand-in-hand as both have advantages in terms of improving retention and performance.

A few key references to familiarise with and keep referring to throughout preparation:

– RCGP Curriculum.

– NICE CKS guidelines.

– BNF and BNF for children.

– RCGP InnovAiT journals.

– Oxford Handbook of General Practice.

The RCGP curriculum should be used as a guide to your preparation. The RCGP have outlined which areas will be tested in the AKT – not going through this will lead to surprises on the day. It is a long document but if you plan things well it will ensure you cover everything.

Review past RCGP AKT feedback reports. After every AKT exam the RCGP produces a report including which areas candidates struggled with. It is important that you go through these for at least 3-4 times before your own exam as it is likely that these areas will be re-tested. Make sure you plan to cover these areas well before your exam date.

Make a timeline. Planning is vital given the huge amount of material to cover for AKT. Work out how long you have between now and your exam, and break down your revision accordingly. Which topics to have covered by when, how many questions to complete per week? etc. Lack of this may lead to haphazard preparation and an overwhelmed feeling.e are three things to before you start your AKT revision. Our AKT revision planners are designed to help you plan out your revision and can be found here: https://aroramedicaleducation.co.uk/free-downloads/

When searching for the best AKT question bank for revision, the best advice is to try to find something which offers as much variety as possible. 

 Often people rely on one bank and get very used to a certain style of question-writing – doing the same style of question 3-4000 times is bound to trigger your brain to think in a certain way and it can be very confusing when another style is suddenly encountered in the exam. Whether you have two question banks, or whether you simply hire a few AKT question books from the library, try at least two sources. You can try our sample mock questions here: https://aroramedicaleducation.co.uk/exam/akt-sample/

It is a computer-based test that lasts 3 hours and 10 minutes. It consists of 200 questions giving you an average time of 57 seconds to answer each question. There is a timer visible on screen.

The the MRCGP AKT questions follow a set format, outlined below:

– 80% of questions are on clinical medicine

– 10% of questions are on health informatics and administrative issues

– 10% of questions are on critical appraisal and evidence-based practice (statistics)

Questions can come in several types – the main being:

– Single best answer (SBA): choose only one answer eg. 1 from 5.

– Extended match questions (EMQ): longer list of answers, 2 or 3 scenarios, choose only one answer.

– Free text answer: need to type an answer in the textbox.

An online calculator is available to use if needed.

The pass mark varies from exam to exam but tends to range from a percentage between high 60’s and early 70’s. There is no negative marking, so ensure you attempt every question.

You are able to take the AKT during or after the ST2 stage of your GP training. A maximum of four attempts is allowed, which means if you fail your AKT on your first sitting you can try to pass it 3 more times (provided you entered GP Speciality Training on or after August 1st 2010).

Yes, you can use a calculator in an AKT test, including an online calculator.

The failure rate of the AKT exam is relatively high, due to the fact it is a challenging exam. This means approximately 1 in 4 candidates failing each exam pool, which puts the AKT pass rate at between 67.7% and 73%

The current exam fee is £450 (providing you are registered as an RCGP AiT after July 2015).

Exam booking occurs through the RCGP website – application periods usually open 7-8 weeks before the exam and remain open for 5-6 days.

Once you have booked and paid, you then select your preferred test centre.

The key UK AKT exam dates are as follows:

Upcoming Sitting:

Application: 31st August 2022 – 2nd September 2022

Exam Date: 26th October 2022

Results: 24th November 2022

Future Exam Dates:

25th January 2023

26th April 2023

You can take the AKT exam from ST2 onwards. 

Many people are taking the AKT earlier and earlier and choosing to attempt it at the first opportunity in ST2. Although it can be a relief to get your AKT passed as soon as possible, choosing to take an AKT MRCGP test too soon can result in the following issues:

– The job the person is in doesn’t allow for effective preparation due to shift patterns/fatigue. This is often the case if someone wants to sit their AKT during a placement like in AMU, A&E.

– The person’s lack of GP experience hinders how they can apply their knowledge in scenario-based situations

– They try to rush into the exam and therefore do not give themselves a long enough time to prepare for it

– People choose to rely only on one type of revision resource to save time and money (e.g just flashcards) which limits how much information they can retain and apply to the exam

–People taking their first attempt as a ‘feeler’ attempt can often result in them not being prepared enough

There is no right or wrong time to take your AKT, and opting to take it in ST2 or ST3 year both have their benefits. 

GP placement experience can make a difference as many questions require you to think in a ‘GP mindset’ – several answers may feasibly be correct, but the most likely one from a GP perspective may be the correct one.