We support final year medical students taking the MLA AKT
Our challenging mock papers help you put your knowledge to the test
What we currently offer on our website
The MLA AKT is the final hurdle, and it can be challenging. We have sat it ourselves. Looking back, there was no single resource that truly made us feel ready for exam day, so we made the resource we wish we had. We hope you make the most of it.
- The Synapse Team
See our Refund Policy for more details.
Three reasons our mocks are different.
Question are written from recall-based concepts during meetings with experienced authors
Use the mapping and references to structure your revision and spot the gaps in your knowledge
GMC MLA Content MapView on the GMC websiteWe build questions designed to test clinical reasoning rather than pattern recognition - exactly like the MLA!
Try Our Sample QuestionsOne token unlocks one timed attempt at a 100-question paper.
Set aside two uninterrupted hours. Our timed papers cannot be paused or restarted - so make it count!
Unlimited review of answer explanations at no extra cost (this is included in the price of the token).
Choose the option that best fits your preparation.
One 100-question paper to assess your readiness.
Paper 1 and Paper 2. A full mock exam experience.
Attempt two of our MLA mocks, each with Paper 1 and Paper 2
More flexibility for new papers and reattempts.
The MLA Assessment Structure maps certain topics to each paper. We have followed this exact format for our own mock paper construction.See the MSC Handbook 2026 for official guidance.
| Clinical area | Minimum No. Of Questions |
|---|---|
| Cardiovascular | ≥10 |
| Gastrointestinal | ≥10 |
| Medicine of older adult | ≥10 |
| Respiratory | ≥10 |
| Clinical area | Minimum No. Of Questions |
|---|---|
| Renal & Urology | ≥10 |
| Endocrine | ≥8 |
| Infection | ≥8 |
| Neurosciences | ≥8 |
| Dermatology | ≥4 |
| Ophthalmology | ≥2 |
| Clinical area | Minimum No. Of Questions |
|---|---|
| Musculoskeletal | ≥10 |
| Cancer | ≥8 |
| Emergency medicine | ≥8 |
| Ear, nose & throat | ≥4 |
| Haematology | ≥4 |
| Breast | ≥2 |
| Palliative care | ≥2 |
| Peri-op med & anaesthesia | ≥2 |
| Clinical area | Minimum No. Of Questions |
|---|---|
| Child health | ≥12 |
| Mental health | ≥12 |
| Obstetrics & gynaecology | ≥10 |
| Medical ethics & law | ≥2 |
| Sexual health | ≥2 |
| Social / population health & research methods | ≥2 |
Each group contains 50 questions. The listed minimums total 40; the remaining questions are distributed within the group.
What you need to know before exam day
The AKT is the written part of the MLA. It tests how you apply medical knowledge to clinical problems. You also need to pass the clinical and professional skills assessment (CPSA).
You sit one 100-question paper on day one and a second 100-question paper on day two, on consecutive days. Both use single best answer questions, with two hours for each paper unless agreed reasonable adjustments apply. The AKT is normally taken from January onwards in your final year, or in the summer of your penultimate year, depending on your medical school. It is delivered in person under invigilation on the Exam-Write® platform, using a desktop computer or a university-provided tablet, such as an iPad. Your medical school will confirm your dates, device and venue.
There is no fixed pass percentage. The AKT uses modified Angoff standard setting, where expert panels judge how a minimally competent candidate would perform. Pass marks for September 2024–August 2025 ranged from 115–117 out of 200 (57.5–58.5%). That gives you some context, but it is not a target you can assume will apply to your sitting.
The AKT is pass/fail, and you will also receive your score. Your medical school will tell you when and how you will receive your result, with a wait of around five weeks at most according to the MSC student handbook. The MLA is not used for national ranking, although your school may use scores to award prizes and honours. MSC reported a 98.3% pass rate by the end of August 2025.
The general advice from MSC is that UK medical students will normally be entitled to no more than four valid attempts at the AKT and that students should be allowed no more than two actual attempts at the assessment in an academic year and therefore it is likely that the four valid sits will need to take place over two academic years. Always check your medical school’s current policy for the arrangements that apply to you.
Historical pass marks and pass-rate figures above are from MSC’s 2024–25 annual report. Your medical school’s current guidance takes precedence for local arrangements. Read the 2026 MSC student handbook ↗ MSC Board reports and FAQs ↗
TESTIMONIALS
Completing the Synapse mocks was the best decision I made in the lead up to the MLA. It included high yield topics that I had never come across before.
Swipe to explore
Testimonial 1 of 5
One token gives you one attempt at one 100-question paper, followed by access to the answer explanations for review.
Yes, you can use the tokens to unlock any combination of papers you like. It does not necessarily have to be one Paper 1 and one Paper 2, although we highly recommend this if you are preparing for the MLA AKT.
No, you will not be able to pause or restart the paper once the timer has started. Set aside two uninterrupted hours before starting a paper so you can practise the pace of the exam - our system is designed to be a trial run of the real thing!
Yes, you can return to the explanations after completing your paper at any time. Retaking a paper under timed conditions, however, counts as a new attempt and will use another token.
No, you can review answer explanations for a completed paper at any time. There is no time limit on this and it will NOT cost any tokens. Retaking the paper under timed conditions, however, will cost a token - so make the first attempt count!
Knowing the content is the first step.
Put it into practice with Synapse.
