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.
The short answer
- No single resource gets you through PACES. The combination that works for most candidates is bedside practice with real patients for examination skills, plus a way to practise every day (partners or an AI practice platform), plus one good book for knowledge, with a course in the final weeks if you can afford one.
- For hands-on examination and real signs: bedside teaching and in-person courses such as PassPACES, PACES Ahead and BitePACES.
- For seeing examinations done well: video platforms such as Pastest and Quesmed.
- For daily practice when you have no partner: AI practice platforms. Ace PACES covers all six areas of the exam with an AI examiner and AI patients. BMJ OnExamination, Geeky Medics, iatroX and PACES Buddy focus mainly on talking-based stations.
Quick recommendations
| If you need… | Use |
|---|---|
| To find real signs and sharpen your examination technique | Bedside teaching, practice partners and an in-person course |
| To practise every day, including when you have no partner | An AI practice platform such as Ace PACES |
| To practise communication and consultation conversations | Ace PACES, BMJ OnExamination, Geeky Medics, iatroX or PACES Buddy, plus a partner playing the patient |
| To watch good examinations and real signs | Video platforms such as Pastest or Quesmed |
| A reference for cases and viva knowledge | One up-to-date PACES book (check it covers the 2023 format) |
| Something for the commute | PACES podcasts, or narrated topics in Ace PACES Drive Mode |
| The official rules and advice | The Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians' PACES pages (free) |
1. Bedside teaching and practice partners
Best for: Skills A and B, examination technique and finding real signs. Cost: free, but takes organising.
Nothing replaces examining real patients in front of someone who will critique you. In a trainee's account published by the Federation, after failing several times they concluded that "there really is no substitute for good old fashioned bedside teaching", and passed after arranging sessions with consultants (many of them PACES examiners) across several hospitals.
Limitations: sessions are hard to schedule around rotas, patients with good signs are not always available, and feedback quality varies. Most candidates cannot get enough of it to practise every day.
2. In-person PACES courses
Best for: intensive practice on real patients under exam conditions, usually in the final weeks. Cost: the most expensive option, plus travel and time off.
- PassPACES: courses run through University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, with dates published for September and October 2026.
- PACES Ahead: a multi-day course built around examining large numbers of real patients, with a mock exam and feedback.
- BitePACES: formats ranging from one-day intensives to longer hybrid courses.
- Intelligent PACES: sessions organised by skill, for example clinical skills or communication.
- Pastest: an in-person course with timed stations and real patients.
Limitations: a course is a one-off. It shows you where you are, but it can't give you the weeks of repetition that build fluency. Most candidates get more from a course once they have already practised a lot.
3. Online video platforms
Best for: seeing slick examination routines and real signs, especially early in preparation. Cost: mid-range subscriptions.
- Pastest MRCP PACES: a large library of filmed patient cases and examinations.
- Quesmed: PACES cases covering examination, history and communication stations.
Limitations: watching is passive. It is easy to feel prepared after hours of videos and still freeze when you have to present out loud.
4. AI practice platforms
Best for: daily, active practice of the parts of PACES you can rehearse without a real patient: presenting, viva answers, differentials, consultations and communication. Cost: from free to a subscription.
Ace PACES
Ace PACES (acepaces.co.uk) is an online MRCP(UK) PACES preparation platform. You practise cases with an AI examiner and AI patients, get feedback marked against the PACES skills A–G, and revise with clinical topics, heart and breath sound audio, flashcards and narrated audio topics.
- Covers all six areas of the exam: cardiology, respiratory, neurology, abdominal, consultation and communication.
- Examination cases: review the clinical findings (clinical images, heart and breath sounds), present them to an AI examiner, then answer viva questions with model answers.
- Consultation and communication cases: speak to an AI patient who responds in character, under real exam timings.
- Feedback: marked skill by skill (A–G) as Satisfactory, Borderline or Unsatisfactory, scored like two examiners.
- Revision: 100+ peer-reviewed PACES topics, a clinical skills library (such as fundoscopy and scar recognition), flashcards and Drive Mode narrated topics.
- Free to try: the first practice case and topic in each section are free with an account.
Limitations: it can't teach the feel of an enlarged liver or check your hand position. Use it alongside bedside practice, not instead of it.
Other AI tools
- BMJ OnExamination: AI-powered PACES cases (12 communication and 28 consultation cases). It does not cover the physical examination encounters. When we checked in October 2026, BMJ's page said the PACES product was unavailable to new customers.
- Geeky Medics: free AI virtual patients for communication-style stations such as history taking and counselling. AI examiner feedback and patient voice use paid AI credits.
- iatroX: voice and text simulations with feedback. One complete simulation is free, then a paid subscription.
- PACES Buddy: a free, open-source practice partner with a simulated patient and an AI examiner, available through managed access or your own AI API key.
- General chatbots (ChatGPT, Claude and similar): fine for quizzing yourself on facts or rehearsing a conversation, but they have no curated cases, no exam timings and no marking against the PACES skills, and they can describe findings that would not be present in a real patient.
5. Books
Best for: knowledge for the viva and a reference list of cases. Cost: low.
- PACES for the MRCP: With 250 Clinical Cases (Tim Hall): the classic comprehensive text.
- Cases for PACES: compact, bullet-point summaries for quick revision.
- The MRCP PACES Handbook: detailed station-by-station guidance.
- Clinical Consultation Skills in Medicine: A Primer for MRCP PACES: aimed at the consultation encounters in the current format.
Limitations: PACES changed format in 2023, so check that any book you buy covers the current consultation and communication encounters. Reading is also passive; pair it with spoken practice.
6. Podcasts
- The PrePACES Podcast: free; clinical knowledge, exam tips and guest discussions.
- PACES Revision Podcast (Medical Education Leeds): free; short summaries of common cases.
- Dr Podcast: paid episodes covering common cases by station.
7. Official resources (free)
The Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians publishes the format, the marking scheme, the pass standard, annual performance reports and preparatory advice for candidates. Read them first; they are short and they are the source of truth. Our format guide and marking guide summarise them with links.
How to combine them on any budget
- Free: bedside sessions and practice partners, the official guidance, free podcasts, and free cases on AI platforms.
- Moderate: add one up-to-date book and one subscription for daily practice, either a video platform or an AI practice platform.
- Full: add an in-person course two to four weeks before the exam, once you have built fluency.
Sources
- How I failed and passed PACES: a UK trainee’s perspective (Federation)
- BMJ OnExamination: PACES
- Geeky Medics: PACES exam revision with AI virtual patients
- iatroX: PACES Buddy and AI simulations
- Pastest: MRCP PACES online revision resources
- PassPACES courses, September–October 2026 (UHCW)
- Federation: PACES format
Frequently asked questions
What is the best resource for MRCP PACES?
There is no single best resource. Most successful candidates combine bedside practice on real patients, a way to practise every day (practice partners or an AI practice platform such as Ace PACES), one up-to-date PACES book, and often an in-person course in the final weeks.
Is a PACES course worth it?
For many candidates, yes, because courses provide real patients and examiner-style feedback under exam conditions. They work best once you have already practised a lot, as a course is a one-off and cannot replace weeks of repetition.
Are there AI tools for PACES practice?
Yes. Ace PACES covers all six areas of the exam with an AI examiner and AI patients and marks you against the PACES skills A–G. BMJ OnExamination, Geeky Medics, iatroX and PACES Buddy offer AI practice mainly for communication and consultation-style stations.
Can I pass PACES using only online resources?
It is unwise. Online and AI resources are excellent for presenting, vivas, communication and consultation practice, but examination technique and finding real signs (Skills A and B) need practice on real patients.
Which PACES book should I buy?
PACES for the MRCP: With 250 Clinical Cases is the classic comprehensive text. Because PACES changed format in 2023, make sure any book you buy covers the current consultation and communication encounters.
Written by The Ace PACES team. Exam facts are taken from the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians’ published PACES guidance, linked in the sources above. This guide supports exam preparation and is not a clinical guideline.
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