How to prepare for AKT (MCQs) Exam of MRCGP UK & MRCGP [Int]

How to prepare for AKT (MCQs) Exam of MRCGP UK & MRCGP [Int]
by
Dr. Faiq Shah - Agile MRCGP Coruses

Below is an easy (!!! just kidding !!!) and a focused way to prepare for AKT (MCQs) exam of MRCGP UK and MRCGP Int. UK. I did this way and many followed it and passed the exam in first attempt. You can amend this study-technique according to your own liking. I am sure and very hopeful that Inshallah you will also find this study technique helpful and will pass the AKT (MCQ) exam of MRCGP UK and MRCGP Int. UK in first attempt.

To pass the AKT exam of MRCGP you need three things;

1. MCQs pool
2. Books
3. And determination to do something which usually nobody wants to do i.e. hard work. So don’t work hard, let’s work smart.

MCQs POOL:

MCQs websites focus on high-yield topics and the topics which are likely to come in the exam. Therefore practicing MCQs from website pools is an effective way to prepare for any MCQs exam.

Most of the doctors who took and passed AKT (MCQs) exam of MRCGP UK or MRCGP Int. UK in first attempt did MCQs from "www.passmedicine.com" including me. This website has more than 2500 MCQs with effective explanation and guidelines. “www.onexaminaiton.com” is another good website for MRCGP and doctors practiced from this website also passed the exam. Whichever website you subscribe, stick to it as practicing from multiple website consumes time and you won’t be able to recap all of it near your exam.

BOOKS:

For British exam it is better to read from British books. You need to have few books with you which are Oxford handbook of general medicine, general practice, emergency medicine and medical specialties (don’t read them cover to cover).

NOW WORK SMART:

The key to pass AKT (MCQs) is to do as much MCQs as possible. You must practice the MCQs from the website at least 4 times before you take the exam.

Don’t do the MCQs randomly. As I said that you must practice the MCQs at least 4 times before you take the actual exam therefore now let’s organize MCQ practice.

1^st time practice: Start your MCQs system-wise e.g. first practice gastroenterology or pulmonology or OBGYN or whatever you like and do all the MCQs in that section. Read the explanations of these MCQs very carefully. Memorize the guidelines e.g. HTN, Asthma, Diabetes etc. outlined in these explanations. Memorize the indications, contraindications and side effects of commonly used drugs e.g. aspirin, NSAIDs, statins, antiepileptics, oral hypoglycemic etc. View as many images of skin diseases as possible (focus on the common skin conditions). 

While practicing MCQs from a specific system (e.g. gastroenterology or rheumatology), note down the topic of each MCQ. You will notice that many MCQs are from the same topic. These are the high-yield topics which are tested in different ways again and again. It will narrow down your list of topics that you must focus on.

Once you are done with the MCQs of a specific section and made your list of topics from those MCQs; read those topics from the above mentioned books. You can read the whole book, but to be exam-focused read only the topics covered in the MCQs because they are high-yield topics and in the exam MCQs usually come from these topics.

2^nd time practice: After reading high-yield topics from the books now go back to the MCQ pool and refresh your answers and attempt the MCQs of the same system again. Take a look at your performance and compare it with the previous one. You will notice improvement in your performance.

In this way you did the MCQs from a specific system twice. So now go to the next system e.g. hematology and do it in the same way as you did with the previous system i.e. 1^st and 2^nd time practices.

It is important to make notes about why your answer is correct or why is it not correct. Remember that point of differentiation which makes your answer correct or incorrect.

3^rd time practice: in the 1^st and 2^nd practices now you have done all the MCQs in a system-wise manner and you did it twice and also you carefully read twice, the explanations of each question. Now refresh your answers and practice the whole MCQs pool randomly (not system-wise) but without timing (untimed). Go through the explanations of the MCQs again. You can read the topics again from the books.

4^th time practice: So far you have done the MCQs 3 times (twice system-wise and once randomly but untimed). This time you will do the MCQs randomly but with timing (timed testing).

Every time you go through the whole MCQs, compare your performance with the previous one. You will find remarkable improvement in your performance.

Congratulations … you have done the MCQs 4 times and you are ready to take the exam. If you still have time, then keep practicing the MCQs, keep reading your notes and high-yield topics from the books. You may read and make notes of the topics which are not covered in the MCQs but you think they are important in general practice (family medicine).

There is a section in these MCQs called "administration and health informatics". If you are taking MRCGP UK exam then you must do the MCQs from this topic but if you are taking MRCGP Int. exam then omit this section of MCQs (don't do them at all; they don't come in the MRCP Int. exam). Administrative part is only for MRCGP UK, not the MRCGP Int. UK exam.

There is another section called "evidence base medicine". You don’t have to go into details of this section. From this section, do only "specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value". Most likely you will get two questions out of these four. If a MCQ comes other than these 4 topics, then just ignore it, you have plenty of other questions to score.

RECAP:

1. You need MCQ pool (www.passmedicine.com OR www.onexamination.com).
2. You need books i.e. Oxford handbook of general practice, general medicine, emergency medicine and medical specialties.
3. You need to work smart.
4. 1^st time practice of MCQs: system-wise (e.g. gastroenterology), write down the topics of MCQs, read those topics from the above mentioned books.
5. 2^nd time practice of MCQs: Repeat the MCQs of the same system i.e. gastroenterology again. Move on the next system (e.g. cardiology) and do the same as you did in the previous system.
6. 3^rd time practice of MCQs: Random MCQs without timing.
7. 4^th time practice of MCQs: Random MCQs with timing.

I did this way; many did this way and passed the exam in first attempt. You can do it too. Usually people prepare for MCQs exam in 3 to 4 months, I am hopeful that Inshallah you will also prepare yourself very well in just few months.

Currently I don’t offer any training courses for MRCGP AKT part and therefore I thought that I should at least share my way of preparing for the exam. For further guidance and assistance email me at "agilemrcgptraining@gmail.com". 

I offer training courses for OSCE part of the MRCGP exam. Once you pass MCQs and would like to attend a training course for CSA/OSCE, you can contact me regarding my upcoming CSA/OSCE training courses in UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Srilanka and may be UK, Oman, Malaysia and Malta.

Please do leave your comments below about this article and if you liked it forward it to your friends and colleagues. I wish you all the best for your exam and get in touch if you like.

Dr. Faiq Shah

Trainer & Instructor

Agile MRCGP OSCE Training Courses

https://www.facebook.com/agilemrcgposcetraining

Author of "Instant Biochemistry"

Email: agilemrcgptraining@gmail.com