Best UKMLA Apps 2026: The Honest Comparison

Somewhere on the wards you'll look down at your phone and realise you've got seventeen minutes before the next teaching session. No laptop, no decent wifi, no time to fire up a desktop Q-bank. What you actually need, right now, is a good UKMLA app — one that opens in two seconds, runs offline, asks you a question that maps to tomorrow's AKT content map, and gives you a clean explanation with a NICE reference before the bleep goes off.

The market for UKMLA revision apps has expanded fast since the 2024 cohort and the quality is all over the place. Some apps are repurposed MRCP or PLAB banks with "UKMLA" stamped on the cover. Others are OSCE video libraries with no question bank attached. A few are genuinely blueprint-native, mobile-first tools with explanations that hold up to the actual AKT standard.

This guide compares the ten apps UK medical students and international medical graduates are leaning on in 2026, scored honestly against the criteria that matter on the ward: blueprint alignment, explanation quality, offline performance, pricing, and how well they fit the mobile workflow most people actually live in. We built MLA Prep because we were in final year when the UKMLA launched and the existing Q-bank options felt like they were designed for someone studying in a library, not somebody scrolling questions during a 45-minute commute. We'll be upfront when we're talking about our own app — and we'll tell you where the other options beat us.

1. How to judge a UKMLA app in 2026

Before we rank them, it's worth being honest about what "best" means for this exam. The UKMLA has two components — the Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) and the Clinical and Professional Skills Assessment (CPSA) — and no single app does both well. The market is really three markets: AKT question banks, OSCE video libraries, and hybrid revision platforms. Most students stitch two or three apps together. The question isn't "which one app wins" — it's "which two or three apps make up a sensible stack for my exam date, my pathway, and my budget".

The criteria that separate the good apps from the mediocre ones in 2026:

1. Blueprint alignment with the GMC Content Map 2026. The GMC content map was last updated for the 2026 diet, and a surprising number of apps are still using an older map. Ask: does this app's topic list actually match the 25 clinical specialty areas plus the professional capabilities? Are ethics, safeguarding, evidence-based practice, and health promotion covered with real questions — not just a token section?

2. Question authoring provenance. The AKT has been stable enough since 2024 that we now know what "UKMLA-style" looks like: clinical vignettes with realistic UK primary-care and NHS hospital framing, five options (A–E), single best answer, no negative marking, explanations that reference NICE CKS, BNF, Resuscitation Council UK, and other UK guidelines. Many cheaper apps recycle US Step-style questions. Avoid them.

3. Offline performance. Placement wifi is a fiction. A revision app that needs a connection to load a question is a revision app you won't use on the wards. The best apps use local SQLite storage and sync in the background when connection returns.

4. Explanation depth. A correct answer with two-line "because it is" explanation is training you to guess faster, not to think better. The best UKMLA apps give you the full differential, explicit reasoning for why each distractor is wrong, and a reference to the primary NICE or BNF source.

5. Spaced repetition implemented well. Raw flashcards are fine. Flashcards linked to question errors with a genuine SM-2 or FSRS algorithm, so the cards you forget resurface at the right interval, is worth paying for.

6. Progress analytics. Knowing your overall accuracy is nearly useless. Knowing that you're at 78% in cardiology but 42% in ophthalmology, across most-recent attempts only, on the specific topics your exam will weight heaviest, is the signal that actually changes your study plan.

7. Price and pricing model. Subscription-only apps lock you out the day your trial ends. One-time purchase apps stop getting content updates. The best pricing model in 2026 is a generous free tier that lets you actually test the content, with an optional upgrade that unlocks mock exams, analytics, and the full question bank.

8. Pathway specificity. UK final-year students and international medical graduates (IMGs) are sitting the same exam but coming at it from different directions. IMGs need more UK-specific content: NICE guidelines framing, NHS pathway assumptions, ethics and professionalism under GMC Good Medical Practice 2024, safeguarding and Mental Capacity Act scenarios. An app that treats both groups identically is leaving value on the table for IMGs.

With those criteria in mind, here are the ten apps we'd actually recommend stacking — starting with the one we built, then eight genuine alternatives, plus a utility recommendation everyone should have.

2. MLA Prep — the blueprint-native iOS app

App Store: UKMLA / PLAB — MLA Prep. Web: mlaprep.co.uk.

Why we built it. We were final-year students when the UKMLA launched in 2024, and the revision tools available at the time felt like they'd been grudgingly ported from a decade of MRCP and PLAB material. Web-first UIs squashed into a phone screen. Explanations that stopped one line short of being useful. Question banks that forgot you were in clinical placement with no wifi. Notes that lived on a different platform to the questions that referenced them, so you spent more time tab-switching than learning. MLA Prep is what we wished existed — a single, genuinely mobile-first revision app where the notes, questions, and flashcards are all built against the same 672-topic map, all work offline, and all talk to each other.

The full picture — what's inside the app.

MLA Prep is built on the GMC Content Map 2026 and gives you four connected study surfaces for every single topic, not just a Q-bank bolted onto a login screen:

1. Study notes for every topic (free, 672 notes). Every topic in the content map has its own 800–1,400 word revision note, structured the way a ward registrar would actually teach it: Definition → Classification → Causes → Clinical Features → Investigations (bedside → bloods → imaging → special) → Management (anchored to the specific NICE guideline) → Complications → High-Yield UKMLA Facts. Each note is cross-referenced to the exact NICE guideline number (NG100, NG196, CG103, etc.) and BNF drug entry it draws from, and notes update when guidelines do. This is the feature most competitors either don't have, charge extra for, or scatter across a separate web platform. Our notes are inline with the questions, linked to the flashcards, and free — every single one of the 672.

2. 6,978 AKT-style SBA questions. UK clinical vignettes written to the blueprint, five options (A–E), single best answer, no negative marking — the real UKMLA format. Every question has a full explanation covering why the correct answer is correct, why each of the four distractors is wrong, and a link back to the relevant note and the primary NICE / BNF source. Questions come in two modes:

• Tutor mode — instant feedback after each question, full explanation immediately, designed for learning (not test-taking).
• Timed mode — blocks of 10 to 200 questions with a proper exam timer, answer-review lock, and no feedback until the end. This is the rhythm of the real AKT.
• Mock exam mode — full 200-question timed mocks under exam conditions for the final 6–8 weeks of prep.

3. 10,766 flashcards with a real spaced-repetition algorithm. Every topic has 8–14 hand-authored flashcards keyed to its core facts — definition, classification, first-line investigation, first-line management, a specific drug and dose, a common complication, a mnemonic, a classic exam trap. Cards you get wrong resurface on a shorter interval; cards you nail drift to longer intervals. The SRS is tuned for exam prep timescales, not lifelong retention, so cards schedule around your actual exam date — not an abstract far future.

4. Progress analytics that change what you do next. The Progress tab shows overall accuracy on most-recent-attempt semantics (so old incorrect attempts don't permanently drag your average), specialty-by-specialty performance with a three-attempt minimum to filter noise, weak-area heatmaps across the full blueprint, notes-read coverage, flashcards-mastered coverage, projected coverage by your exam date, and a trend chart across the last 30 days. These are the numbers that tell you what to study tomorrow — not the vanity metrics most apps surface.

Why the offline-first design matters. Every note, question, and flashcard is bundled into the app at install time and stored locally in SQLite. The app opens in two seconds, works on aeroplane mode, works on ward wifi that cuts out every three minutes, works in the hospital car park, works on the tube. Your progress syncs when you're back online. This isn't a "works offline eventually" promise — it's the architecture the app is built on. We tested this specifically for placement use, because placement is where revision actually happens.

Other things that matter day-to-day.

• Pathway-specific onboarding. At first launch you tell the app whether you're a UK medical student or an international medical graduate. The IMG pathway surfaces UK-specific content more aggressively — NICE CKS primary-care pathways, NHS referral thresholds, Mental Capacity Act and Mental Health Act scenarios, GMC Good Medical Practice 2024, safeguarding under the Care Act 2014 — because these are the areas IMGs consistently find hardest and competitors under-serve.
• Daily goal tied to your exam date. Set your daily question target (10 / 20 / 30 / 50) and the app projects your coverage at that pace, warns you if you're behind, and shows you which specialties you've under-sampled.
• Search across the entire blueprint. Type "heart failure" or "cauda equina" and the app jumps to the topic, the note, the questions, and the flashcards instantly.
• Dark mode, large touch targets, full VoiceOver and accessibility support. Designed for one-handed use on a crowded train.
• iOS and web. Native iOS app via the App Store plus a full-featured web version at mlaprep.co.uk. Your progress syncs across both. Android is on the roadmap but not shipped yet.
• No ads, ever. The free tier is the free tier. There are no banner ads, no interstitials, no tracking beyond the anonymous usage metrics we need to improve the app.

Pricing — free forever for the core product. The free tier is genuinely usable: all 672 notes, the full flashcard deck with SRS, a generous daily question allowance, and the Progress tab. Premium is a single, localised App Store subscription (monthly or annual) that unlocks mock exams, unlimited question practice, advanced analytics, and all specialties from day one. Our pricing philosophy is simple — the free tier is enough to pass the UKMLA on its own, and premium exists to unlock the mocks-and-analytics layer that starts mattering in the final two months.

Honest limitations.

• No OSCE video library. For the CPSA we explicitly recommend Geeky Medics and OSCEstop alongside MLA Prep — we don't try to compete on video content and we never will. Our CPSA content is text-based station walkthroughs, communication scripts (SPIKES, BREAKS, Calgary-Cambridge), and mark schemes — which pair well with videos from the free libraries.
• Not an institutional offering (yet). If your medical school has an all-you-can-eat deal with Quesmed, Pastest, or BMJ OnExamination, use it — we're an individual-purchase product, not a faculty-subscription product.
• Newer brand than the 15-year incumbents. If you want the "everyone in the year group uses it" reassurance, Passmedicine and Quesmed have that. We're earning the reputation — but we'd rather the product do the talking.

Best for. UK students and IMGs who want a mobile-first, offline-capable, blueprint-native workflow where notes, questions, and flashcards live in the same app against the same topic map. If you're going to be studying on the go — commutes, wards, night shifts, hospital canteens with dreadful wifi, Sunday afternoon on the sofa — this is the app you'll actually open. Install it free from the App Store.

3. Passmedicine — the established web-first Q-bank

What it is. Passmedicine has been the default UK medical Q-bank for fifteen years. Originally built for MRCP and PLAB, it now has a dedicated UKMLA package and remains the default starting point for most UK final-year students.

What it does well.

• Huge question bank — tens of thousands of questions across multiple exam types, with the UKMLA package offering a curated subset that matches the blueprint.
• Clean web interface and a long reputation for explanations that genuinely teach, not just mark.
• Guideline-anchored explanations — Passmedicine was early to anchor its answers in NICE CKS and BNF, which is the standard now.
• Cheap, especially for the six-month access which most students can fit around their exam date.

Weaknesses.

• Web-first. The mobile app is functional but not a first-class citizen; offline performance is limited and the UI is clearly a web view.
• Question provenance drifts. Because the bank is huge and inherited from MRCP/PLAB, some questions feel older than the current UKMLA style. You'll notice the blueprint-era questions are sharper than the legacy ones.
• Analytics are basic. You'll know your percentage but not much about why you're getting specific things wrong.

Best for. UK students who want the largest possible question bank at a low price, and are willing to study primarily at a laptop. For AKT volume alone, it's hard to beat.

4. Quesmed — the slick UK-student favourite

What it is. Quesmed built its reputation on the UK final MB market and transitioned smoothly to UKMLA. It's a polished, opinionated platform with strong mock papers and a clear house style.

What it does well.

• Mock exam quality. Quesmed's mocks are well-curated, calibrated, and include a genuinely useful post-mock breakdown.
• Excellent notes. The integrated notes section is concise, high-yield, and cross-referenced to question topics.
• Strong UI and UX. The web and mobile apps feel professional.

Weaknesses.

• Expensive. Quesmed sits at the top of the UK student pricing bracket, and there's no free tier.
• Mobile app is a companion, not a primary surface. Offline performance is limited.
• UK-student lens. IMG-specific content (UK pathways, ethics framing for candidates with a non-UK undergraduate background) is thinner than some competitors.

Best for. UK final-year students whose medical school doesn't already have an institutional deal, and who are willing to pay premium prices for a polished experience.

5. Pastest — the legacy player with OSCE strength

What it is. Pastest is the other long-standing UK medical Q-bank, traditionally strongest in the OSCE/CPSA space with a broad AKT-style question bank alongside.

What it does well.

• OSCE content is genuinely good, with structured stations and marking schemes that approximate the CPSA format.
• Established question bank with broad specialty coverage.
• Institutional relationships — many UK medical schools include Pastest access in tuition.

Weaknesses.

• Mobile experience is dated. The app works but feels like a web wrapper.
• Blueprint drift. Like Passmedicine, some questions have an older feel; the UKMLA repackaging is real but not complete.
• Pricing is opaque — the best deals tend to come through medical-school bulk access.

Best for. Students whose medical school subscribes already. If you have Pastest free through your institution, use it alongside a stronger AKT-focused tool for the Q-bank side.

6. BMJ OnExamination — institutional quality, dated feel

What it is. Part of the BMJ publishing group, OnExamination is the platform many NHS deaneries and medical schools subscribe to for PLAB, MRCP, and now UKMLA-aligned content.

What it does well.

• Question quality is high. When the content is good, it's excellent — this is the Q-bank the royal colleges endorse for higher exams.
• Integrated with BMJ Best Practice, so the explanations can link through to genuinely authoritative source material.
• Often free through institutional access. Check your university or deanery.

Weaknesses.

• Interface is dated. The mobile experience in particular is not where the competitors sit in 2026.
• UKMLA-specific packaging varies. Older cohorts' content is sometimes mislabelled or repurposed.
• Individual subscription is expensive if you're not getting it free through an institution.

Best for. IMGs with deanery-provided access, or students at medical schools that include it in tuition. As a paid individual purchase it's hard to recommend over the alternatives.

7. AMBOSS — the expensive but comprehensive reference

What it is. AMBOSS started as a German medical platform and has expanded into the UK market over the last three years. It's hybrid — part question bank, part clinical reference, part flashcard system — and it's the most comprehensive knowledge tool in the space.

What it does well.

• Integrated ecosystem — question, explanation, linked article, linked differential, linked drug, linked flashcard — all cross-referenced in one view.
• Explanations are extraordinary in depth and quality.
• Strong clinical-reference mode that you can actually use on the wards for just-in-time learning.

Weaknesses.

• Expensive — probably the most expensive UKMLA-adjacent product on the market.
• UK-specific content is thinner than its US-step counterpart. AMBOSS is outstanding for USMLE Step 1/2; its UKMLA alignment is improving but not native.
• Steep learning curve. The platform is so feature-dense that you can spend your first fortnight just learning how to use it.

Best for. Students who want a single integrated platform, have money to spend, and don't mind that some content will be slightly more US-flavoured than pure UKMLA.

8. OSCEstop — the CPSA specialist

What it is. OSCEstop is a free, community-driven OSCE resource that has become indispensable for UK final-year students preparing for the CPSA.

What it does well.

• Genuinely free. The core content is open-access, which is rare in this market.
• Structured station walk-throughs with mark schemes, camera-ready layouts, and a huge library of communication, examination, and procedural stations.
• Regularly updated by practising clinicians.

Weaknesses.

• OSCE-only. There's no AKT question bank, so you need something else for written exam prep.
• Web-primary. The mobile experience is a responsive website, not a native app.
• Content breadth varies between stations — some are extraordinarily detailed, others are stubs.

Best for. Every UK student and IMG preparing for the CPSA. Pair with a strong Q-bank for the AKT side and you have a solid two-tool stack.

9. Geeky Medics — free video OSCE library

What it is. Geeky Medics is a free, open-access library of OSCE video demonstrations that has been the de facto standard for UK undergraduate OSCE prep for a decade. In 2026, it remains the first place most students go to see what "a good cardiovascular examination" or "a good breaking-bad-news station" actually looks like.

What it does well.

• Video demonstrations are gold. Seeing a station performed end-to-end at the level of a graduating UK doctor is worth twenty pages of notes.
• Free. The core video library and written station guides are completely open-access.
• Wide coverage. Examinations, procedures, communication, history-taking — the full CPSA surface.
• A companion app. The Geeky Medics app is a reasonable quiz and content reader, though the videos remain the main draw.

Weaknesses.

• Not a question bank. Don't expect AKT-style SBA practice here.
• Video quality varies. Most videos are excellent, but some older ones show their age and some station variants are no longer representative of the CPSA.

Best for. Every single UKMLA candidate. Pair with an AKT Q-bank (MLA Prep, Passmedicine, Quesmed) and a station library (OSCEstop, Pastest OSCE, or MLA Prep's CPSA scripts).

10. Anki with UKMLA-aligned community decks

What it is. Anki isn't a UKMLA app per se — it's a general-purpose spaced-repetition platform that hosts community-authored decks. A handful of UK students have published UKMLA-aligned Anki decks that map to the GMC content map.

What it does well.

• Best SRS algorithm available — Anki's FSRS scheduler is the gold standard for spaced repetition.
• Cross-platform, offline, free on desktop and Android. (iOS Anki costs a one-off fee.)
• Infinite customisation. If you want to build your own deck alongside a published one, you can.

Weaknesses.

• Decks are community-authored, so quality varies wildly. Some are excellent, some are full of errors. You have to curate carefully before trusting one.
• No question bank. Anki is flashcards only.
• Setup cost is real. Most students lose a week figuring out Anki before they actually start learning content.

Best for. Students who already know and love Anki from preclinical years. If you've never used it before, the setup cost probably isn't worth it three months out from your UKMLA — pick a tool with flashcards already integrated.

11. BNF and NICE CKS — the utilities you must install

Not a UKMLA app exactly, but no UKMLA candidate should sit the AKT without having both the BNF app and the NICE (or NICE CKS) app installed on their phone. They're free, they're canonical, and questions in the real exam explicitly cite both. When you're revising and an explanation references "NICE NG100 DMARD ladder" or "BNF amoxicillin dose for otitis media in a 2-year-old", you should be opening the source app to verify and internalise — not re-reading the textbook.

• BNF app (iOS / Android) — free. The canonical UK prescribing reference.
• NICE CKS — free clinical summaries that are extremely close to the AKT's preferred answer for primary-care presentations.

Install them now, and use them every time an explanation points at a guideline. Half the marginal benefit of a good Q-bank comes from the habit of following the reference trail.

12. Comparison table — at a glance

13. Recommended stacks by profile

No one app covers the UKMLA end-to-end. These are the stacks we'd recommend depending on where you're starting from.

UK final-year student, 6 months out, on a budget.

• MLA Prep (free tier, upgrade to premium in the final 8 weeks for mocks and analytics)
• Passmedicine (6-month UKMLA pass for question volume)
• Geeky Medics (free videos for CPSA)
• OSCEstop (free station walkthroughs)
• BNF + NICE CKS (free utilities)

Total spend: one budget Q-bank subscription plus one app premium upgrade. Review our 12-week UKMLA study plan for how to sequence the daily workflow across these tools.

UK final-year student, 6 weeks out, last-push panic mode.

• MLA Prep premium for mocks, unlimited practice, and analytics
• Either Passmedicine or Quesmed (one full mock paper per week, not both)
• Geeky Medics + OSCEstop for CPSA
• Drop everything else

Our SBA technique guide and exam anxiety guide are aimed at exactly this window.

IMG, 6 months out.

• MLA Prep (IMG pathway — surfaces UK-specific content more aggressively)
• Passmedicine or Quesmed for Q-bank volume
• Geeky Medics for CPSA fundamentals
• OSCEstop for CPSA station variants
• BNF + NICE CKS (install day one — these are non-negotiable for IMGs who didn't train under UK guideline conventions)

See our IMG-specific UKMLA guide for the full IMG strategy, including CPSA preparation without UK clinical attachments.

IMG, 6 weeks out, exam looming.

• MLA Prep premium (mocks + analytics to find weak specialties fast)
• A mock paper from Passmedicine or Quesmed each weekend
• Geeky Medics + OSCEstop on the CPSA side
• AMBOSS if you have the budget and want a deep reference alongside

If you're in this window and worried about failing, see our UKMLA fail/retake guide for the realistic picture of retake timelines and pass rates.

14. Free vs premium — is it worth paying?

A common question: is any of this worth paying for when Geeky Medics, OSCEstop, BNF, NICE CKS, and the MLA Prep free tier are already free?

The honest answer: you can pass the UKMLA on the free tier of any of the above tools plus a bit of focused effort. What the premium tiers buy you is time — specifically, time not spent curating your own content, not spent looking things up across multiple apps, and not spent trying to work out which weak specialty to focus on next. Premium tiers also buy you mock exams, which are non-negotiable in the final four weeks: you need at least two full-length 200-question timed mocks under exam conditions before the real thing, and no free tool will give you those.

Our own pricing philosophy on MLA Prep is: the free tier is genuinely usable, the content isn't artificially crippled, and premium exists to unlock the mocks-and-analytics layer that starts mattering in the final two months. If you find yourself hitting the free-tier daily limit every day for two weeks running, that's a signal that premium is probably worth it for you.

15. What to avoid

A few patterns that should make you walk away from any UKMLA app:

• "1000+ questions" with no provenance. Screenshots of the App Store listing are full of apps with generic "UKMLA practice" questions that are repurposed US Step material. If the listing doesn't explicitly mention the GMC content map or specific UK guideline bodies (NICE, BNF, Resuscitation Council UK), skip it.
• Apps that require login to show any content. A good app lets you see the product before you commit an email or a payment.
• Apps with no recent updates. The UKMLA blueprint updates. An app that hasn't been updated in nine months is probably using the wrong content map.
• Unrealistic pass guarantees. No app passes your UKMLA for you. The ones that claim otherwise are marketing first, products second.
• OSCE apps with only text. The CPSA is performative. If you're revising a station and you've never seen one performed, your marks will reflect that. Use video.

16. Where to start if you're new to all this

If you're starting from zero and just want a clean recommendation:

1. Install MLA Prep for your daily Q-bank and flashcard workflow — iOS or web.
2. Install Geeky Medics and OSCEstop for your CPSA video and station content.
3. Install BNF and NICE CKS as your source-of-truth utilities.
4. Subscribe to one paid Q-bank (MLA Prep premium, Passmedicine, or Quesmed — pick one, not three) at the eight-week mark if you want mocks and deeper analytics.
5. Use your medical school's Pastest or OnExamination access if you have it — don't pay for both.

That's a three-free-apps stack plus one paid subscription, and it's competitive with any "everything bundle" you could buy.

17. The verdict

The best UKMLA app for you depends on who you are.

• If you're mobile-first, want an offline workflow, value a generous free tier, and want analytics that tell you what to study next rather than just scoring you, MLA Prep is the app we built precisely for that profile. You can start free.
• If you want the largest possible Q-bank at the lowest price and you're happy studying primarily at a desk, Passmedicine remains the value-per-pound winner.
• If you want the slickest UX and premium mocks and your budget is flexible, Quesmed is the polished option.
• If your medical school or deanery already pays for Pastest or BMJ OnExamination, use them.
• For CPSA, everyone needs Geeky Medics and OSCEstop — they're free and they're essential.
• For everyone: BNF and NICE CKS on your phone, always.

The common mistake isn't picking the wrong app — it's picking four apps, paying for all of them, and using none of them properly. A two-tool stack used daily beats a six-tool stack opened weekly. Pick your stack, commit for eight to twelve weeks, and don't app-shop again until after the exam.

Further reading

• UKMLA vs PLAB — what changed for 2024 onwards
• What is the UKMLA? The complete 2026 guide
• 12-week UKMLA study plan
• UKMLA question-bank comparison — deep dive
• Active recall techniques for the UKMLA
• UKMLA for IMG candidates — the complete guide
• SBA dissection — how to answer UKMLA questions faster
• UKMLA myths debunked — 25 misconceptions

Ready to start?

Install MLA Prep free on the App Store or start on the web at mlaprep.co.uk. No account needed to try it, no credit card, no paywall in the first week. If you like it, upgrade when you hit the mocks-and-analytics layer in the final stretch. If you don't, the free tier is enough to pass on its own — and we'd rather you use any good tool every day than a great tool you never open.