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.
The short answer
- You can’t learn to feel a spleen on your own, but most of what PACES marks can be practised solo: presenting, differential diagnosis, viva answers, consultation and communication structure, timing and sign recognition.
- A 30–45 minute daily routine works well: one case presented out loud and recorded, ten minutes of sign recognition, and one communication or consultation scenario rehearsed aloud.
- Get feedback by recording yourself against the PACES skills, or by using an AI examiner and AI patients.
- Keep bedside sessions for what only they can give you: examination technique and real signs.
What you can and can't practise alone
| You can practise alone | You need a patient (and ideally an observer) |
|---|---|
| Presenting findings clearly in about a minute | Examination technique under observation (Skill A) |
| Differential diagnoses and viva answers (D, E) | Detecting real signs: murmurs, crackles, organomegaly, reflexes (B) |
| The structure of consultations and communication encounters (C, F) | Patient comfort, exposure and dignity in practice (G) |
| Recognising signs from images and audio recordings | Adapting to a real patient's responses |
| Timing: 6, 10 and 15-minute encounters |
In other words, solo practice covers most of D, E, C and F and a good part of B. That is a large share of the 168 marks (see how PACES is marked).
A 30–45 minute daily solo routine
- One case, out loud (15 minutes). Take a case: a write-up, a set of clinical findings or an AI case. Give yourself 60 to 90 seconds to present it as if to examiners, then answer three likely viva questions out loud. Record it on your phone.
- Sign recognition (10 minutes). Listen to heart and breath sound recordings and look at images of clinical signs. For each, say the sign, the diagnosis and two differentials in one breath.
- One conversation (10–15 minutes). Read a communication or consultation scenario, plan for 5 minutes as you would in the interval, then run the conversation out loud to time. Use an AI patient, or speak both parts and note where you got stuck.
- Review (5 minutes). Play back the recording. Did you lead with a diagnosis? Did you mention severity and complications? Did you address the concern as soon as it came up?
Techniques that work
- Shadow your examination routine. Run through each system's routine on a willing family member, or narrate it on yourself, until the order is automatic and fits comfortably inside 6 minutes.
- Write "case scripts". For each common case, write the one-minute presentation once, then practise saying it from memory. You will find that 30 or so scripts cover most of the exam (see the station guides).
- Use your working day. Patients with good signs are on every ward. With their permission, examine them and present to yourself on the way back to the desk.
- Drill the transitions. Practise the opening line of a communication encounter, the move from history to examination in a consultation, and your closing summary. These are where candidates most often stall.
- Practise saying "I don't know". In the viva, a safe "I'd discuss that with a senior colleague" beats a confident wrong answer.
How to get feedback when you're on your own
- Mark yourself against the skills. After each recording, give yourself Satisfactory, Borderline or Unsatisfactory for each relevant skill, and be strict.
- Use an AI examiner. AI practice platforms can question you like an examiner and mark your attempt against the PACES skills, which turns solo practice from rehearsal into assessment.
- Bank questions for your next bedside session. Keep a list of things you couldn't settle alone, such as whether a sign is real or how to grade it, and take them to a registrar or consultant.
Finding partners when you can
Solo practice is the foundation, not the whole building. Ask colleagues sitting the same diet to form a group, look for regional PACES teaching, and trade sessions: you play the patient for their communication encounter, they play yours. Even one partner session a week multiplies the value of your solo work.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Can you prepare for PACES on your own?
Partly. Presenting, differential diagnosis, viva answers, consultation and communication structure, timing and sign recognition can all be practised alone. Examination technique and detecting real signs need practice on real patients, ideally with someone observing.
How do I practise PACES communication without a partner?
Read a scenario, plan for 5 minutes as you would in the exam, then run the conversation aloud to time, either with an AI patient or by speaking both parts. Record it and check that you addressed concerns as soon as they came up and finished with a summary and agreed plan.
How long should I practise for PACES each day?
A focused 30–45 minutes of active, spoken practice on most days is more useful than occasional long sessions, alongside regular bedside sessions with real patients.
What is the best way to practise presenting for PACES?
Present out loud, to time (60–90 seconds), and record yourself. Lead with the most likely diagnosis and the key findings that support it, then severity, complications, cause and differentials.
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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