How to build a daily MRCP PACES revision schedule

MRCP PACES revision is unlike revising for a written exam. You're not just memorising facts, you're building examination technique, refining your communication under pressure, and training yourself to present clinical findings fluently in real time. That combination is hard to fit around a full clinical rota, which is why so many candidates end up revising in short, unfocused bursts that don't translate into confidence on exam day.

A well-built daily schedule solves this. It doesn't need to take over your life outside work. It needs to be consistent, targeted at the right skills, and realistic about the time you actually have. This guide walks through how to structure that schedule, what to prioritise day to day, and how to keep momentum going in the weeks before your sitting.

What your schedule actually needs to cover

Before you can plan your week, it helps to be clear on what PACES is assessing. The exam is built around five stations:

• Station 1 – One communication encounter and one respiratory examination

• Station 2 – Clinical consultation

• Station 3 – One cardiovascular examination and one neurology examination  

• Station 4 – One communication encounter and one abdominal examination

• Station 5 – Clinical consultation

Each station tests a different combination of clinical and communication skills, including physical examination, identifying physical signs, clinical communication, differential diagnosis, clinical judgement, managing patients’ concerns and maintaining patient welfare. 

So, a schedule built around revising questions and answers alone won't get you exam-ready. You need time split across examination technique, verbal presentation, communication scenarios and applied clinical knowledge, not just reading.

Structuring a realistic daily block

Most successful candidates aren't revising for hours on end. They're protecting a focused 45–90 minute block most days and using it consistently. A useful way to structure that block is to rotate through three types of practice rather than doing the same thing every day:

Examination practice

Run through a system (cardiovascular, respiratory, abdominal or neurological) out loud, as though presenting to an examiner. This is where a lot of candidates lose marks, not because they can't examine a patient, but because they haven't practised narrating findings fluently and confidently.

Case practice and presenting findings

Use PACES-style cases to test your clinical reasoning and pick up patterns in how conditions present. Pastest's MRCP PACES video  bank is built specifically around exam-format scenarios, so working through a handful of cases each day keeps your reasoning sharp without requiring a huge time commitment.

Communication and ethics scenarios

These stations reward practice just as much as the clinical ones do, but they're often left until the final weeks. Rehearsing scenarios early, ideally out loud with a colleague or study partner, builds the fluency you need to stay composed when a scenario doesn't go the way you expected.

Rotating through these three areas across the week, rather than tackling them in isolation, mirrors how the exam actually tests you: as an integrated set of skills, not separate boxes to tick.

Making bedside practice count

Reading around a topic will only take you so far in PACES. Bedside teaching, ward-based practice and mock examinations with peers or seniors are where technique actually improves, because they surface small habits (hesitations, disorganised presentation, missed steps) that don't show up when you're revising alone.

If your rota allows it, try to build at least one bedside or simulated session into your week, even if it's informal. Pair this with structured content such as the PACES Revision Guide, which sets out core examination routines and common findings in a format designed to be revised alongside real practice, not instead of it.

For candidates who want more structured, examiner-led practice, an in-person PACES course can be a useful way to condense weeks of bedside practice into a focused block, with direct feedback on technique from experienced examiners.

Fitting PACES revision around clinical work

Consistency matters more than volume, particularly when you're balancing PACES preparation with a demanding job. A schedule that holds up against night shifts, on-calls and unpredictable days tends to work better than one built around ideal conditions that rarely happen.

A practical approach is to plan revision in weekly blocks rather than fixed daily slots. Decide which of the three practice types (examination, presenting findings, communication) you'll prioritise on rest days versus shift days, and accept that some days will only allow ten or fifteen minutes of focused practice. Short, protected sessions repeated consistently tend to outperform occasional long sessions that get cancelled when work gets busy.

As your exam date approaches, shift the balance toward full-length mock stations and timed practice, so the exam format itself feels familiar rather than something you're encountering for the first time under pressure.

Common mistakes to avoid

A few patterns come up repeatedly among PACES candidates who don't get the outcome they were hoping for:

• Relying almost entirely on revising video banks and online cases, with little or no spoken practice

• Leaving communication and ethics stations until the last week or two before the exam

• Revising the same familiar conditions repeatedly, rather than covering the full range of presentations

• Practising examinations in isolation, without narrating findings as though presenting to an examiner

• Building a schedule that only works on quiet weeks, then losing momentum when the rota gets busy

Building awareness of these patterns early, and structuring your schedule specifically to avoid them, tends to matter more than simply increasing the number of hours spent revising. It’s important to remember this while building your PACES revision schedule. 

Revise for PACES with Pastest

A strong MRCP PACES revision schedule isn't about cramming in as much content as possible. It's about consistent, varied practice that reflects how the exam is actually structured: examination technique, clinical reasoning, and communication, tested together under time pressure.

Pastest's MRCP PACES resources, including our online video bank, strategy guide and in-person course, are built around this structure, so you can plan a schedule that develops all three areas rather than focusing on the one that feels most comfortable. 

For a broader look at getting started with PACES preparation, see our guide on how to prepare for PACES.

Frequently asked questions

How long before PACES should I start revising?

Most candidates benefit from starting focused PACES revision eight to twelve weeks before their sitting, alongside ongoing clinical exposure. Earlier starts allow more time for bedside practice and communication scenarios, which tend to take longer to build confidence in than question-based revision.

How many hours a day should I spend on PACES revision?

There's no fixed number that works for everyone. A focused 45 to 90 minute session most days tends to be more effective than occasional long sessions, particularly when balanced against a full clinical rota. Consistency matters more than total hours.

Can I prepare for PACES using an online question bank alone?

A question bank is a strong foundation for clinical reasoning and pattern recognition, but PACES also tests spoken examination technique and communication under pressure. Combining question practice with case videos, bedside sessions, mock stations or a structured course tends to produce better results than question-based revision on its own.

How do I fit PACES revision into a busy on-call rota?

Planning revision in weekly blocks, rather than fixed daily slots, makes it easier to adapt around shift patterns. Prioritise short, protected sessions on busy weeks and save longer mock station practice for rest days or periods of lighter clinical work.

Should I revise all five PACES stations equally?

It helps to revise all five stations across your schedule rather than concentrating on the ones that feel most familiar, since each tests a different skill. Communication and ethics scenarios in particular are often under-practised relative to the examination stations, despite carrying equal weight in the exam.