AKT exam day: what to expect

Before the day

• •Check your booking email. It has the date, time and test centre address.
• •Plan your journey. Aim to arrive early — about 30 minutes before.
• •Get a good night's sleep. Do not cram the night before. Rest helps your memory more than one more hour of revision.

What to bring

• •Valid photo ID. The name must match your booking exactly.
• •Not much else. Most test centres do not allow phones, bags, notes or smart watches in the exam room.

There are lockers for your belongings. You may be given a pen and a small whiteboard, or an on-screen notepad.

At the test centre

The AKT is sat at a Pearson VUE test centre. You will check in and show your ID. Staff will do a quick security check. Then they take you to a computer. The exam runs on the screen in front of you.

During the exam

• •A timer on screen shows how much time is left.
• •You can flag a question and come back to it later.
• •There is usually an on-screen calculator for the statistics questions.
• •You can move forwards and backwards through the questions.

Pace yourself. You have about one minute per question. If a question is hard, flag it and move on. Come back at the end.

One key tip: answer every question

There is no negative marking in the AKT. You do not lose marks for a wrong answer. So never leave a question blank. If you are not sure, make your best guess. A guess might be right. A blank is always zero.

After the exam

You will not get your result on the day. The RCGP releases results later. With your result you also get a breakdown of how you did in the three main areas: clinical medicine, evidence, and how general practice is run. Keep it — it is useful whether you pass or not.

Stay calm

• •Eat something before you go in.
• •Breathe slowly if you feel nervous. It is normal.
• •Trust your preparation. If you have practised under timed conditions, the day will feel familiar.

To prepare well, read our AKT exam format guide and how to revise for the AKT.