United Kingdom
Medical Licensing Assessment (UK)
The new UK licensing assessment for UK-trained medical graduates, replacing the old finals format.
- Exam body
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- Frequency
- Integrated into UK medical school finals (from 2024)
- Eligibility
- UK medical students (UK grads)
- Format
- Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) + Clinical and Professional Skills Assessment (CPSA)
MLA - Medical Licensing Assessment: overview
Medical Licensing Assessment (UK) is administered by General Medical Council (GMC). The new UK licensing assessment for UK-trained medical graduates, replacing the old finals format.
The Medical Licensing Assessment is the GMC's assessment for UK-trained graduates, delivered as an Applied Knowledge Test plus a Clinical and Professional Skills Assessment and integrated into medical-school finals. Because it is set at the level expected of a first-day foundation doctor, the emphasis is on safe, common practice - recognising the sick patient, prescribing safely and communicating clearly - rather than rare-diagnosis trivia.
In practical terms the assessment is delivered as Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) + Clinical and Professional Skills Assessment (CPSA), and candidates are measured against a standard set annually. It is scheduled integrated into uk medical school finals (from 2024), so building a realistic timeline back from the sitting you intend to take is the first planning step.
Exam pattern at a glance
- Exam format
- Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) + Clinical and Professional Skills Assessment (CPSA)
- Pass / selection standard
- Standard set annually
- Frequency
- Integrated into UK medical school finals (from 2024)
- Eligibility
- UK medical students (UK grads)
Subjects covered
Syllabus
- All clinical medicine at foundation doctor level
Subject focus and weightage
Candidates who score well tend to protect time for the highest-yield areas rather than reading everything evenly. For MLA - Medical Licensing Assessment, the topics that repeatedly carry weight include patient safety and clinical governance, uk prescribing guidelines (bnf), communication and professionalism. Working these to mastery first, then broadening outward, is a more reliable use of limited revision time than a single linear pass through the syllabus.
The syllabus spans core subjects including All clinical medicine at foundation doctor level. A blueprint-led plan - allocating study hours in proportion to how heavily each subject is examined - usually beats spending equal time on every subject.
High-yield areas
Study priorities
- Patient safety and clinical governance
- UK prescribing guidelines (BNF)
- Communication and professionalism
How to prepare
A dependable preparation cycle for MLA - Medical Licensing Assessment moves through three repeating phases. Learn: build the core concept for each topic once, from structured notes, so the framework is solid before you test it. Recall: convert that understanding into durable memory with active recall and spaced repetition rather than re-reading. Practise: apply it under exam conditions with question banks, reviewing every wrong answer until you understand why the correct option wins - which for this exam is where clinical-reasoning gaps surface.
Timed, full-length practice in the exam's own format is what converts knowledge into a score: it trains pacing, and the stamina a long paper demands. Analyse each mock not just for the total but for which subjects and question-types are dragging the score, then feed that back into the next study block.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MLA - Medical Licensing Assessment exam and who conducts it?
Medical Licensing Assessment (UK) is conducted by General Medical Council (GMC). The new UK licensing assessment for UK-trained medical graduates, replacing the old finals format.
What is the MLA - Medical Licensing Assessment exam pattern?
The stated format is Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) + Clinical and Professional Skills Assessment (CPSA). The pass or selection standard is Standard set annually. Because pattern and marking can be revised between cycles, confirm the current structure on the official notification before you sit.
Who is eligible for the MLA - Medical Licensing Assessment?
Broadly, eligibility is: UK medical students (UK grads). This is a summary only - the definitive eligibility criteria, documentation and any registration or attempt limits are published by General Medical Council (GMC) for each sitting.
Sources and currency
Sources: official examination-body notifications and information bulletins (NBEMS, NMC, GMC, the relevant UK Royal College, USMLE/NBME, AMC, MCC and the Gulf health authorities as applicable). Exam patterns and eligibility change between cycles - always confirm the current sitting's rules, dates and fees on the official body's own notification before you apply. Last verified July 2026.
Build a plan for MLA - Medical Licensing Assessment
Explore clinician-written learning resources, structured revision and practice across the MedNext platform.
See plans