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MRCGP Applied Knowledge Test

General practice knowledge, evidence interpretation and organisational questions, blueprinted to the RCGP curriculum rather than to hospital medicine.

United KingdomRoyal College of General Practitioners written

Coming soon. This bank is still in build and not on sale yet. The banks live now are PLAB 1, MRCP Part 1 and AMC MCQ.

What is on the MRCGP AKT?

Questions or stations160 verified 2026-08-10 Source says: “the number of items in the examination have been reduced from 200 to 160” check it yourself
Time160 minutes verified 2026-08-10 Source says: “the total examination length has been reduced from 190 minutes to 160 minutes” check it yourself
FormatSingle best answer, extended matching, algorithm and table completion
Adaptive deliveryNo
Pass markStandard set per sitting; the college publishes the pass mark and pass rate with each diet's report. verified 2026-08-10 check it yourself
BlueprintBeing a General Practitioner — RCGP curriculum, Royal College of General Practitioners

From October 2025 the AKT is 160 items in 160 minutes (down from 200 in 190). A defined slice covers evidence interpretation and organisational content, which candidates most often underprepare.

Verification status. All 3 published figures on this page have been read in the source document and dated above. Source of truth: Being a General Practitioner — RCGP curriculum, Royal College of General Practitioners. How we verify.

The MRCGP AKT curriculum, section by section

Every question in this bank is tagged to one of the sections below, and the tag traces to Being a General Practitioner — RCGP curriculum. That is what makes a coverage claim checkable instead of a marketing line. The table shows exactly how many items exist in each section today, including the sections where the answer is none.

Coverage today: 5 of 5 sections. We publish the gap rather than hiding it.

Free sample questions

Full explanations for every option, including the ones you didn't pick. The option you nearly chose is usually the one you needed explained. Read these before paying for anything.

A 54-year-old man with type 2 diabetes has an HbA1c of 62 mmol/mol on maximum tolerated metformin. He has established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and a BMI of 33. eGFR is 74 mL/min/1.73m². Which is the most appropriate addition to his treatment?

  1. A sulfonylurea Effective on HbA1c but the wrong tool here: hypoglycaemia, weight gain, and no cardiovascular outcome benefit in a patient with established vascular disease and obesity.
  2. A DPP-4 inhibitor Weight-neutral and well tolerated but cardiovascular-neutral. Reasonable if the SGLT2 class were contraindicated; here it forgoes a proven outcome benefit.
  3. An SGLT2 inhibitor correct Correct. With established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, an SGLT2 inhibitor is recommended alongside metformin irrespective of HbA1c, because the cardiovascular and renal outcome benefits are independent of glycaemic control.
  4. Basal insulin Premature. Insulin is escalated to when oral options are exhausted or there is significant hyperglycaemia with catabolic features.
  5. Pioglitazone Wrong. Cautioned or contraindicated with heart failure, causes weight gain and fluid retention, and raises fracture risk.

The point: Type 2 diabetes with established cardiovascular disease, heart failure or chronic kidney disease: add an SGLT2 inhibitor for the outcome benefit, not merely for the HbA1c. GLP-1 receptor agonists are the alternative where weight dominates.

Source: NICE NG28 — Type 2 diabetes in adults: management NICE · tier 1, national regulator or guidance

A patient asks your practice for a copy of their full medical record under UK GDPR. What is the correct response?

  1. Provide the record within 40 days on payment of a £50 administrative fee Wrong. That is the old Data Protection Act 1998 position, replaced in 2018.
  2. Release only entries the GP considers clinically appropriate to share Wrong as a general rule. Withholding is permitted only for serious harm to the patient or another person, or third-party identifying information, and each withheld item must be justified.
  3. Require the patient to give a reason for the request before releasing anything Wrong. A data subject does not have to justify a subject access request.
  4. Refer the request to the Information Commissioner's Office for approval Wrong. The practice is the data controller and answers the request itself.
  5. Provide the record free of charge, normally within one month of the request correct Correct. A subject access request must be answered without undue delay and within one month, extendable by two further months for complex or numerous requests. No fee applies unless the request is manifestly unfounded or excessive.

The point: Subject access request: one month, free, no reason required, extendable to three months if complex. Redact third-party identifying information and the narrow serious-harm exemption, documenting why for each redaction.

Source: ICO — Right of access Information Commissioner's Office · tier 1, national regulator or guidance

Where MRCGP AKT sits in the pathway

UK general practice (MRCGP) runs MRCGP AKT → MRCGP SCA. One DocPasser account covers all of them, so moving to the next stage does not mean a new subscription and a progress history you can no longer see.

MRCGP SCA

Questions people actually ask about MRCGP AKT

What proportion of the AKT is clinical?

The majority, but not all of it. A meaningful slice covers evidence interpretation and how UK general practice is organised, and candidates who prepare only clinically lose marks there every sitting.

Is the AKT the same as the old MRCGP written paper?

No. It is blueprinted directly to the current RCGP curriculum's Areas of Capability, which is how this bank tags it.

What does MRCGP AKT preparation cost?

MRCGP AKT is a flat £20 for 12 months of access — one price, one purchase, no tiers. The first 10 questions are free, with the full explanation for every option, so you can judge the quality of the explanations before paying for anything.

DocPasser is exam preparation material, not clinical guidance. Nothing here should be used to make a decision about a real patient. Always work from your own local guidelines and seniors.