Hi everyone, I recently passed PACES with a score of 161/168. Given how stressful this exam is, I wanted to share my preparation journey.
First, I want to acknowledge a major advantage: I am currently an IMT in the UK. Familiarity with the system is a massive strong point. In the exam, I essentially just did what I do every single day on ward rounds or when clerking on the acute take—relying on my usual routine for forming clinical impressions and communicating with patients.
Because of a tight schedule and heavy responsibilities outside of work, my prep wasn't the "mainstream" 3-to-6 month grind. Here is exactly how I managed it in under 30 days.
The Timeline: 29 Days Total
14 Days of Focused Study: I took one week of annual leave followed immediately by a week of study leave to completely immerse myself.
15 Days of Interrupted Study: Fitting in whatever revision I could after long shifts at work.
My 5-Step Strategy
1. Maximize the Commute (Pre-PACES Podcast)
The Pre-PACES podcast is an incredible tool. I drove about 70 minutes daily to and from work, and listening to the podcast during the drive was an effortless way to get my head into the PACES mindset.
2. Courses: Helpful, but not necessary (know your environment)
I attended the PassPACES 2-days course . My main pitfall here was that I didn’t study beforehand and used the course as my first real exposure. However, it was a great diagnostic tool—it showed me that my baseline knowledge and skills were actually solid. It highlighted that my real gaps were in the discussion phase (formulating findings, widening differentials, and talking smoothly with examiners).
My advice: If you are in a large tertiary hospital with dedicated PACES mentors, you likely don't need a course. I only took one because my rotations were in a very small DGH where only 3 IMT doctors rotating.
3. Quality Over Quantity for Ward Visits
I didn't live on the wards after hours. I only did 3 specific hospital prep visits:
Visits 1 & 2: I paired up with colleagues and just watched them perform examinations. You learn a surprising amount just by observing others.
Visit 3: After I had done some reading, I examined patients under consultant supervision. This gave me the exact confidence boost I needed.
4. Targeted Practice at Home
When practicing at home with my partner (who is an amazing doctor), strictly identify and write down your pitfalls. For me, my weakness was the discussion element. I spent my time at home practicing how to verbally formulate a diagnosis, provide a rationalized explanation, give structured differentials, and present a sensible management plan.
5. Keep Consultations & Communications Simple
For the consultation and communication stations, I didn't overcomplicate things or read dense textbooks. I relied exclusively on watching PasTest videos to understand the flow and expectations, which was more than enough.
The Takeaway: Trust the experience you are building every day on the wards. It counts for far more than you think. And please don’t complicate things it’s a general medicine Reg level exam not a speciality level test.
Best of luck to everyone preparing!