It's a multiple choice type paper testing the application of knowledge. You wont find any true-false type questions that you might be use to because these only test the recall of facts. Instead, the AKT has MCQs like "extended matching questions" and "single best response" because they test the application of knowledge rather than parrot fashion recall.
Pearson Vue centres are currently where the driving theory test is held.
How To Fail
R Neighbour, “How to Fail the MRCGP”, The Practitioner, May 2002 vol 246
G'is A BIt More Guidance Mate... I wanna know how to pass
Okay, but don't rush me... Basically, to pass this you need to be able to do two things:
- aquire knowledge and
- know how to apply that knowledge (contextualise it)
A way of doing this might be:
The applied knowledge test can test from the whole of the GP curriculum and as you know, that is one big moma of a document. So, how can you effectively study to ensure a better chance of passing the exam? There are several things that come to mind:
* Practise, practise & practise: read the questions carefully. Look for clues in the wording. Keep checking that you are filling in the lozenges in the right place on the answer sheet. Don't forget there's a lot of up-to-date feedback on the MCQ on the Royal College web site.
* No scheme can give experience in every branch of medicine. Therefore, practise as many MCQs as you can even if they are not in the nMRCGP format. When practising, identify which areas you are weak on and then read around those subject areas.
* This is Important: 80% of the questions are clinical, 10% on critical appraisal and EBM and another 10% on health informatics and organisational aspects. The clinical domain is limitless but critical appraisal, EBM, health informatics and organisational stuff are much more contained. Therefore, don't neglect these areas as the questions relating to them are pretty easy to pick up.
* Quite a lot of questions will be based on recent literature. So get to grips with the evidence for common conditions.
* Images such as algorithms, ECG traces and photographs may also be shown.
* Read our "common problems and guidance" sheet below in the documents section: essential reading
* The questions for the multiple-choice paper are derived from review articles and journals. Therefore in preparing for this component of the examination you should cast your eye over several of these publications regularly. Read effectively. Remember; concentrate on review articles and the BMJ text clinical evidence. Cast your eye over some of the following regularly (click on a box to go there)
Plan now how you’re going to cover the curriculum in 2 years.
Examiners are always playing around with the format so read the latest RCGP guidance which you will usually find on their web site www.rcgp.org.uk