Guide to the UKMLA
To help you prepare, here’s a list of official and reputable resources (all in British English, of course) that you should definitely check out:
🔗 GMC Official MLA Website:
The General Medical Council’s website features a section dedicated to the Medical Licensing Assessment. It offers overviews for UK students and IMGs, guidance on the exam format, and insights into the reasoning behind the MLA. It serves as a valuable starting point to understand the exam directly from the regulator. (Search “GMC MLA” to locate the page.) The GMC site also contains specific information for UK students and for PLAB (MLA) for IMGs as sub-pages.
🔗 The MLA Content Map (GMC)
The MLA Content Map document is available through the GMC or the Medical Schools Council. This document serves as the syllabus, listing all the domains, conditions, presentations, and skills that may be tested. Reviewing it is highly recommended – you can use it as a checklist for your revision. You can find it on the GMC site, often in PDF format. Remember, it is a “live” document that is updated periodically, so make sure you have the latest version.
🔗 Medical Schools Council (MSC) – MLA Resources:
The MSC, representing all UK medical schools, has collaborated to implement the AKT for these institutions. They offer some excellent free resources on their website:
MSC AKT Student Handbook – A handbook for UK students taking the AKT, featuring information on structure and frequently asked questions. It’s updated annually and includes helpful details such as exam format and example question structures etc.
•MSC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – They released an FAQ for the Applied Knowledge Test addressing common questions (e.g., “What if I fail?”, “How is the standard established?”, etc.).
Official Practice Papers – YES! - There are official practice questions available. The MSC has released a 200-question practice AKT (two papers of 100), complete with answers and explanations. This resource is invaluable – make sure to utilize it. It likely represents the style of the real exam most closely. You can typically download the PDFs from the MSC’s website (search for “Practice exam for the MS AKT”). Some medical schools may also provide these directly to students.
Webinars/Videos – Be on the lookout for any “MS AKT student webinars” or recorded video tutorials. In 2023-2024, several webinars were conducted to help students understand the MLA; recordings may be available through MSC or your medical school’s portal.
Exam-Write practice – The MSC noted that medical schools can provide students with extra practice exams on the digital platform known as Exam-Write. If your school offers a mock AKT on the computer, make the most of it – it will mimic the actual exam interface and timing.
🔗 GMC PLAB (MLA for IMGs) Guidance:
If you’re an international graduate, check the GMC’s PLAB pages, which now explain the MLA alignment. They cover how to book exams, the format, and any transitional information. Importantly, they outline requirements such as proving your English proficiency and having the necessary documents beyond just passing the tests. UK students might not need this, but it’s good to know what IMGs must do as well.
🔗 Good Question Banks (Online):
Several established question banks can assist you in preparing for the AKT (and even the CPSA):
BMJ OnExamination: Another well-known question bank from the BMJ provides a historical question bank for PLAB and Medical School Finals. It offers numerous practice questions and mock exams. The style is typically on point, and it’s a reputable source.
(Tip: Avoid overwhelming yourself with resources. Stick to the styles that you find most helpful.)
🔗 OSCE Practice Resources for CPSA:
OSCE-Aid / Almost a Doctor / Zero to Finals: There are several free websites and PDFs prepared by former students that compile common OSCE stations and marking schemes. These can be useful for practice. For instance, “Zero to Finals” is a free online resource that covers numerous clinical topics concisely (which is helpful for a quick review).
Your Medical School’s OSCE Bank: Many medical schools have internal resources, such as a repository of station examples, past OSCE scenarios, and checklists from the clinical skills department. Be sure to utilise these if available, as they align with your school's assessment methods. Additionally, some student societies organise mock OSCEs, which provide excellent opportunities for realistic practice and feedback.
NHS e-LfH Modules: The NHS e-Learning for Healthcare platform offers free modules for NHS staff and students, covering topics such as clinical communications, law, and ethics. These resources could be valuable for targeted learning; for instance, there is a module on consent and capacity and another on safeguarding children, which align with MLA content.
🔗 Books and Guides:
While large textbooks aren’t required at this stage, a few reference books can be useful for clarifying topics:
The Oxford Handbooks (Oxford handbook of Clinical Medicine and the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Specialties are excellent resources for quick reference and succinct coverage of broad topics.
The Oxford Assess and Progress Series — These are books of SBA questions for medical students, including one for final exams. They are quite similar to the MLA style and come with explanations.
Nice Guidelines / CKS – When uncertain about managing a condition, reviewing the latest summary of the NICE guidelines can be very helpful (e.g., NICE on asthma or sepsis). The Clinical Knowledge Summaries (CKS) available on the NICE website provide primary care-focused summaries that are often relevant.
BMJ Best Practice or Patient.info – These online resources can be helpful for quick overviews of conditions.
Flashcards or Apps – Some students utilize Anki flashcards for medical review, which may consist of MLA decks or final exam decks. If you find that flashcards enhance your learning, they can help reinforce essential information, such as lists of drug side effects and diagnostic criteria.
🔗 Official Guidelines and Protocols:
Considering the MLA’s focus on current practice:
Resuscitation Council (UK) – Algorithms for ALS/BLS, anaphylaxis, etc. (Often tested in emergency situations.)
BNF (British National Formulary) – Understanding how to use the BNF is essential for prescribing questions. The BNF app or book is helpful for quickly checking drug doses, interactions, and more. (In an exam scenario, you won’t have access to the BNF, but you are expected to know common drug information and safe prescribing practices.)
UKFPO and GMC Ethical Guidance – The Foundation Programme curriculum, particularly the early sections, provides essential knowledge for incoming FY1s. The GMC’s Good Medical Practice and its sub-guidance (such as Consent, Duty of Candour, End of Life Care, etc.) serve as the foundation for ethics-based questions. Therefore, reviewing summaries of these materials can be highly beneficial. For example, understanding the principles of Good Medical Practice- knowledge, skills and performance; safety and quality; communication, partnership and teamwork; maintaining trust – often underpins scenario questions.
Remember, prioritise quality over quantity when it comes to resources. It’s better to thoroughly utilise a few key resources (such as the official question papers and a good question bank, along with possibly one concise textbook or set of notes) than to only partially use ten different materials. Additionally, everyone has different learning styles – some prefer reading, others doing questions, and others watching videos – so customise the resources to what works best for you.