Core Revision
Wisdom from the consulting room
Practical, current writing from two practising NHS GP Partners and our educational-psychology adviser — guideline changes decoded for the exam, revision techniques that fit real brains, and honest tactics for revising around a working clinical life.
“We write the pieces we wish we’d had as trainees — specific, current, and honest about what revising alongside a real job actually takes.”
Dr Victoria Hammond, Co-Founder & Lead for Educational DesignCore RevisionThree kinds of Core Wisdom
Core Wisdom is our blog — not a content mill, and not generic “stay calm” advice. Every piece earns its place by being concrete: a named technique, a guideline summary with the actual thresholds, or a real tactic you can use this week. We write in three flavours.
Guidelines, decoded
What changed, what it means in clinic, and exactly how the exam is likely to test it.
How to revise
Evidence-based study techniques — including ones built for neurodivergent minds.
Revision that fits your life
Honest tactics for fitting revision around clinic, on-calls, and a family.
Preparing for the AKT
How should I revise for the AKT?
What the exam actually asks of you, the topics RCGP examiners keep flagging as poorly answered, and four changes that make revision work harder for you.
Dr Victoria HammondWhen should I sit the AKT?
Four sittings a year and a limited number of attempts. How to judge which one you are genuinely ready for, rather than which one the calendar suggests.
Dr David PalethorpeWhat score do you need to pass the AKT?
There is no fixed pass mark. Across the last four sittings it has ranged from 107 to 112 out of 160 — and why that changes what you should aim for.
Dr David PalethorpeAKT statistics questions: what actually comes up
Evidence interpretation is 10% of the paper and the most learnable part of it. The topics that keep reappearing, and what is really being asked.
Dr Victoria HammondHow many AKT questions a day should I be doing?
A defensible daily number — and the three things about how you practise that matter considerably more than the number itself.
Dr Laura YoungI failed the AKT — what now?
The resit process, the attempts you have left, and how to work out what actually went wrong before you start revising again.
Dr Laura YoungAKT exam dates and booking
Dates for 2026 and 2027, the three separate deadlines involved, and how booking works now it has moved to MyRCGP rather than FourteenFish.
Dr Victoria HammondHow much does the AKT cost?
£481 now and £494 from January 2027, payable in three stages. How the refund deadlines work, and the costs around the exam people forget to budget for.
Dr David PalethorpeHow difficult is the AKT, really?
Nearly nine in ten UK graduates pass first time. Why it still feels harder than that, and what to do about the part that actually catches people.
Dr Laura YoungExam timetable: every AKT and SCA date
Test dates, booking deadlines, reasonable adjustment deadlines and results days — checked against the RCGP every day.
Dr Victoria HammondPreparing for the MSRA
What is the MSRA used for?
A selection assessment, not a qualification. What the two papers measure, why both are pitched at Foundation level, and how the result is actually used.
Dr Victoria HammondWhat is a good MSRA score?
Scores are normalised against your cohort, so there is no maximum and no pass mark. What counts as good, and why the threshold moves every year.
Dr David PalethorpeWho is eligible for the MSRA?
You cannot apply for it directly — you are invited after applying through Oriel. Which specialties use it, and what actually sets eligibility.
Dr David PalethorpeIs the MSRA hard?
86 clinical items in 75 minutes is what makes it hard — not the medicine. Plus a second paper most people have no idea how to revise for.
Dr Laura YoungPreparing for the DipMSK
What actually happens in the DipMSK exam
A walk-through of exam day from login to results, so the mechanics are not one more thing to think about on the morning.
Dr David PalethorpeDipMSK 2027: exam dates, syllabus and how to prepare
The next sitting is confirmed for 27 May 2027. The application timeline, what the syllabus actually covers, and how to structure the run-up.
Dr David Palethorpe8 weeks to the DipMSK: a realistic study plan
You do not need to quit clinic to pass. An eight-week plan built around a real job and a real rota, not around study leave you will never get.
Dr Victoria HammondIs the DipMSK worth it for physiotherapists?
Physios are explicitly eligible for the FSEM diploma. An honest look at who gains from it, and who is better off spending the time elsewhere.
Dr David PalethorpeCan international clinicians sit the DipMSK?
The FSEM explicitly allows internationally registered clinicians to sit it. Exactly who qualifies, and what to check before you apply.
Dr Victoria HammondSeptic arthritis vs transient synovitis
The limping child is one of the highest-stakes patterns in the syllabus, and the examiners know which details separate a safe answer from a plausible one.
Dr Victoria HammondLatest & featured
Clinical updates
Guidelines, decoded for the examPCOS is now PMOS: what changed, why, and what NICE’s new guideline will ask
A 14-year global rename is official, and NICE’s first UK guideline is in draft — wider diagnosis, annual review, and the exam traps to expect.
Dr Victoria Hammond · 8 min read · August 2026CKD has changed since we qualified — what, why, and how to remember it
The grid, the risk equation, and a drug class that didn’t exist a few years ago. The history behind NG203, so the numbers stop being arbitrary.
Dr Victoria Hammond · 9 min read · August 2026What changed in the 2024 asthma guideline (NG245)
A SABA alone is no longer first-line for ages 12+. The new AIR/MART ladder, the thresholds, and the AKT traps to expect.
Dr David Palethorpe · 8 min read · July 2026Relative risk, absolute risk, and the number the AKT wants you to spot
The same trial can show a “50% reduction” and an NNT of 100. How to see through the relative-risk trap — and explain it to a patient.
Dr David Palethorpe · 6 min read · July 2026The HPO axis
The cycle, what breaks it, and contraception — one loopDay-21 progesterone: which day do you test in a longer cycle?
“Day 21” only fits a 28-day cycle. Where the number comes from, and how to time the test in a longer one.
Dr David Palethorpe · 3 min read · September 2026Can you check FSH on the combined pill? Why the menopause test doesn’t work there
The pill holds FSH down on purpose. Why FSH can’t diagnose the menopause there, when NICE suggests it, and what to do instead.
Dr Victoria Hammond · 3 min read · September 2026No periods, not pregnant: high FSH or low FSH?
Read FSH beside oestradiol to sort premature ovarian insufficiency, hypothalamic amenorrhoea, a raised prolactin, PMOS and Asherman syndrome.
Dr Victoria Hammond · 4 min read · September 2026Emergency contraception and the LH surge: levonorgestrel, ulipristal and the copper IUD
Which emergency method still works depends on where she is against the LH surge. The timing rules, and how to work out the copper IUD window.
Dr David Palethorpe · 3 min read · September 2026Learning
How to revise — including for neurodivergent mindsRevising for the AKT when you’re dyslexic: seven techniques that actually work
Standard revision advice quietly assumes you read fast and remember what you read. If you don’t, here are seven concrete swaps — from how you make notes to how you sit a mock — built around how a dyslexic brain actually encodes information.
Dr Victoria Hammond · 7 min read · Learning · July 2026Why re-reading doesn’t work: the science of active recall and spacing
Re-reading feels productive and mostly isn’t. The two evidence-based techniques that beat highlighting — and why the effective ones feel harder.
Dr Laura Young · 7 min read · July 2026Real-life revision
Revision that fits your lifeRevising around clinic and a toddler: the parent’s AKT playbook
You will not find a spare two-hour block. So stop planning for one. Here’s how to build a revision plan out of the fifteen-minute gaps you actually have — protecting your pass and your family at the same time.
Dr Victoria Hammond · 6 min read · Real-life revision · July 2026Revising without fear: the ‘no failure tax’ mindset
Fear narrows thinking and wrecks recall. Why we built our renewal promise the way we did — and four ways to revise from steadiness when the stakes feel huge.
Dr Victoria Hammond · 6 min read · July 2026Revision that fits your life
Core Wisdom is the free thinking behind the platform. When you’re ready to put it into practice, the AKT Power Pack pairs it with 2,400+ questions and depth on the topics trainees find hardest.
Explore the AKT Power PackEvery Core Wisdom article, by exam
Updated automatically whenever an article is published.
MRCGP AKT
- AKT January 2027: booking deadlines, fee, exam day and results
- Is an AKT revision course worth it? What the RCGP says, and how to decide
- How difficult is the AKT, really?
- How much does the AKT cost?
- AKT exam dates and booking: the deadlines that catch people out
- I failed the AKT — what now?
- How many AKT questions a day should I be doing?
- AKT statistics questions: what actually comes up
- What score do you need to pass the AKT?
- When should I sit the AKT?
- How should I revise for the AKT?
MSRA
- Applying for the MSRA in 2027: Oriel, the five-specialty cap and what happens after you submit
- MSRA results: when they arrive, how the ranking works and what happens next
- The MSRA Professional Dilemmas paper: format, scoring and how to approach it
- The MSRA Clinical Problem Solving paper: the 12 clinical areas and how the 86 items are built
- MSRA January vs February sitting: who sits when, and how to plan for it
- MSRA for neurosurgery, CSRH and nuclear medicine: the smaller specialties
- MSRA for Ophthalmology: how shortlisting works and what counts at offer
- MSRA for O&G: shortlist, 33% weighting, and the top-75 interview bypass
- MSRA for Emergency Medicine: why the ACCS EM weighting is the big one
- MSRA for Anaesthetics: 15% of the score, 100% of the shortlist
- MSRA for Core Surgical Training: the top-1,200 gate explained
- MSRA for Psychiatry: the exam that is your entire CT1 ranking
- MSRA for Radiology: how ST1 selection actually uses your score
- Is the MSRA hard?
- What is the MSRA used for?
- Who is eligible for the MSRA?
- What is a good MSRA score?
For international medical graduates: PLAB and the MSRA
- PLAB 1 in February 2027: the first sitting without the overseas centres
- PLAB 1 results: when they come out, how the pass mark is set and what your score report shows
- MSRA 2027: what is confirmed, what is not, and how to plan around the gaps
- Can international clinicians sit the DipMSK? Eligibility explained
- PLAB 1 in 2027: centre closures, a UK-and-EU-only February and the dates to plan around
- The MSRA for IMGs: the complete 2026/27 guide
- GP training after the Prioritisation Act: an honest guide for IMGs
- Can you get into GP training without NHS experience?
- The Professional Dilemmas paper when you didn’t train in the NHS
- MSRA scores explained: PD, CPS, and what a ‘good’ score is
- Your MSRA timeline: GMC registration, Oriel and the exam, in the right order
- Sitting the MSRA outside the UK: test centres, time zones and tactics
- A 12-week MSRA plan for busy IMGs
- The CPS paper: how UK guidelines change the ‘right’ answer
- CREST, foundation competence, and choosing your first NHS job
- Differential attainment and the MSRA: what the data says (and doesn’t)
- From MSRA to GP training offer: ranking, preferences and what happens next
- PLAB for IMGs: the complete 2026 guide
- PLAB vs UKMLA: what is actually changing, and when
- Is PLAB still worth it after the Prioritisation Act?
- PLAB 1 explained: format, sittings, results and how to prepare
- PLAB 2 explained: the OSCE, Manchester and the visitor visa
- PLAB attempts, resits and the two-year clocks
- PLAB eligibility: your degree, your English evidence and EPIC
- The true cost of PLAB in 2026, end to end
- GMC registration without PLAB: the other routes in 2026
- After PLAB 2: GMC registration and your first NHS job
- From PLAB to specialty training: the NHS-experience-first route
DipMSK
- Single-best-answer technique for the DipMSK: seven ways to lose marks, and how to avoid each
- Is the DipMSK worth it for advanced nurse practitioners?
- 12 weeks to the DipMSK: a plan for starting from scratch
- How the DipMSK is marked: the pass mark, results day and resits
- DipMSK for GPs: what the diploma adds to a portfolio career
- How to apply for the DipMSK 2027: eligibility, the form, ID and fees, step by step
- 8 weeks to the DipMSK: a realistic study plan for GPs and physios with a full-time job
- What actually happens in the DipMSK exam
- Septic arthritis vs transient synovitis: how the DipMSK actually tests it
- DipMSK 2027: exam dates, syllabus and how to prepare
- Is the DipMSK worth it for physiotherapists?
CGM and DGM (geriatric medicine)
- Can international doctors and nurses sit the CGM and DGM? Eligibility for overseas-registered candidates
- Preparing for the DGM clinical exam: a six-week rehearsal plan
- What changed for the DGM in 2027: the CGM, the new curriculum and what it means for revision
- How to apply for the CGM and DGM: Orzone, eligibility and deadlines, step by step
- Is the DGM worth it for GPs and GP trainees?
- 8 weeks to the CGM: a realistic DGM revision plan for GPs with a full-time job
- The CGM exam: what the Certificate in Geriatric Medicine tests and how to prepare
- The DGM clinical exam: the four stations and how they are marked
- Is the DGM worth it for nurses and advanced nurse practitioners?
- Is the DGM worth it for pharmacists?
- DGM 2027: the CGM written stage, the clinical exam, dates, fees and how to prepare
Clinical updates
- Emergency contraception and the LH surge: levonorgestrel, ulipristal and the copper IUD
- No periods, not pregnant: high FSH or low FSH?
- Can you check FSH on the combined pill? Why the menopause test doesn’t work there
- Day-21 progesterone: which day do you test in a longer cycle?
- CKD has changed since we qualified — here’s what, why, and how to actually remember it
- PCOS is now PMOS — what changed, why, and what NICE’s new guideline will ask
- Relative risk, absolute risk, and the number the AKT wants you to spot
- What changed in the 2024 asthma guideline — and exactly what the AKT will ask
Learning and the diplomas
- DipExMed 2027: exam dates, syllabus and how to prepare
- Is the DCSRH worth it for nurses and pharmacists?
- Finding a CoSRH Registered Trainer for the DCSRH
- How long the DCSRH takes and what it really costs
- The DCSRH Assessment Half Day: the four stations explained
- The DCSRH Online Theory Assessment: format, attempts and how to pass
- DFSRH is now the DCSRH: what changed and what still counts
- What the DRCOG really costs
- What the DCH really costs
- How the FOP is marked and when DCH results arrive
- DRCOG resits: what happens if you fail
- 120 questions in three hours: DRCOG question technique
- The DRCOG pass mark and pass rate explained
- DRCOG or DCSRH first?
- How the DRCOG expression of interest works and what if you miss it
- A 12-week DRCOG plan alongside GP training
- DCH pass rates and resits
- The DCH for international medical graduates
- A 10-week FOP plan alongside a full-time job
- The DCH Clinical: the eight stations explained
- The DCH and the MRCPCH: one FOP paper, two qualifications
- Is the DCH worth it for GPs and GP trainees?
- Is the DRCOG worth it for GPs and GP trainees?
- DOccMed results and resits: what happens if you fail the MCQ or the oral
- Who can sit the DOccMed? Eligibility for GPs, SAS doctors, trainees and IMGs
- DOccMed approved courses: the seven FOM-approved providers and how to choose
- How long does the DOccMed take? A realistic timeline from course to certificate
- 12 weeks to the DOccMed MCQ: preparing alongside a full-time job
- Is the DOccMed worth it for a GP?
- DOccMed best-fit questions: 10 examples with answers
- DOccMed reading list 2026: the current editions
- What’s changed for the DOccMed in 2026–27
- Part 1 MFOM and the DOccMed MCQ: the same paper
- The DOccMed oral on MS Teams: the rules and how to prepare
- The DOccMed portfolio: the July 2024 template, section by section
- DOccMed 2027: exam dates, format, fees and how to prepare
- DRCOG 2027: exam dates, booking windows, format and how to prepare
- DCH 2027: theory and clinical exam dates, fees, format and how to prepare
- DTM&H 2027: who runs it now, the four papers, entry requirements and how to prepare
- The DCSRH in 2027: the four components, fees, the theory assessment and how to prepare
- Why re-reading doesn’t work: the science of active recall and spacing
- Revising for the AKT when you’re dyslexic: seven techniques that actually work
Real-life revision
Last reviewed: 29 September 2026