MRCGP exam dates and booking process

Find key dates, application deadlines and booking information for the MRCGP AKT and SCA exams.

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Before applying

Before you apply for the AKT or SCA, you must ensure you meet all mandatory eligibility criteria. Please review the important eligibility information below in advance of the booking window to avoid any delays with your application.

To contact the examinations team, please use the RCGP member helpdesk.

Candidates who intend to make an application for the AKT or SCA will be unable to do so if their membership or training records do not meet the criteria for eligibility. 

Prospective candidates should ensure the following in advance of a booking window:

  • MRCGP membership must be active. Resigned, lapsed or suspended MRCGP membership will prevent booking. Prospective AKT or SCA candidates who are not current members of the College should contact the membership department to discuss having their membership reinstated (membership@rcgp.org.uk).

  • Training records must state that candidates will be at the correct point in their training at the time of booking an assessment. For AKT this is either ST2 or ST3 year and for SCA this is ST3 year only. Both training posts and training years should be added to training records – gaps in information will prevent booking. Candidates are advised to check their FourteenFish portfolio regularly to ensure that it is up-to-date and to contact their Educational Supervisor if this isn’t the case, as they will be able to update it. Candidates in their ST1 during a booking window will need to evidence that they will be in ST2 by the test date. Candidates in this situation are advised to contact the Exams team in advance of the booking window, as a system override badge will need to be applied to their account in order to enable them to book.

  • Out-of-training candidates may need to contact the exams team prior to application (exams@rcgp.org.uk). Candidates on maternity or sick leave or in an extended period of training who are eligible to sit the test (i.e. at the correct point in their training (as stated above) and authorised to do so by their deanery and the RCGP) will require a system override to be added to their RCGP record; for maternity leave and training extensions this is usually automatically applied, however candidates are advised to contact the exams team if experiencing booking issues. Candidates on leave for any other reason will need to have a badge manually added and should contact the exams team in advance of a booking window. Evidence of eligibility may be required.

  • Candidate personal details within RCGP membership accounts should not contain special characters (specifically a comma, greater-than sign [>], or quotation marks [“] within a name or address). Pearson have informed us that this may result in booking / testing issues. Candidates are advised to check their membership details and update them if needed.

Booking notes:

  • Google Chrome is the preferred web browser for AKT and SCA applications
  • American Express is not an accepted method of payment at present

AKT candidates please note: during a booking window all enquiries must be made via email (the exams team phone lines are closed). This is to ensure maximum efficiency in dealing with booking enquiries. Please do not call other departments in the College with exams-related queries as they will have limited ability to help.

New booking process for 2026 Examinations

We launched our new examination booking process for the Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) and the Simulated Consultation Assessment (SCA) at the end of 2025.

Candidates no longer need to make a reservation in order to book any MRCGP examination. All bookings can be made via MyRCGP, our membership portal. Just select the My Exams tab in the menu to book an upcoming exam. You will not be required to access the FourteenFish platform for examination bookings.

Staged payments are available if you wish to take advantage of this option when booking your required examination. Payments are not collected automatically. You must make each payment by the relevant deadline.

If a payment is not made by the relevant deadline, your examination booking may be cancelled. Payment reminders may be sent as a courtesy, but candidates remain responsible for checking and meeting all published payment deadlines.

Payments made before the final booking deadline are refundable if you change your plans before that deadline.

Examinations can be cancelled without charge until the final booking deadline for an examination.

New examination booking system

Please have a look at these how-to videos to see how easy it is to use the new examinations booking system accessed via your MyRCGP account.


How the new payment system works from 1 April 2026

Payment stageAmountDue dateRefundable until
Deposit25% of examination feeCan currently be made from the point of booking up to the final booking deadline
Up to final booking deadline
Second payment25% of examination feeCan currently be made from the point of booking up to the final booking deadline - you must make this payment yourself. It is not automatically collected
Up to final booking deadline
Final balance50% of examination feeBy the final booking deadline – your examination fee must be paid in full to avoid having the booking automatically cancelled
Up to final booking deadline


Key benefits

  • Staged payments: Spread the examination fee across the payment stages shown above. You must make each payment yourself by the relevant deadline; payments are not collected automatically.
  • Flexibility: Spreading the initial cost into refundable instalments gives candidates more options when planning.

New examination booking system

Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) dates and booking

AKT dates 2026-27

You can book your examination (without the need for a reservation) up to and including the final booking deadline shown below for that diet. Your examination fee must be paid in full by this deadline. If you are paying in stages, you must make each payment yourself by its payment deadline. Payments are not collected automatically. If a required payment is missed, your examination booking may be cancelled.

Log into your MyRCGP area and select My Exams to check your booking and payment status by clicking the Manage Booking button.


Reasonable adjustments deadlinesFinal booking deadlinePearson centre online booking window*AKT test dateResults published (all 17:00 hours)
AKT July 2026
5 May 202625 May 202628 May - 3 Jun 20267 Jul 20266 Aug 2026
AKT Oct 2026
11 Aug 20261 Sep 20267- 16 Sep 202626 Oct 202625 Nov 2026
AKT Jan 202710 Nov 20261 Dec 20267-16 Dec 202626 Jan 202724 Feb 2027
AKT Apr 20279 Feb 20272 Mar 20278-17 Mar 202727 Apr 202726 May 2027
AKT Jul 202727 Apr 2027TBCTBC6 Jul 20274 Aug 2027

*To book a Pearson test centre, log into the MyRCGP portal and go to 'Your Exam Booking'. From there select the 'Pearson Access Link' to choose your preferred test centre.

We provide reasonable adjustments for the following:

  • neurodivergence
  • physical disabilities (including visual, hearing and speech impairments)
  • pregnancy at 32 weeks or over at the time of the examination
  • pregnancy under 32 weeks at the time of the examination, for those experiencing other pregnancy-related symptoms
  • breastfeeding

For more information about how to request reasonable adjustments and what supporting evidence is needed, please visit the reasonable adjustments page.

All dates and times may be subject to change. Appropriate notice of any changes will be given at the earliest opportunity.

Updates around these examinations are available on the main AKT page. Specific information about the changes to the format of the AKT from October 2025 is available on our website.

Non-mainland UK candidates

Please contact the examinations department as soon as possible, before a booking window to discuss test centre options. Sitting the AKT in a non-mainland UK location isn’t guaranteed, as is dependent on Pearson third-party test centre availability.

Updates around these exams are available on the main AKT page.

Simulated Consultation Assessment (SCA) dates and booking

SCA dates 2026-27

You can book your examination (without the need for a reservation) up to and including the final booking deadline shown below for that diet. Your examination fee must be paid in full by this deadline. If you are paying in stages, you must make each payment yourself by its payment deadline. Payments are not collected automatically. If a required payment is missed, your examination booking may be cancelled.

Log into your MyRCGP area and select My Exams to check your booking and payment status by clicking the Manage Booking button.


Reasonable adjustments deadlines
Final booking deadlineSCA test dateResults published (all 17:00 hours)
SCA Sep 20268 Jun 20263 Jul 20268 - 10 Sep 202620 Oct 2026
SCA Oct 20266 Jul 202631 Jul 20266 - 8 Oct 202610 Nov 2026
SCA Nov 20263 Aug 202628 Aug 20263 - 6 Nov 20268 Dec 2026
SCA Jan 202712 Oct 20266 Nov 202612-15 Jan 202716 Feb 2027
SCA Feb 20279 Nov 20264 Dec 20269-12 Feb 202716 Mar 2027
SCA Mar 202714 Dec 20268 Jan 20279-12 Mar 202713 Apr 2027
SCA Apr 202711 Jan 20275 Feb 202713-16 Apr 202718 May 2027
SCA May 20278 Feb 20275 Mar 202711-14 May 202715 Jun 2027
SCA Jun 202722 Mar 202716 Apr 20278-11 Jun 202713 Jul 2027


We provide reasonable adjustments for the following:

  • neurodivergence
  • physical disabilities (including visual, hearing and speech impairments)
  • pregnancy at 32 weeks or over at the time of the examination
  • pregnancy under 32 weeks at the time of the examination, for those experiencing other pregnancy-related symptoms
  • breastfeeding

For more information about how to request reasonable adjustments and what supporting evidence is needed, please visit the reasonable adjustments page.

All dates and times may be subject to change. Appropriate notice of any changes will be given at the earliest opportunity. We currently allocate four examination days per diet, although this may vary depending on candidate demand. While the average is three days, in exceptional cases, examination dates may extend into the following week.

Updates around these examinations are available on the main SCA page.

Find out more about the MRCGP