Top Tips for Last Minute MRCPsych Paper A Revision - Dr Kevin Li
- April 06, 2023
Are you an overseas psychiatrist just beginning your journey through the MRCPsych exams?
Today, we’re sharing some of the top tips from Dr Kevin Li (MRCPsych) for last minute MRCPsych Paper A revision.
Divide your time according to the marks weighting of the sections
For example, general adult and critical review have the most marks in the exam, with 20% and 33.5% respectively, so you should prioritise these in your revision, then try to spend a proportionate amount of time on each section based on the marks it holds.
Perfect what you know
If there are any areas you are experienced or confident in, try to perfect these in order to gain the most marks possible in what you find to be the least challenging areas. These areas may also be easier to revise if they are better aligned with your training and practice to date.
Keep difficult topics fresh in your mind
If you’ve taken longer than 3 months to prepare for the exam, revisit the more difficult topics at the end of your revision. You may not retain this information long-term, so it’s important to have it as fresh in your mind as possible when coming up to the exam.
Take time off before the exam for intense study
Try to put some time aside in the weeks coming up to the exam to for a final push of intense study.
Use the best tools
Question banks and past papers such as SPMM are very useful in preparing for the MRCPsych Paper A - books are great too, but in the final crunch, you want to focus on material specific to the exams.
For access to a community of likeminded MRCPsych aspirants and dedicated psychiatry recruiters, join the IMG Psychiatrists Facebook group.
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MRCPsych Paper A is the first exam in the postgraduate route to GMC registration and can be very rewarding in the long run. The MRCPsych exams are the central components of psychiatry training in the UK, and as an international psychiatrist, passing the exam is the first step towards registering to work as a psychiatrist in the NHS.