MRCGP - Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners

Who needs it?

The Three Components

1. Applied Knowledge Test (AKT)

• A computer-based, multiple-choice exam delivered at Pearson VUE test centres
• Held four times a year (January, April, July, October)
• 200 questions over approximately 3 hours
• Content split:
  • 80% clinical knowledge and medicine
  • 10% evidence-based practice (critical appraisal, research interpretation)
  • 10% primary care organisation and management (ethics, admin, NHS structure)
• Can be sat from ST2 onwards
• All questions focus on UK general practice and higher-order problem solving, not simple fact recall

2. Simulated Consultation Assessment (SCA)

• Replaced the old CSA (Clinical Skills Assessment)
• Assesses your ability to integrate clinical, professional, and communication skills in a consultation setting
• 9 exam diets per year, each running over 3-4 days
• Fee: approximately £1,207 (as of 2026), with staged payments now compulsory from April 2026
• Must be in ST3 (or beyond) with active MRCGP membership to sit it
• Booked via MyRCGP portal
• Results released approximately 5 weeks after each diet

3. Workplace Based Assessment (WPBA)

• An ongoing portfolio of assessments throughout your training
• Includes Clinical Evaluation Exercises (CEX), Case-Based Discussions (CBD), multi-source feedback, and more
• Reviewed regularly by your Educational Supervisor and at Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP)

MRCGP International (MRCGP [INT.])

• Part 1: Written Single Best Answer (SBA) MCQ paper
• Part 2: OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination)

Key Points for 2025-2026

• The AKT format changed from October 2025 - the exam now runs in both morning and afternoon sessions, improving accessibility (especially for candidates needing reasonable adjustments)
• New staged payment system launched for all exam bookings from April 2026
• Bookings now managed through the MyRCGP portal (no longer via FourteenFish)

Tips for Preparation

• AKT: Focus on NICE guidelines, BNF, NHS frameworks, and GP-specific clinical scenarios
• SCA: Practice structured consultations using the Calgary-Cambridge model; focus on patient-centred communication
• WPBA: Keep your portfolio updated consistently throughout training - gaps can block exam bookings

Free MRCGP MCQ / AKT Practice Links

Free MCPS (Membership of College of Physicians & Surgeons Pakistan) MCQ Links

Other Useful Free Resources (Both Exams)

• Passnote.net - GP-focused notes and some free MCQs
• GPnotebook - Free clinical reference (very useful for AKT revision)
• NICE Guidelines - Essential for both MRCGP AKT and MCPS
• BMJ Best Practice - Free with NHS OpenAthens login
• Facebook Study Groups - Search "MRCGP INT MCQ Study Group" for shared question banks

Tip: For MRCGP AKT, the highest-yield paid resource is Passmedicine or OnExamination (BMJ). But the free sites above are a solid starting point. For MCPS, the CPSP official past papers and Scribd documents are the most reliable free sources.