Are in-person PACES courses worth it?

With so many PACES preparation options available, from question banks to revision guides to bedside teaching, it's a fair question to ask whether an in-person PACES course is worth the time and cost on top of everything else. The honest answer depends on where you are in your preparation and what's actually holding you back, but for many candidates, structured face-to-face practice fills a gap that self-directed revision struggles to close.

This guide looks at what a PACES course actually offers, who tends to benefit most, and how to judge whether it's the right addition to your revision plan.

What an in-person PACES course actually offers

The core value of an in-person PACES course isn't the content itself, since most candidates already have access to online case video banks and revision guides covering the same clinical material. The value lies in three things that are hard to replicate through self-study: examiner-led feedback, realistic mock stations, and structured practice under genuine time pressure.

Direct feedback from experienced examiners is particularly difficult to get elsewhere. Reading about examination technique or watching a video is useful, but it doesn't tell you whether your own presentation is disorganised, whether you're missing a step under pressure, or whether your communication style comes across as rushed. A good course surfaces exactly this kind of feedback, in real time, from people who understand what examiners are actually looking for.

Mock stations run to the real exam timings also matter more than they might seem to on paper. Many candidates who feel confident in their clinical knowledge still find the pace of PACES disorienting the first time they sit it. Practising the format itself, not just the content, reduces the chance of being caught off guard on the day.

Who benefits most from a PACES course

An in-person course tends to add the most value for candidates who:

• Have covered the core clinical content but haven't had much opportunity for structured, examiner-led feedback

• Struggle with confidence or fluency when presenting findings out loud, rather than with the underlying clinical knowledge

• Are resitting PACES and need to identify specific gaps in technique, rather than relearning content from scratch

• Have limited access to bedside teaching or mock examinations through their own department or rota

If you're still early in your revision and haven't yet built a solid foundation of clinical knowledge, a course is likely to be more useful later in your preparation, once you have something concrete to apply the feedback to.

How courses compare to self-directed revision

Self-study through video banks and revision guides remains an essential part of PACES preparation for almost every candidate, and it's usually the most time and cost-efficient way to build clinical knowledge and pattern recognition. Where it tends to fall short is in replicating the pressure, pacing and feedback loop of the real exam.

An in-person PACES course doesn't replace this groundwork. It builds on it, converting revised knowledge into exam-ready performance through repeated practice and correction. Candidates who go into a course having already done the underlying revision tend to get considerably more out of it than those using it as a substitute for that preparation.

For a broader comparison of the PACES courses available in the UK, our guide to the top 7 MRCP PACES courses looks at how different providers approach format, group size and feedback style.

What to look for in a good PACES course

Not all PACES preparation courses offer the same level of value, so it's worth being selective. A few features consistently separate strong courses from weaker ones:

• Small group sizes, so you get meaningful individual feedback rather than watching most of the day

• Examiners or senior clinicians with genuine PACES examining experience, not just teaching experience

• Realistic exam-format stations run to the actual time limits, rather than relaxed, untimed practice

• A structured mix of all five stations, including communication and ethics, not just the clinical examination stations

• Clear, specific feedback on technique, rather than general encouragement

Checking a course against this list before booking can save you from paying for a day that doesn't meaningfully move your preparation forward.

The Pastest in-person PACES course

Pastest's in-person PACES course, run in Manchester, is built around exactly this kind of structured, examiner-led practice. Candidates work through realistic mock stations across all five areas of the exam, with direct feedback from experienced examiners on both clinical technique and communication skills.

For candidates based in the north of England or looking for a PACES course in Manchester specifically, it offers an alternative to travelling to London-based courses, while still providing the same level of structured, examiner-led feedback. It's designed to sit alongside Pastest's existing strategy guide and video bank containing 140+ example PACES cases, giving you a complete path from content revision through to exam-ready performance.

If you're not sure where to start, our guide to the MRCP PACES exam covers the exam structure and stations in more detail, which can help you judge how much of your preparation is already covered and where a course might add the most value.

Frequently asked questions

Are PACES courses worth it if I've already done a lot of self-study?

Yes, in most cases. Self-study builds clinical knowledge, but a course adds structured, examiner-led feedback on technique and presentation that's difficult to replicate alone. Candidates who've already covered the core content tend to get the most value from a course, since the feedback has something concrete to work with.

How do I choose between different PACES courses in the UK?

Look for small group sizes, examiners with genuine PACES examining experience, realistic exam-timed mock stations, and coverage of all five stations rather than just the clinical examination ones. Our guide to the top 7 MRCP PACES courses compares several UK providers against these criteria.

Is there a PACES course in Manchester?

Yes. Pastest runs an in-person PACES course in Manchester, offering structured, examiner-led practice across all five PACES stations for candidates based in the north of England or anyone who prefers not to travel to a London-based course.

When should I book a PACES course relative to my exam date?

Many candidates find it most useful a few weeks before their sitting, once they've built a solid foundation through question bank practice and revision guides, so the feedback has clinical knowledge to build on rather than replacing it.