Knowing how to pass Acute Medicine SCE papers comes down to three things: covering all 13 blueprint categories in proportion to their weight, answering a large number of timed best-of-five questions, and rehearsing the full two-paper day before the real one. This 12-week plan does all three. It starts on 10 February 2027, the day applications close, which leaves exactly 12 weeks until the exam on 5 May 2027.
Exam information checked on 31 October 2026.
How to pass Acute Medicine SCE: the principles
Weight by the blueprint. Cardiovascular, gastroenterology and hepatology, neurology and ophthalmology, and respiratory medicine carry 20 questions each, and the mixed “Other” category carries 22. Our syllabus and blueprint guide lists all 13 categories.
Practise in exam format. The real exam is two three-hour papers of 100 questions each, with a one-hour break. You have an average of 108 seconds per question, so timed practice should start early, not in the last fortnight.
Learn from errors, not just volume. A short error log, reviewed weekly, is worth more than an extra 100 questions answered and forgotten.
Know current UK guidance. The exam regulations state that candidates are tested on UK practice, including NICE and SIGN guidelines.
The 12-week revision plan
| Week | Focus (blueprint questions) | Suggested content |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 (from 10 February) | Cardiovascular medicine (20) | Sit a 50-question mixed baseline block first. Then chest pain pathways, arrhythmias, heart failure, syncope. |
| Week 2 (from 17 February) | Respiratory medicine (20) | Asthma and COPD exacerbations, pneumonia severity, pulmonary embolism, pleural disease, oxygen and NIV. |
| Week 3 (from 24 February) | Gastroenterology and hepatology (20) | Upper and lower GI bleeding and risk scores, decompensated liver disease, pancreatitis, colitis. |
| Week 4 (from 3 March) | Neurology and ophthalmology (20) | Stroke and thrombolysis, seizures, headache red flags, reduced consciousness, the acute red eye. |
| Week 5 (from 10 March) | Medicine in the elderly (18) | Delirium, falls, frailty, polypharmacy, capacity, end of life decisions. |
| Week 6 (from 17 March) | Infectious diseases (14) and critical care (10) | Sepsis timings, meningitis, returning traveller; cardiac arrest, shock, escalation. |
| Week 7 (from 24 March) | Diabetes and endocrine (14) and renal (10) | DKA, HHS, sodium and potassium, adrenal crisis; AKI staging, hyperkalaemia. |
| Week 8 (from 31 March) | Clinical pharmacology and poisoning (10) and cancer, palliative care and haematology (10) | Common overdoses and antidotes, adverse drug reactions; neutropenic sepsis, cord compression, transfusion. |
| Week 9 (from 7 April) | Other (22) and musculoskeletal (12) | Anaphylaxis, skin emergencies, self-harm, patient safety; the hot joint, back pain red flags. |
| Week 10 (from 14 April) | Full mock: two papers | Sit both papers under exam timing on one day, then spend two sessions reviewing every error. |
| Week 11 (from 21 April) | Weakest categories | Revisit the three lowest-scoring categories from your tracker; sit a second full mock at the end of the week. |
| Week 12 (from 28 April) | Consolidate | Error log, key guideline thresholds and scores, light mixed blocks. Confirm your test centre and travel. Exam on Wednesday 5 May. |
Aim for roughly 150 to 250 questions a week in weeks 1 to 9, split between topic blocks for that week’s focus and a smaller mixed block from earlier weeks. These are suggested figures, not a requirement.
Make week 6 count. In the 2025 report, UK resident doctors scored lowest in clinical pharmacology and poisoning, and in 2024 the lowest category was infectious diseases. Both are often under-revised.
A typical week
On working days, aim for one block of 20 to 30 questions with full review of the explanations. On a day off, do a longer timed block of 50 questions followed by targeted reading on the topics you got wrong. Keep one short session to reread your error log and pick the three themes that keep returning.
The last three weeks
Sit the first full mock in week 10, both papers on the same day if your rota allows. It will show whether your pacing holds in the second half of a paper, something a short practice block cannot show. Spend at least as long reviewing it as sitting it.
Use week 11 to fix what the mock found, then sit a second mock to check. Keep week 12 light. Revisit your error log, scoring systems and drug doses, and confirm your test-centre booking and route.
If you are resitting after September 2026, use your results feedback to choose which categories to start with. Our pass mark guide explains the current passing score of 460, and the exam dates guide lists every deadline for May.
Follow the plan with Revision Pro
Revision Pro’s Acute Medicine SCE course gives you questions, revision notes, flashcards and podcasts for each category, and a Mock Mode of two weighted 100-question papers. Try it free for 72 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Is 12 weeks enough to pass?
It can be, if you already work in acute medicine and revise steadily. There is no official recommended preparation time. If you are starting with significant gaps, begin earlier and spread the topic weeks out.
How many questions should I do?
There is no official figure. The plan above suggests 150 to 250 a week, but full review of each question matters more than the total.
When should I sit a full mock?
Sit the first in week 10 and a second in week 11, leaving time to act on what each one shows.
