The MRCGP Simulated Consultation Assessment (SCA) is a challenging exam in a simulated surgery format. In this article, Dr Hadi Al-Zubaidi shares his experience of preparing for the exam, resources he used, and tips that helped him get a top score.
When I started preparing for the SCA, I knew I needed a solid understanding of the exam’s structure from the beginning. The SCA is not simply a test of whether you’re a good doctor in day-to-day practice. It assesses whether you can consult safely, efficiently, and in a patient-centred manner within a very specific format. I hope this article serves as a practical guide for those who are starting to prepare for the exam and are unsure where to begin.
I began by watching the Emedica Youtube video on the SCA format, which I found extremely useful.
It gave me a clear understanding of how the exam works, what the feedback statements mean, and what the different domains are actually assessing. This was important because it allowed me to approach my preparation with a clear purpose from the outset. Rather than just “doing cases”, I was able to focus on developing the specific consultation skills and behaviours that the exam rewards.
After that, I spoke to people who had already sat the SCA. I wanted honest advice from those who had been through it, especially around how long to prepare, which resources were useful, and what they would do differently if they had to sit it again. Based on those conversations, I decided to give myself around three months of preparation. That felt realistic for me because I was fortunate enough to not have a particularly hectic home life and I was able to protect time consistently. For trainees with children, caring responsibilities, or a more unpredictable home life, I think adding an extra two to three months would be completely reasonable. The key is not just how many months you revise for, but how consistently and deliberately you use that time.
I divided my preparation into three main areas: practice during work, practice outside of work, and building my clinical knowledge base. I think this structure worked well because it meant I was not relying on one method alone. The SCA requires a combination of knowledge, communication, structure, clinical judgement, time management and safety netting. You cannot really develop all of that from one resource or one style of revision.
For the knowledge side, I used a combination of my AKT notes, the Emedica GP 100 Case Crammer videos, Zero to Finals videos, and the PassMedicine High Yield textbook. Each resource served a slightly different purpose. My AKT notes helped with core clinical knowledge. The Emedica GP 100 Case Crammer videos helped me think in an SCA style and gave the relevant facts needed for common scenarios. Zero to Finals was useful for quick refreshers, and PassMedicine helped consolidate high yield topics. I did not use these resources passively. I tried to link the knowledge back to how I would actually explain things to a patient, what I would need to ask, what red flags I might need to exclude, and what management plan would be safe in general practice.
A big part of my preparation happened during work. In my tutorials, I made SCA practice the priority because I felt this was the best use of that protected time. I used the Emedica 75 SCA Casebook for SCA-specific practice during almost every tutorial. I found it very useful because the cases were realistic and each one came with its own mark scheme and knowledge summary. That meant I wasn’t just practising the consultation itself, but I was also learning what a strong answer looked like.
I alternated between using the Emedica 75 SCA Casebook and doing sit and swap clinics. In sit and swap clinics, my supervisor would observe my consultations and give me feedback across the three domains. This was invaluable because it helped me understand how my real life consulting style compared with what the exam required. It also showed me that being a competent GP trainee does not automatically translate into being exam ready. The SCA rewards safe, structured and patient-centred consulting within a strict time frame, and that requires deliberate practice. I had to train myself to be clear, efficient and focused without sounding robotic or formulaic.
Outside of work, I practised with one study partner at least two to three times per week for around three months. We mainly used SCA revision cases, which were excellent for building consultation structure and exposing us to a broad range of scenarios. Towards the end of our preparation, however, we moved away from the longer, more detailed cases and began using shorter case prompts and vignettes. By that stage, we already had a solid understanding of the exam structure and marking domains, so shorter cases allowed us to increase the volume of practice, work through more scenarios in each session, and refine our consultation skills under greater time pressure in the final stretch before the exam.
Choosing the right study partner was one of the most important decisions I made. I deliberately used only one study partner, but I was quite careful before committing to regular sessions. I suggested a rough schedule early on to see whether our availability and work ethic matched. That worked out well because we were both consistent and took the preparation seriously.
We also agreed from the beginning that we were not there to be “yes men” for each other. The aim was to give positive feedback where it was deserved, but also to be constructively critical when something needed improving. No offence taken. That agreement made a big difference. It meant the feedback was honest, useful and focused on improving rather than just being polite. In an exam like the SCA, vague reassurance is not enough. You need someone who will tell you when your data gathering is too slow, your management is too generic, your safety netting is weak, or your explanation does not sound patient-centred enough.
I also tried to bring SCA habits into my everyday consultations. When seeing patients in practice, I often had Google Stopwatch open and made sure I was moving from data gathering to management at around the six minute mark. Early on, I realised I had a tendency to spend too long gathering information and would sometimes leave myself with only a couple of minutes for explanation, management and safety netting. Using a stopwatch helped me develop a much better sense of pacing and ensured I was consistently practising the full consultation rather than just the first half of it.
This was one of the most useful habits I developed. It helped me build a natural sense of timing and prevented me from spending too long gathering information without moving the consultation forward. In the SCA, timing is crucial. You need enough information to make a safe decision, but you also need time to explain, manage, safety net and check understanding.
Over the three month period, this hybrid approach meant I covered a large volume of cases and clinical content. I did not put all my eggs in one basket. I used different resources, different settings and different forms of feedback. Some of my learning came from books and videos, some came from tutorials, some came from my study partner, and a lot came from reflecting on my actual consultations with patients.
When I received my result, I was genuinely shocked and delighted to have scored 112. I knew I had prepared properly, but I had not expected such a high score. Looking back, I do not think it came from one magic resource or one perfect technique. It came from consistent, deliberate practice over time.
My main advice to anyone preparing for the SCA would be to start by understanding the exam properly. Do not jump straight into endless cases without knowing what you are trying to improve. Use your tutorials well. Practise regularly outside work. Choose your study partner carefully. Build your knowledge base alongside your consultation skills. Most importantly, get comfortable with honest feedback.
I hope this is helpful if you are starting your preparation – best wishes with your exam!
Dr Hadi Al-Zubaidi
