What is assessed
- History taking and examination.
- Practical procedures and prescribing.
- Communication, consent and explaining.
- Professional behaviour and safety.
Prepare in four moves
- Practise aloud with a partner and a timer.
- Say what you are doing as you examine.
- Learn a plain-English explanation for common conditions.
- Ask for feedback and fix one thing each week.
Two sample stations
Original practice stations. Practise aloud with a partner and a timer, then compare with the model approach. They are not from any medical school or the GMC.
Station A: chest pain in the emergency department
You are a foundation doctor in the emergency department. Mr Davies, aged 58, has had central chest pain for an hour. Take a focused history, then tell him what you think is happening and what will happen next. You have eight minutes.
Role-player brief (only for your practice partner)
Heavy, central chest pressure spreading to the left arm and jaw, started at rest an hour ago, 8/10, with sweating and nausea. Smoker (20 a day), father died of a heart attack at 55. You are frightened and want to know if you will be admitted.
What examiners look for
- Introduces self and role, checks identity and gains consent
- Characterises the pain (site, onset, character, radiation, severity) and associated symptoms
- Asks about risk factors, past history, medicines and allergies
- Recognises a possible heart attack and states urgent actions
- Explains in plain language, checks understanding and responds to fear
Model approach
Think first of acute coronary syndrome. Take a structured history, say clearly that you are worried it may be his heart and that you will do an ECG and blood tests straight away, give him honest reassurance, and make sure a senior is involved. Check what he understood and answer his question about admission.
Common pitfalls
- Skipping risk factors or medicines
- Using jargon such as “troponin” without explaining it
- Offering false reassurance
- Forgetting to check understanding
Station B: explaining a new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes
You are a foundation doctor in general practice. Mr Khan, aged 52, has a repeat blood test that confirms type 2 diabetes. He has no symptoms. Explain the diagnosis and discuss what happens next. You have eight minutes.
Role-player brief (only for your practice partner)
You drive a taxi and worry about your job and injections. Your father had diabetes and lost his sight. You ask: “Is this because I ate too much sugar?” and “Will I need insulin?”
What examiners look for
- Explores what he already knows and fears first
- Explains in plain language and avoids blame
- Gives information in small chunks and checks understanding
- Discusses lifestyle, medicines and follow-up realistically
- Responds to his fears about work and sight
Model approach
Start by asking what he knows and what worries him. Explain that diabetes is a long-term condition where blood sugar stays too high, that sugar alone does not cause it, and that treatment and regular checks protect his health, including his eyes. Tackle the insulin worry honestly: many people start with lifestyle changes and tablets. Agree next steps.
Common pitfalls
- A lecture without pausing
- Medical jargon
- Ignoring his job worry
- Promising it will go away
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Frequently asked questions
How many stations will I face?
Your medical school sets the number, timing and marking within GMC requirements. Ask your clinical skills team.
Are real patients used?
Schools use real or simulated patients and examiners. Practise with a partner either way.
Do international graduates sit it?
Not directly: PLAB 2 is the clinical exam for most overseas graduates and is aligned with it.
How do I get better at stations?
Practise aloud, with a timer and a partner who gives honest feedback. Focus on one skill each session.
What if a station goes badly?
Put it behind you and focus on the next. Marking is usually per station, so one weak station is rarely the end.
Can I ask for adjustments?
Yes, speak to your school’s disability or student support team as early as possible so arrangements can be made.
Keep going
- UKMLA CPSA stations explained · The CPSA explained: what a station is, the kinds of stations to expect, how they are usually marked, and how to practise for each one.
- UKMLA revision plan: a 12-week timetable · A realistic 12-week UKMLA revision plan: week-by-week focus, how to fit it around placements, and how to check you are on track for the AKT and CPSA.
- Study planners · Simple weekly templates you can adapt.
- Official sources · The free, authoritative material the UKMLA is built on.
- Recommended books
- The step-by-step guide to the CPSA
- Discuss it in the community
General education, reviewed 27 October 2026. Formats and rules change: confirm with the GMC and your medical school. Sample material is our own and is not from the GMC.