How to Pass the AKT
The RCGP Applied Knowledge Test is one of the three components of the MRCGP exam. It tests your clinical knowledge, evidence-based practice, and understanding of professional and organisational topics. This guide covers everything you need to know to prepare effectively.
AKT pass strategy
How do I pass the AKT?
Start with a baseline mock, then use the result to choose weak areas instead of revising randomly. Protect statistics and evidence-based practice, prescribing and guideline-based decisions, review every mistake, and practise one-minute per question timing with repeated mocks. Use audio revision in low-energy slots so the syllabus keeps moving even when reading is not realistic.
Best for
- - first-time AKT sitters
- - GP trainees who feel overwhelmed
- - trainees unsure what to prioritise
- - trainees revising while working full time
The exam at a glance
Since October 2025, the AKT has 160 questions in 2 hours 40 minutes. That is one minute per question with no negative marking. The exam is computer-based and sat at a Pearson VUE test centre. See the current AKT exam format for section weighting and marking, then check the current exam dates for booking windows and sitting dates, then build your AKT revision plan around that sitting.
How long should you revise?
Most trainees start 3 to 6 months before the exam. The key is consistency rather than volume. A few focused sessions each week will do more for your retention than a weekend of cramming. If you are working full time (and almost every GP trainee is), plan for 3 to 5 sessions of 15 to 30 minutes per week.
AKT Navigator sessions are 15 to 20 minutes with 10 questions picked for your weak areas. The algorithm handles the planning so you just open the app and start. You can also use the 90+ hours of audio revision during your commute, gym sessions, or any time you are away from a screen.
Study strategy that works
The biggest mistake trainees make is doing thousands of random questions without a strategy. Targeted revision, where you focus on your weak areas, is far more effective. Here is what works:
1. Start with a baseline
Take a full-length mock exam under timed conditions before you start revising. It shows you where you stand and which topics need the most work.
2. Focus on your weak areas
Spend more time on topics you scored lowest on. This sounds obvious, but many trainees default to revising what they already know because it feels productive.
3. Do questions, not just reading
Active recall (answering questions) is more effective than passive reading. Use a question bank as your primary revision tool, with textbooks and guidelines for reference.
4. Do not neglect the non-clinical topics
Evidence-based practice and organisational topics make up 20% of the AKT. Many trainees skip them because they feel less interesting. That is 32 questions on the exam.
5. Practice under timed conditions
The new 160-question format gives you one minute per question. Many trainees report feeling rushed. Regular timed mocks build the speed you need.
6. Review your mistakes properly
When you get a question wrong, read the full explanation. Understand why the correct answer is correct, not just what it is. This is where the real learning happens.
Common mistakes
These are the pitfalls that trip up trainees who know their clinical medicine but still struggle on exam day:
- Running out of time. One minute per question means you cannot deliberate. If you are unsure, make your best guess and move on. There is no negative marking.
- Ignoring drug side effects. A recurring theme in AKT questions. Know the common side effects of SSRIs, statins, ACE inhibitors, and antiepileptics.
- Skipping statistics. Sensitivity, specificity, NNT, and study design questions are free marks if you learn the formulas. Most trainees avoid them.
- Not doing enough mocks. A single mock is not enough. You need repeated practice to build the pacing and stamina the real exam demands. AKT Navigator lets you generate repeatable timed mocks from syllabus-mapped questions.
The 32 AKT topics
The AKT curriculum spans 32 topics. Around 80% of questions are clinical medicine (including life stages such as children, older adults, and end of life), 10% cover evidence-based practice and statistics, and 10% cover organisational and professional topics.
Clinical (22 topics)
Professional (6 topics)
How to know you are ready
Take a full 160-question mock under timed conditions. If you are consistently scoring above 75% and finishing with time to spare, you are in a good position. Pay attention to the debrief: if you are still getting entire topics wrong or showing fatigue patterns, there is more work to do.
AKT Navigator's mock debriefs catch patterns you cannot see yourself, like confidently-wrong topics and time management issues.
Revision resources
Mock exams
Timed mocks from free AKT questions
Audio revision
90+ hours; £79 full audio access
Question bank comparison
How AKT Navigator compares to PassMedicine, Pastest, and others
Exam dates 2026
July and October sittings with booking windows
AKT exam format
160 questions, timing, sections and marking
AKT exam day
Pearson VUE, ID, timing and adjustments
AKT revision plan
12-week, 8-week and 4-week timetables
AKT exam fee
Fee, booking, eligibility and attempts
AKT pass rate
Recent official pass rates and pass marks
AKT results and retakes
Score reports, appeals and next-attempt planning
AKT feedback reports
Latest weak areas from official reports
AKT consulting
Consent, safety-netting and shared decisions
AKT inclusion
Reasonable adjustments and access barriers
AKT leadership
Teams, concerns, complaints and systems
AKT genomics
Family history, testing and cancer risk
AKT statistics
Evidence-based practice and key formulas
AKT evidence
Critical appraisal and risk communication
AKT statistics formulas
NNT, NNH, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV
AKT prescribing
Medication monitoring, errors and safety themes
AKT continuity safety
Continuity, governance and prescribing systems
AKT quality safety
QI, audit and patient-safety systems
AKT confidentiality
Safeguarding, records and data protection
AKT neurology
Gait, headache red flags and seizures
AKT children
Acute illness, cancer red flags and safeguarding
AKT dermatology
Rashes, skin cancer and image-led revision
AKT cardiovascular
AF, hypertension and heart failure
AKT respiratory
Asthma, COPD, inhalers and red flags
AKT diabetes
Diabetes, thyroid tests and sick-day rules
AKT renal
CKD, UTI, haematuria and stones
AKT musculoskeletal
Back pain, arthritis and osteoporosis
AKT gastroenterology
IBS, IBD, coeliac and red flags
AKT ENT
Otitis, hearing loss and vertigo
AKT eyes
Red eye, visual loss and glaucoma
AKT haematology
Anaemia, VTE and anticoagulation
AKT allergy
Anaphylaxis, food and drug allergy
AKT infections
HIV, hepatitis and travel health
AKT minor illness
Sepsis, delayed antibiotics and safety-netting
AKT urgent care
Sepsis, NEWS2 and emergency escalation
AKT substance misuse
Smoking, alcohol and opioid dependence
AKT population health
Screening, immunisation and planetary health
AKT mental health
Depression, suicide risk and SSRI prescribing
AKT women's health
Contraception, HRT and bleeding red flags
AKT maternity
Pregnancy, postnatal care and red flags
AKT sexual health
STIs, HIV testing and safeguarding
AKT older adults
Frailty, falls and dementia
AKT long-term conditions
Cancer red flags and multimorbidity
AKT end of life
Palliative care, DNACPR and capacity
AKT learning disability
Health checks and diagnostic overshadowing
AKT neurodiversity
ADHD, autism and medication monitoring
AKT syllabus
80/10/10 weighting and all 32 RCGP topics
Official sources
This guide is independent of the RCGP. Exam format, preparation guidance, feedback-report context and test-centre logistics are checked against public RCGP and Pearson VUE information.
Content aligned to NICE CKS and the RCGP curriculum. Written by a GP trainee. Last reviewed June 2026.
Keep moving, even on tired days.
Questions, mocks and explanations are free. Your first 2 hours of AKT audio are free. Full 4-month audio access is £79.