AKTivate: A Multicentre Pilot Study Exploring Medical Student Preparation for the new Medical Licencing Assessment (MLA) in the United Kingdom (UK)

Background The Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) is the new National Licensing Examination (NLE) for medical schools in the United Kingdom (UK), regulated by the General Medical Council (GMC). It comprises two written single-best answer papers known as the Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) and a Clinical and Professional Skills Assessment. This study focused on how medical students prepare for the AKT only. The aims of this research were to understand usage and evaluation of official MLA resources and external study resources by medical students in the UK when in preparing for the AKT. Methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted at six UK medical schools. Data were collected using an online questionnaire. The questionnaire explored student demographics, the MLA Content Map and use of the MSC practice papers, reasons for utilising external study resources and their financial impact. Results In total, 100 responses were included in the study. The MLA Content Map was used by 79% of students, with 92% using MSC practice papers. Resources outside of their medical school materials were used by 97% of students; chiefly external online question banks, used by 99% of students. All students who participated purchased additional external resources. Conclusions In this pilot study, UK medical students universally used external resources to prepare for the AKT first sitting in June 2024. A significant number of students did not identify official MSC practice exam questions as sufficient preparation for the AKT. Further data are required to further inform UK Medical Schools, the GMC and MSC regarding optimising resource provision for students. This pilot research forms the foundation of a larger, more comprehensive study which has been expanded to all UK medical schools for the 2024–25 exam cycle, which is enriched by collecting qualitative insights.