AKT Exam Feedback Report (October 2025)

The AKT 57 exam was held on 28th October, 2025 and was taken by 1583 candidates. This exam feedback report provides a summary of the October 2025 exam, including important statistics, areas of strength and difficulty for candidates, and advice for candidates looking to prepare for future AKT exams. If you would like to review other feedback reports for previous AKT examinations, please click on any of the below for more information:


Statistics

The scores for this AKT exam ranged from 36 to 156 out of 160 questions, with a mean overall score of 116.75 marks (72.97%). The pass mark was set at 109, with 70.63% of all candidates passing this exam. The mean score for each of the three subject areas was as follows:


Areas of Strength

For the October 2025 AKT exam, candidates performed better than in previous exams in questions that related to:


Areas of Difficulty

Summary of areas causing difficulty in AKT 57:

Continuity and quality of care, safety and prescribing (Professional topic)

Prescribing is a regular area in which we provide feedback. In AKT 57, candidates struggled with knowledge of the side effects of medications prescribed for long-term conditions. Candidates should consider common and/or important side effects for frequently prescribed medications.

Leadership, management and administration (Professional topic)

Guidance around confidentiality was an area which caused problems for some candidates in AKT 57. Candidates are reminded that this is an important part of being a GP for which the GMC provides detailed guidance.

Children and young people (Life stage topic)

Paediatrics was a topic causing several challenges in AKT 57. Firstly, candidates struggled with presentations of cancer in children. This included common presentations as well as rare but important scenarios. Early recognition of cancer in children is an important area which we will continue to test. Similarly, acute illness in children is an important topic which caused difficulty in AKT 57. Finally, safeguarding was variable, with candidates doing well in some questions and less well in others. Candidates are reminded that recognition of common safeguarding presentations is an essential part of primary care. Regular consulting with children with a range of presentations is often the best way to improve knowledge of common paediatric conditions.

Neurology (Clinical topic)

Neurology is again a feedback area in AKT 57. Candidates found particular difficulty in the identification of significant neurological conditions. As this is frequently a topic for feedback, it may be worth considering this in a tutorial or study group as part of your revision.

Past 12 months (AKTs 54-57)

Since 2024, there have been four annual sittings of the AKT exam. After three of the last four sittings of the AKT exam, we have highlighted a need for improvement regarding:

Neurology

Interpretation of symptoms and signs, including acute presentations

After two of the last four sittings of the AKT exam, we have highlighted a need for improvement regarding:

Leadership, management and administration

The feedback concerned access to medical records and confidentiality guidelines.

Evidence in practice, research, teaching, and lifelong learning (Professional topic)

The feedback concerned data interpretation and the common study design terminology

Continuity and quality of care, safety and prescribing

Drug monitoring, side effects of common medications for long-term conditions

Children and young people

Diagnosis and management of paediatric urological conditions; paediatric cancer; acute illness; safeguarding

And on one occasion each over the past 12 months, we have fed back on:

People with long term-conditions including cancer

Management of common long-term conditions

Dermatology

Management of common conditions

Eyes and vision

Eye signs

Infectious disease and travel health

Diagnostic investigations for infectious diseases

Learning disability

Learning disability and genetic causes


Exam Preparation

Candidates must stay vigilant and scrutinise relevant guidance in their AKT exam preparation, which will help to improve their chances of success. The GP curriculum serves as a robust blueprint for exam readiness, and the knowledge and skills sections of each topic guide offer a valuable resource for those striving to make certain they've encompassed all critical topics. Additionally, regularly reviewing the scenarios in the AKT exam with caution and completing an online MRCGP AKT question bank and mock exam is highly recommended.