AKT Feedback Jan 2017
AKT Feedback Jan 2017
AKT Feedback Jan 2017
After each sitting of the exam, the AKT core group provides feedback on
overall candidate performance via the College website and direct to educators via
Deaneries. We also highlight areas of general interest related to the exam. We hope
that this feedback is helpful to all those involved in education and training,
particularly GP trainees themselves, and we welcome comments on the feedback to
the email address at the end of this report.
The AKT 29 exam was held on 25th January 2017 and taken by 1110 candidates.
Statistics
Scores in AKT 29 ranged from 94 to 190 out of 200 questions with a mean overall
score of 74.1%.
The pass mark for AKT 29 was set at 138 with pass rates as below:
Learning resources
1. MRCGP AKT website
A. Content Guide
As referred to in previous exam reports, the AKT content guide is available on
the College website (current version August 2014). We would recommend
that candidates and trainers use this document in the ways we described in
the January 2013 AKT Feedback Report. Candidates who have not had much
exposure to research or statistics in their medical education are encouraged
not to overlook topics in section 2 of the guide. ST2s who have spent less
time in GP may need to review administrative topics which also feature as a
separate section in the Guide.
B. Exam tutorial
There is a generic tutorial on the Pearson VUE website to help candidates
familiarise themselves with navigating the computer-based test format. On the
day of the test, there is a specific AKT tutorial preceding the exam which
shows the exam format, question types, and how to complete answers on the
screen. It also shows how to mark questions for review.
Option lists
All the AKT question formats, apart from the free text, require the candidate to
identify the best answer(s) from a list of plausible alternatives, using all of the
information in the question. There may be other answers which are not
included in the option list, but the candidate should focus on the best available
answer for the specific question asked; in other words, focus on the options
given, and not what is absent.
3. National guidance
National guidance such as NICE, SIGN are the established reference sources for
many AKT questions. As stated earlier, all the questions are checked to ensure that
they apply across the UK and would not disadvantage candidates from any of the
four Home nations; the MRCGP is the licensing qualification to work anywhere in the
UK.
We would also highlight the use of the BNF for guidance on prescribing, including
the more general information in the opening chapters. This may be more accessible
and obvious in the printed version. The GMC publication Good Medical Practice
with its supporting guidance is also an important reference for the AKT exam.
Providing feedback which is educationally useful but which does not undermine the
security of test items is never easy. We have highlighted below general areas of
good performance, as well as areas where there is room for improvement. Both
Curriculum and Content Guide references are given.
Improvements
In AKT 29, candidates performed better than previously in
Candidates were not familiar with indications for different types of HRT, and also
found difficulty with management of incontinence, both of which are common issues
in womens heath.
3.10 Care of people with mental health problems (p.24 Content guide)
Anxiety and depression are common problems, which may not respond to first line
treatments. Candidates should be familiar with second and third line treatments,
which some GPs may initiate and others may take over prescribing after specialist
advice. In both cases, the GP becomes responsible for long-term monitoring and
safety, including awareness of potential dug interactions.
We hope that candidates will not overlook these and other common and
important areas in their exam preparation, guided by the curriculum and the
content guide.
Misconduct