The MRCGP SCA is one of the 3 parts of MRCGP, and is done in the ST3 year of training. Dr Sophie Arora achieved the highest score of all candidates in her deanery for her sitting of the SCA. In this article she shares her experience, the resources she found helpful, and tips for doctors starting their SCA preparation.
Preparing for the MRCGP SCA can feel overwhelming at first, there are so many resources available that I found it hard to know where to invest my time most optimally whilst still going into work as a GP trainee. Looking back now that I’ve passed, I can honestly say the Emedica SCA resources and SCA Preparation Course played a huge part in helping me feel confident and exam ready.
The biggest strength of the Emedica SCA preparation course was how closely it reflected the real exam. We worked through realistic SCA style consultations with professional actors as patients. The simulators were excellent, and made each scenario feel genuine so it really felt like sitting the exam rather than simply practising cases with friends.
After every consultation, we received personalised feedback from Dr Rahman. This was probably the most valuable part of the day for me. His feedback was specific, constructive and focused on what actually scores marks in the SCA. He highlighted practical changes I could make to improve my consultation structure, communication and overall performance, and I found myself applying those tips straight away in later practice sessions.
I also learnt a huge amount from observing the other candidates. Watching different consultation styles showed me there isn’t only one ‘right’ way to approach a case. It gave me ideas for phrasing, time management and consultation style that I could adapt to suit my own style.
Outside of the course, I exclusively used the Emedica online SCA case bank which was included as part of the post course learning. This has 75 cases with information for the simulator, doctor, and examiner for each one. I used this regularly with a small group of colleagues working systematically through to cover all the curriculum areas.
We’d take turns acting as the GP before marking each other using the Emedica mark sheets. Those mark sheets were genuinely one of my favourite resources because they clearly showed what examiners might be looking for in each domain. Many other resources provide cases, but few offered such detailed and specific marking guidance, which made our practice sessions much more focused and productive.
By the time I sat the real SCA, the format felt familiar because I’d already experienced realistic consultations with actors under exam conditions. Instead of worrying about what the exam would feel like, I was able to focus on demonstrating my consultation skills.
I’m proud to say I achieved the highest SCA score in my sitting across the East of England. I genuinely believe the preparation I did with Emedica, particularly attending the SCA preparation course and consistently practising using the Emedica case bank and mark sheets, played a significant role in helping me achieve that result.
My best advice to anyone preparing for the SCA would be to start practising consultations early, practise every case out loud, and get regular feedback. I feel the more you simulate the real exam, the more natural it becomes on the day of the exam itself.
My 6 Top Tips for SCA Preparation
1) Start preparing early and practise consistently.
2) Practise every consultation out loud rather than just reading cases.
3) Practise with colleagues and use structured feedback after every consultation.
4) Use the Emedica mark sheets (available in the SCA case bank or the SCA casebook)
5) Attend the Emedica SCA preparation course if you can and take advantage of Dr Rahman‘s personalised feedback.
6) You can learn as much from observing as you do from taking part.
For me, the combination of the Emedica SCA preparation course, realistic consultations with actors, personalised feedback from Dr Rahman and the online SCA cases gave me the confidence I needed going into the exam. If you’re looking for structured, practical preparation that closely mirrors the real SCA, I’d highly recommend it.
If you are just starting out, I hope this is helpful, and best wishes with your preparation and the exam!
Dr Sophie Arora
