Exams and MRCGP

Applied Knowledge Test

The AKT is sat by trainees during or after their ST2 year. Trainees are allowed up to a maximum of four attempts. 

Trainees are entitled to one fully-funded place on a course. If trainees do not succeed in their AKT attempt, they can seek funding for an additional preparation course. Applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Click on the icon to view further exam information, including:

  • Preparation resources
  • Statistics
  • Data interpretation
  • Practice questions

Supporting trainees with an unsuccessful AKT outcome

The following resources have been kindly shared by the Exeter educators conference:

Collaborative Discussion Document

Used to guide a meeting with the DiT to support them following an unsuccessful outcome.

Pre-meet Trainee Questionnaire

Completed ahead of the collaborative discussion. Kindly shared by Somerset VTS.

Top Tips

Suggested tasks aimed at supporting trainees in their preparation for an AKT attempt.

Simulated Consultation Assessment

The SCA has replaced the Recorded Consultation Assessment (RCA) as the final professional exam required to achieve MRCGP. It can only be sat during the ST3 year and is usually conducted remotely at the trainees’ host GP practice.

The assessment simulates twelve consultations, each 12 minutes long. Each trainee will be assessed according to a blueprint of the twelve clinical experience groups. Click on the icon for more information.

Click on the icon for information for trainers and trainees on the SCA including relevant dates, bookings information, and Q&A webinars.

Preparation

See the Bristol GP trainee SCA revision guide.

If trainees are unsuccessful in their first SCA attempt then funding for a further one-day SCA preparation course will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Support for Performance and Exams Programme

The SPEX programme is an highly successful, evidence-based intervention to help Doctors in Training (DiTs) improve communication skills, learn to “Consult like a GP”, and provide revision support for AKT and RCA/SCA exams based on the award-winning HEE North West Support on Extension Programme.

The South West SPEX programme is a course delivered online during the general practice stages of training to improve exam success rates. The SCA and AKT exams comprise the MRCGP which all GP DiTs will need to pass prior to CCT.

It is comprised of SPEX 1 and SPEX 2, and both are offered by invitation.

SPEX 1

SPEX 2