Free PACES guides
MRCP PACES guides
Clear, practical guides to MRCP(UK) PACES, written for candidates. Exam facts come from the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians’ published guidance, and every guide links to its sources.
Exam essentials
How PACES works, how it is marked and who passes.
MRCP PACES exam format explained (2026): stations, timings and skills
How the MRCP(UK) PACES carousel works: 5 stations, 8 encounters, 125 minutes, exact timings for every encounter and which skills (A–G) each one tests.
6 min read
How PACES is marked: skills A–G and the 126/168 pass mark
How PACES scoring works: Satisfactory, Borderline and Unsatisfactory, the 168-mark total, the 126 pass mark and the minimum you need in each of the seven skills.
5 min read
PACES pass rates (2025) and the skills candidates most often fail
Official 2025 PACES pass rates for UK resident doctors and other candidates, first-attempt results, and what the data says about the skills and stations that cost marks.
4 min read
Preparation strategy
Plans, resources and ways to practise, including on your own.
Best MRCP PACES revision resources in 2026: an honest comparison
An honest comparison of PACES resources in 2026: bedside teaching, courses, video platforms, AI practice tools, books and podcasts, with which to use and when.
7 min read
How to practise for PACES on your own (without a partner)
No study partner? A practical routine for solo PACES practice: spoken presentations, viva drills, sign recognition, communication rehearsal and when you still need the bedside.
4 min read
Can AI help you pass PACES? What it can and can’t do
What AI practice tools can and can’t do for MRCP PACES, how to use an AI examiner and AI patients well, and how to combine them with bedside teaching.
4 min read
PACES revision timetable: an 8-week plan
A week-by-week 8-week PACES revision plan that balances bedside sessions, solo practice, communication and consultation stations, and full timed circuits.
4 min read
How to present a case in PACES (with model presentations)
A clear structure for presenting findings to PACES examiners, with model presentations for cardiovascular, respiratory, abdominal and neurology cases.
4 min read
Station guides
What happens in each encounter, common cases and how to present them.
PACES communication encounters (Stations 1 and 4): structure and common scenarios
How the 10-minute PACES communication encounters are run and marked, a structure that works, and the scenarios that come up most: bad news, DNACPR, capacity, errors, non-adherence and more.
6 min read
PACES consultation station (Stations 2 and 5): a 15-minute structure
How the 20-minute PACES consultation works, a minute-by-minute structure for the 15 minutes with the patient, and the scenario types the examiners use.
5 min read
PACES cardiovascular station: routine, common cases and viva questions
The PACES cardiovascular encounter: an efficient 6-minute routine, the common cases (valve disease, prosthetic and dual valves, VSD, pulmonary stenosis, HOCM and more), signs of severity and likely viva questions.
6 min read
PACES neurology station: why it costs the most marks and how to prepare
Neurology showed the largest gap from the maximum score of any PACES encounter in 2025. A localisation-first approach, the clinching signs and the common cord, brain, nerve and muscle cases.
6 min read
PACES respiratory station: common cases and how to present them
The PACES respiratory encounter: a reliable routine, the common cases (fibrosis, bronchiectasis, effusion, COPD, lung cancer, post-TB), what each chest scar means and how to present.
5 min read
PACES abdominal station: common cases and how to present them
The PACES abdominal encounter: chronic liver disease, splenomegaly, polycystic kidneys, transplants, dialysis access and stomas, with the signs, scars and devices that give the diagnosis away.
5 min read
Practise PACES with an AI examiner
Present cases, answer viva questions and talk to AI patients under real exam timings, with feedback on every PACES skill. The first case and topic in each section are free.
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