Failed the AKT? A calm, practical plan

First, take a breath

A failed exam is not the end of your career.

Lots of good doctors fail a postgraduate exam at some point. The mark is a snapshot of one day. It is not a judgement of you as a doctor. Be kind to yourself first. Then make a plan.

Step 1: Read your feedback

When you get your result, you also get a breakdown of how you did. It shows your marks in the three main areas of the exam: clinical medicine, evidence and statistics, and how general practice is run. This tells you which area let you down.

The RCGP also publishes a feedback report after each exam. It names the topics that candidates found hardest that sitting. Read both.

This is some of the most useful information you have. Do not skip it. It points you to where you lost marks, so you know where to focus. Working on your weak areas is far better than revising everything again.

Step 2: Work out why you fell short

People fail for different reasons. Be honest about yours:

• •Knowledge gaps — there were topics you did not know well enough.
• •Exam technique — you knew the material but misread questions or rushed.
• •Timing — you did not get through all the questions in time.
• •Health or life events — something outside the exam affected you.

Each problem has a different fix. So name yours before you start again.

Step 3: Change your method, not just your hours

If your old way of revising did not work, doing more of the same will not help. Switch to methods that research shows actually work:

• •Test yourself. This is called the testing effect. Answering questions and checking your answer builds memory far better than re-reading notes. Reading feels productive, but it is weak.
• •Space it out. This is the spacing effect. Spread your practice over days and weeks. Short, regular sessions beat long, rare ones.
• •Practise your weak spots. This is called deliberate practice. Spend most time on the exact topics where you lost marks, with feedback each time.
• •Mix your topics. This is called interleaving. Do not study one topic for hours. Mix them up. It feels harder, but you remember more.

A good question bank does a lot of this for you. It brings questions back at the right time and points you at your weak areas.

Step 4: Fix your exam technique

If timing or technique let you down, practise that too:

• •Do full, timed mocks. The AKT is 160 questions in 160 minutes — about one minute each.
• •Answer every question. There is no negative marking, so never leave a blank.
• •Flag hard questions and come back. Do not let one question eat your time.

Step 5: Get support

You do not have to do this alone.

• •Talk to your educational supervisor or training programme director. They have helped many trainees through a resit, and can help you build a plan.
• •If health or personal problems affected your exam, tell them. There are official processes for this, and your supervisor can explain them.
• •Look after your wellbeing. A resit is stressful. Lean on friends, family and colleagues, and seek professional support if you are struggling.

Step 6: Make a plan with a date

Book your next sitting. Then build a simple timetable: little and often, focused on your weak areas, with timed mocks along the way. A clear plan turns worry into action.

One note: there are limits on how many times you can sit the exam and how long you have in training. Check the current rules with your supervisor and the RCGP.

When you are ready, our guide on how to revise for the AKT walks through the method in full.