18 March
RCGP Applied Knowledge Test: How to Prepare, Stay Calm & Avoid Burnout
A practical, honest guide for GP registrars facing the AKT . From what to study, to looking after yourself along the way.
The AKT is one of the three hurdles on the road to MRCGP. It tests the clinical knowledge and consulting skills you’ll draw on every single day in practice, but knowing that doesn’t make revision any less daunting when you’re also managing a full patient list.
The good news? The AKT is very passable with the right preparation. The even better news: that preparation doesn’t have to come at the cost of your health, sleep, or sanity. This guide walks you through what the exam involves, how to build a revision plan that actually works, and crucially, how to protect yourself from the burnout that derails too many registrars before they ever sit the test.
Building your revision plan
The biggest mistake registrars make is leaving revision too late, then trying to compensate with intensive cramming in the final two weeks. This rarely works and is the single fastest route to exhaustion. A sustainable 12–16 week plan spread across your ST3 year is far more effective.
Start with a baseline mock
Sit a full practice paper under timed conditions in week one. Your weakest domains will tell you exactly where to focus… don’t guess.
Keep a ‘weak topic’ notebook
Every time you get a question wrong, note the topic. Review the notebook weekly, patterns emerge quickly and guide smarter revision.
Revise actively, not passively
Reading guidelines cover to cover is low yield. Questions, flashcards and self-testing are far more effective for long-term retention.
Avoiding burnout during revision
Burnout during AKT revision usually doesn’t arrive all at once. It builds gradually through poor sleep, skipped meals, social withdrawal and the quiet but persistent belief that you are never doing enough. Catching the early signs matters.
Set hard limits on revision hours
After 60–90 minutes of active revision, retention drops sharply. Diminishing returns are real – respect them.
Protect sleep ruthlessly
Late-night question banks are one of the fastest ways to erode the cognitive capacity you need for learning. Aim for seven to eight hours.
Stay connected to your cohort
Peer revision groups, even informal ones over coffee — reduce isolation, share knowledge and provide the emotional validation solo study cannot.
If you are struggling with significant anxiety or low mood, please reach out to your GP or the BMA Wellbeing Support Service (0330 123 1245, free and confidential). The Practitioner Health Programme is also available specifically for doctors in England.
The final two weeks & exam day
In the fortnight before the exam, shift your focus from learning new material to consolidating what you already know. Running through full mock papers under timed conditions, reviewing your weak-topic notebook and getting plenty of sleep will serve you better than any last-minute cramming.
After the exam, regardless of how you feel it went, do something restorative. The wait for results is its own kind of stress. Plan something to look forward to in that window, something with nothing to do with medicine.
Manage Exam Anxiety
Many candidates feel anxious before the AKT. Some simple strategies can help:
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Practice under timed conditions
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Use breathing techniques before and during the exam
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Avoid excessive last-minute cramming
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Focus on what you know, not what you might have missed
Confidence grows with repeated exposure to exam-style questions.
A final word
The AKT is a test of clinical knowledge, and you have been building that knowledge every day in surgery, in consultations, in the complex, exhausting, rewarding work of being a GP registrar. The exam is not separate from your training; it is a reflection of it.
Prepare well, rest deliberately, and be honest with yourself about when you need support. Both things are true: this exam matters, and you are more than the result of it.
If you woud like to speak with our team about opportunities in your area, for after you qualify, feel free to reach out.
0113 350 1308
