How to prepare for MCQs Exam

Written by
Dr. Faiq Shah
Instructor & Trainer Agile MRCGP Course

Updated on May 31, 2024

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This guide focuses on the MRCGP AKT/MCQ exam but can be used for other multiple-choice exams like MRCP, MRCEM, USMLE, and AMC Part 1.

My exam background

Before passing the MRCGP AKT, I had already cleared the USMLE (Steps 1 and 2, plus the Clinical Skills Assessment) and MRCP Part 1. This gave me a solid foundation and experience with multiple-choice exams.

My Situation During Exam Preparation

I prepared for the MRCGP AKT exam while traveling internationally, so I didn't have much time to sit and study for long hours. I had only two months left, so I needed a strategy. I had to be clear about “what I need” and “what I don’t need.”

My Exam Needs and Don’t Needs

• I need to manage my time efficiently and effectively. I don’t need to study all day.
• The only way to manage time, I need to be focused on high-yield topics and facts only. I don’t need to be “know it all” kind of person.
• I need to have detailed knowledge about common conditions and only specific knowledge about uncommon conditions.
• I will not focus much on statistics (evidence-based medicine) but will practice only specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value. If anything comes outside these four formulas, I will make an educated guess and move forward and will never look back to it again.
• I am not perfect therefore I will not try to be one. Scoring high does not mean anything in this exam. So, I just need to pass the exam.

Based on my exam ‘needs’ and ‘don’t needs’ I develop the strategy explained below.

My Exam Preparation Strategy

Below is an organized, systematic and a focused way that I developed to prepare for AKT (MCQs) exam of MRCGP UK and MRCGP Int. UK.

You can amend this study-technique according to your own circumstances and liking. I am sure and very hopeful that in sha Allah you will find this study technique helpful, and you will pass the MCQs exam of MRCGP UK and MRCGP Int. UK in your first attempt.

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

1. MCQs pool (online is better than printed book form)
2. Books (high-yield, exam-oriented books)
3. Work hard in a smart way.

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 MRCGP AKT in first attempt did MCQs from "www.passmedicine.com" and “www.onexamination.com”. I did “passmedicine.com”.

Whichever website you subscribe, stick to it because practicing from multiple websites consumes lot of 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 (you don’t need to read them cover to cover).

NOW WORK SMART:

To achieve anything, in this case to pass the exam, you need determination and dedication to pass the exam and not to give up. So let’s work hard but in a smart way.

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

All the websites have setting options to practice MCQs. The settings are timed, untimed, random or system wise MCQs. Remember you need to go through all the MCQs at least 4 times before you take the actual exam. Let's organize these 4 go-throughs.

1^st go-through (system wise and untimed)

Choose any system and start your MCQs e.g. you choose 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 go-through (system wise and untimed)

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 go-throughs. 1^st go-through was before and 2^nd go-through was after you read the explanations of the questions and read those topics from books.

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 go-through (Random and untimed)

In the 1^st and 2^nd go-throughs you have done all the MCQs in a system-wise manner and you did it twice and also you carefully read the explanations of each question twice. Now refresh your answers and practice the whole MCQs pool randomly (not system-wise). In random MCQs one question will be of cardiology, the next question will be of surgery and so on. Go through the explanations of the MCQs again. You can read the topics again from the books but I think by now you don’t need books anymore.

4^th go-through (Random and timed)

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 gone through the MCQs 4 times and now 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 pool, but you think they are important in general/family practice and therefore may come in the exam.

Some important points to know

There is a section in these MCQs called "administration and health informatics". If you are taking MRCGP UK exam, then you must practice 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 make an educated guess, mark the question and move on, you have plenty of other questions to score.

RECAP:

• Subscribe MCQ pool (www.passmedicine.com OR www.onexamination.com).
• Get books i.e. Oxford handbook of general practice, general medicine, emergency medicine and medical specialties.
• Don't work hard in a smart way.
• 1^st practice of MCQs: system-wise (e.g. gastroenterology), write down the topics of MCQs, read those topics from the above mentioned books only if you are lacking knowledge in that particular topic otherwise no need to open books.
• 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.
• 3^rd time practice of MCQs: Random MCQs but untimed.
• 4^th time practice of MCQs: Random MCQs with timing on.

I did this way, and many followed it and passed the exam in first attempt. You can do it too. By this technique I prepared in just 2 months but I had a background of exam experience. Usually, people prepare for MCQs exam in 3 to 4 months, I am hopeful that in sha Allah 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 technique of preparing for the exam. For further guidance and assistance email me at "agilemrcgptraining@gmail.com".

I offer training courses for CSA/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 and online. Or register on this website and request for our ‘newsletter’, you will be posted with my upcoming courses.

I have also recorded one my live courses and have put it online for you to watch at your own convenience. Many more videos of exam simulated cases will be coming up on regular basis.

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.