BMJ OnExamination vs Passmedicine: which bank by exam

Disclosure: Diagnosica makes an AI patient simulator, not a question bank, so it has a stake in revision tools. Competitor details here come from BMJ OnExamination and Passmedicine public pages, checked on 16 October 2026.

BMJ OnExamination and Passmedicine cover similar turf, but the better pick depends on your exam. This comparison goes exam by exam, across finals or the UKMLA, MRCP Part 1 and Part 2, PLAB, and the MSRA, with prices and features checked on 16 October 2026.

If you want the wider tool picture, including simulators and planners, see AI tools for medical students. This page stays focused on question banks and what you pay for each exam.

Which is better, BMJ OnExamination or Passmedicine?

It depends on the exam and the time window. As of October 2026, Passmedicine usually gives more content and better value for 4 to 6 month prep, while BMJ OnExamination can be cheaper for very short runs. Here’s the call by exam, then price and counts in the sections below.

Finals or UKMLA. Close. OnExamination is cheaper for a 3-month window at current sale prices that can change, while Passmedicine lists a much larger bank, two textbooks, and adds an OSCE resource plus PSA questions.
MRCP Part 1 and Part 2. Passmedicine is the value pick for 4 or 6 months. OnExamination mainly makes sense if you need a single month for Part 1.
PLAB. Passmedicine covers Part 1 and Part 2, and the vendor says it includes virtual patients for history taking. OnExamination is PLAB 1 only, and cheaper for a one-month top up.
MSRA. Passmedicine is cheaper and lists a larger bank.
Other exams. For MRCEM, MRCS, MRCPsych or SCEs Passmedicine points to other sites, so OnExamination wins by default.

If you also need to practise talking to a patient, you can try a free Diagnosica case.

What each one is

Passmedicine runs its own exam banks with an integrated textbook, while BMJ OnExamination is BMJ’s catalogue of separate banks that you buy exam by exam.

As of October 2026, Passmedicine covers exams including MRCP, finals, the MSRA and PLAB 1, and for MRCEM, MRCS or MRCPsych it links to FRCEMtutor, eMRCS or MRCPsychMentor. Banks include a syllabus focused and extended textbook, revision notes, timed and revision modes, plus a daily updated score histogram the vendor says predicts readiness, per the Passmedicine exam list.

BMJ OnExamination lists 38 exams, counted 16 October 2026, from MRCEM Primary SBA and MRCS Part A to FRCA and MSRA, in the OnExamination exam menu. Features include High Impact Questions, Your Daily Question, offline sync, and peer comparison the vendor says indicates pass likelihood. See our full OnExamination review.

Table of BMJ OnExamination and Passmedicine prices and counts for finals, MRCP Part 1, PLAB, MSRA, October 2026

Side by side for finals and the UKMLA

If you're weighing BMJ OnExamination vs Passmedicine for finals or the UKMLA, figures below come from Passmedicine's finals page, OnExamination's finals bank, and OnExamination's MLA bank, checked 16 October 2026. OnExamination splits finals and the MLA into separate products.

Questions. Passmedicine: over 12,000 SBA and EMQ. OnExamination: Finals “thousands” no exact count, MLA 2,000+, as of October 2026.
Textbook. Passmedicine: syllabus textbook plus extended textbook. OnExamination: none stated, links to BMJ Best Practice.
Extras. Passmedicine: OSCE resource and PSA questions. OnExamination: BMJ Best Practice links, offline app.
3 or 4 month price. Passmedicine: 4 months £15. OnExamination: 3 months £11.99, was £19.99.
6 month price. Passmedicine: £20. OnExamination: £14.99, was £24.99.
12 month price. Passmedicine: £30. OnExamination: £20.99, was £34.99.

OnExamination’s sale pricing is the cheapest way in for a short study window. The struck-through “was” prices signal a sale that can end, so those figures can change.

Passmedicine’s stated bank is far larger and it bundles the syllabus and extended textbooks, plus OSCE resource and PSA questions. The Passmedicine page doesn’t describe what the OSCE resource contains, so treat that line item as broad.

Side by side for MRCP Part 1 and Part 2

Here are the MRCP Written basics, checked 16 October 2026. OnExamination shows crossed-out was prices on some Part 1 tiers, so those are sale prices that can change. Source pages: Passmedicine's MRCP Part 1 and OnExamination's MRCP Part 1, and for Part 2 its Part 2 Written bank.

Part 1 questions. OnExamination: 3,190 questions. Passmedicine: over 5,400 best-of-five questions.
Part 1 one month. OnExamination: £53.99. Passmedicine: no one-month option listed.
Part 1 four months. OnExamination: £83.99. Passmedicine: £35.
Part 1 six months. OnExamination: £99.99. Passmedicine: £45.
Part 2 questions. OnExamination: 1,820+ questions. Passmedicine: over 2,950 single best answer questions.
Part 2 four months. OnExamination: £99.00. Passmedicine: £35.
Part 2 six months. OnExamination: £119.99. Passmedicine: £45.
Mocks. OnExamination: not checked here. Passmedicine: 3 mock exams the vendor says match the timing, question count and distribution of the real paper.

For a normal 4 to 6 month revision window, Passmedicine costs a fraction of OnExamination for both parts. If you only need a one month sprint, OnExamination is the natural pick because Passmedicine does not sell a one month plan.

Side by side for PLAB and the MSRA

For PLAB and the MSRA, the short answer is: OnExamination is the cheapest way to add a second PLAB 1 bank for a month, while Passmedicine is the only one here that also covers PLAB 2 and has the bigger, cheaper MSRA bank. Prices and counts checked 16 October 2026. See OnExamination's PLAB bank and Passmedicine's PLAB package; for the MSRA, compare OnExamination's MSRA bank with Passmedicine's MSRA page.

PLAB questions. BMJ OnExamination: 1,250+ for PLAB 1. Passmedicine: over 5,000 single best answers mapped to the GMC's MLA content map, plus a 180 question mock.
PLAB Part 2 material. BMJ OnExamination: none listed. Passmedicine: CPSA resource, vendor says "includes virtual patients you can interact with and take a history from using the latest AI technology".
PLAB shortest option. BMJ OnExamination: 1 month £4.99. Passmedicine: 4 months £12.
PLAB 12 months. BMJ OnExamination: 12 months £19.99. Passmedicine: 12 months £25.
MSRA questions. BMJ OnExamination: 840+ covering Clinical Problem Solving and Professional Dilemmas. Passmedicine: over 3,600 Clinical plus 300 Professional Dilemma, plus a textbook.
MSRA 4 months. BMJ OnExamination: 4 months £59.99. Passmedicine: 4 months £25.
MSRA 6 months. BMJ OnExamination: 6 months £79.99. Passmedicine: 6 months £30.

If you want more scored history taking reps alongside whichever bank you choose, practise histories on Diagnosica.

Two column summary of where BMJ OnExamination is stronger and where Passmedicine is stronger

Where OnExamination is stronger

It lists 38 exams, counted 16 October 2026, including MRCS Part A, FRCA Primary and MRCPsych, where Passmedicine’s homepage sends you to other providers as of October 2026. It’s one catalogue, and every exam is bought separately.

Short windows are low priced. Finals is 3 months £11.99, 6 months £14.99, 12 months £20.99, checked October 2026, with struck-through was prices, so these are sale prices that can change. PLAB 1 is 1 month £4.99, 4 months £9.99, 12 months £19.99. No PLAB 2 content listed.

Features, as of October 2026, include High Impact Questions ranked by tutors and peers, Your Daily Question at a time you set, an offline app that syncs scores, Finals linking to BMJ Best Practice, and peer comparison that the vendor says estimates pass likelihood.

Where Passmedicine is stronger

On BMJ OnExamination vs Passmedicine, Passmedicine pulls ahead on long revision windows, question volume, and bundled extras. As of October 2026, every bank includes two textbooks, revision notes under each question, and a daily updated histogram the vendor says helps predict if you’re ready.

For finals, Passmedicine lists over 12,000 SBAs and EMQs and a full year is £30, with the package also stating UKMLA alignment and OSCE plus PSA resources.

For MRCP Part 1, it states over 5,400 best-of-five questions and three mocks matching real exam timing and distribution. Part 2 Written lists over 2,950 SBAs.

For the MSRA, it advertises over 3,600 Clinical questions plus 300 Professional Dilemma questions and a textbook.

PLAB is covered as a single package for Parts 1 and 2 with a CPSA resource.

Also weighing Quesmed, see how Quesmed compares.

Which one is closer to the real exam?

Nobody independent has measured how closely either bank mirrors any exam, so you can't rely on third-party data. Both vendors make their own claims and styles differ by exam. The practical move is to sample the question style yourself, then decide which one suits your revision and time constraints.

BMJ OnExamination's MRCP Part 1 page says its resource gives "the closest revision experience possible to the exam". That's the vendor's wording, and there's no independent check we can cite.

Passmedicine's MRCP page says its three mocks match the real paper's timing, question count and distribution. Vendor claim only, not externally verified as of October 2026.

For BMJ OnExamination vs Passmedicine, try the samples. Judge the feel. Passmedicine offers a free demo on each exam page as of October 2026, whereas OnExamination surfaces a "Start Revising" entry point but doesn't state an explicit free trial.

What about history taking and clinical reasoning?

Both BMJ OnExamination and Passmedicine are written-exam banks first. Passmedicine’s PLAB Part 1 & 2 package, as of October 2026, says its Part 2 resource “includes virtual patients you can interact with and take a history from using the latest AI technology” (vendor’s words).

BMJ OnExamination’s PACES product is currently off sale, the page says “Sorry, our PACES product is currently unavailable to purchase. Existing customers can still access the platform as usual.”, checked 16 October 2026, see BMJ's PACES page. Outside PLAB, neither lists a patient you talk to for finals or MRCP, and Passmedicine’s finals OSCE resource isn’t described, from what we can tell.

Diagnosica sits alongside a bank, not instead of one. You can practise taking a history out loud with an AI patient, reason to a diagnosis, and get a scorecard with teaching points. It doesn’t do physical examination. It doesn't give advice about real patients, and it's not a diagnostic system. Treat every output as educational.

If you’re weighing PLAB 2 options, start with AI tools for PLAB 2. For MRCP PACES ideas while OnExamination’s product is off sale, see tools for PACES practice.

How to choose between them

Check coverage. Passmedicine points you elsewhere for MRCEM, MRCS, MRCPsych, FRCA, MRCOG and MRCPCH, as of October 2026. BMJ OnExamination lists 38 exams including those specialties, checked 16 October 2026.
Count your months. OnExamination Finals starts at 3 months, and PLAB 1 has a 1 month option that isn’t a sale price, checked 16 October 2026.
Price your window from the figures above, then check sale flags. OnExamination shows struck-through “was” prices, so current figures are sale prices that can change.
Try any free demo or sample questions and see which interface you’ll actually use daily.
Decide whether you want integrated notes or a bundled textbook.
Decide if you need history practice too. If yes, run a few Diagnosica cases alongside your bank to practise histories, investigations and committing to a diagnosis, free tier with no card.

Choose OnExamination if

Your exam is one Passmedicine doesn’t run, for example MRCEM Primary SBA, MRCS Part A, MRCPsych, FRCA, MRCOG or MRCPCH.
You want the shortest PLAB 1 window, or a 3 month Finals sprint, checked 16 October 2026.
You prefer buying per exam from a granular menu.

Choose Passmedicine if

You’re sitting MRCP Part 1 or 2 Written, MSRA, MRCGP AKT, Finals or PLAB 1, all covered as of October 2026.
You want one site to cover a 4 to 12 month prep.
You value bigger stated question counts or integrated notes.

Torn between three, see AMBOSS against Passmedicine.