PassMedicine vs Pastest for MRCP Part 1 (October 2026)

PassMedicine is the lower-cost MRCP Part 1 bank, £35 for 4 months as of October 2026, with 5,400+ questions and 3 timed mocks. Pastest is pricier, from £99.99 for 3 months, adding 30+ bespoke past papers, a near-700 topic textbook, video courses and a Tutor mode with AI support, plus 48 hours free, so choose on budget and study style.

You're opening two tabs, revision starts tonight, and the wallet will fund one subscription. You want enough questions to build momentum, mocks that match the paper, and extras only if they'll change how you study.

If you also want to practise talking to a patient, not only answering questions, you can practise a full case free on Diagnosica.

Disclosure: Diagnosica makes an AI patient simulator, so we have a stake in this category. We're not affiliated with PassMedicine or Pastest. Every competitor detail below comes from their own public pages, checked on 27 October 2026.

What are PassMedicine and Pastest?

PassMedicine and Pastest are UK exam revision question banks sold per exam on fixed term access. For MRCP Part 1, PassMedicine lists over 5,400 best-of-five questions, two textbooks, revision and test modes, three realistic mock exams, and a peer score histogram. Pastest says it has been "helping doctors for over 50 years", and its MRCP Part 1 product lists over 5,000 questions, 30 plus bespoke past papers, nearly 700 textbook topics with 3D imagery, video courses, and Tutor mode.

PassMedicine's MRCP Part 1 offer includes the high-yield syllabus-focused textbook plus an extended textbook, timed tests alongside revision mode, three mocks built to match timing, question count and distribution, and a daily updated histogram to compare scores with peers. Source and full details sit on PassMedicine's MRCP page.

Pastest's MRCP Part 1 page lists over 5,000 exam-style questions, over 30 bespoke past papers, nearly 700 high-yield textbook topics with 3D imagery inside the textbook, video courses, and Tutor mode, described as “Instant, on-demand Ai support while you answer questions. An Ai sidekick referencing Pastest content and the NICE guidelines.” See the product breakdown on Pastest's MRCP Part 1 page.

Both companies sell other exams separately, including finals and the UKMLA, PLAB, and more. You buy per exam on each site.

If you're also weighing newer tools in your stack, here are AI revision tools compared.

PassMedicine vs Pastest side by side, October 2026

PassMedicine vs Pastest, side by side for MRCP Part 1, compares price, question volume, mock formats and study extras exactly as listed on each vendor's own page as of October 2026. Diagnosica appears for context because it's a different kind of tool for clinical reasoning practice, not a question bank.

For MRCP Part 1, price differs widely, content mix decides.

If you want history-taking practice alongside a bank, try a case on Diagnosica.

Where PassMedicine is stronger

PassMedicine is the stronger pick on price and volume for MRCP Part 1 if you're on one budget. It lists 4 months at £35 and 6 months at £45 as of October 2026, against Pastest at £99.99 for 3 months as of October 2026. It also states over 5,400 best-of-five questions vs Pastest's over 5,000.

• 3 realistic mock exams designed to match the exact timing, question count and question distribution of the MRCP Part 1.
• Teaching notes under each question that build into a reference library you can return to while you revise.
• Stored key points for cramming.
• Peer comparison with a histogram of other candidates' scores, updated daily.

If you're also weighing a third bank, here's PassMedicine against Quesmed.

Past papers, video courses and an AI tutor are not listed on its MRCP page, as of October 2026.

Where Pastest is stronger

Pastest is the stronger pick if you want an MRCP Part 1 question bank wrapped in structured content and extras. In a passmedicine vs pastest comparison, that breadth outside the stems is its edge. Its page lists over 5,000 exam-style questions, over 30 bespoke past papers built from customer feedback on exam themes, nearly 700 textbook topics with 3D imagery, and video courses, as of October 2026.

Pastest describes Tutor mode as "Instant, on-demand Ai support while you answer questions. An Ai sidekick referencing Pastest content and the NICE guidelines", as of October 2026.

There is a 48 hour free trial on MRCP Part 1 and a no registration readiness quiz that gives you a short score, as of October 2026.

If you want a longer run, the 12 month option is £199.99, as of October 2026. Running close to the wire, extensions are listed at 1 week £9.99, 1 month £39.99, and 3 months £89.99, as of October 2026.

Its home page also says it is "trusted by 1,000,000+ medical students and doctors", self reported as of October 2026. For another head to head, see Pastest against Quesmed.

Where it stops, the price, each exam is bought separately, and a conversational AI patient is not listed on its clinical-exam pages as of October 2026.

Which should you pick for MRCP Part 1, finals or PLAB?

PassMedicine and Pastest both sell MRCP Part 1, finals and PLAB question banks, but the pick depends on how you revise and your budget. Go PassMedicine if price and volume lead. Go Pastest if you want past papers, videos, a built-in textbook and an AI helper mid-question. Each exam is bought separately at both. We could be wrong about which bank's questions feel closest to the real paper.

MRCP Part 1. Pick PassMedicine if budget and question volume lead. Pick Pastest if you revise from past papers, video and a textbook, or want AI help mid-question via its Tutor mode. Try before you pay, Pastest offers 48 hours free and PassMedicine has a free demo.

Finals and UKMLA. If you want one bundle with lots of SBAs and EMQs plus OSCE resource and PSA questions, go with PassMedicine's finals package, 4 months £15 up to 12 months £30 as of October 2026. If you prefer tiers, see Pastest's UKMLA tiers: Knowledge free, Knowledge+ £9.99 a month or £4.99 a month paid yearly, Knowledge + Lessons £19.99 a month or £9.99 a month paid yearly, with Knowledge+ offering over 6,000 questions and 6 curated UKMLA past papers.

PLAB. If you want PLAB 1 plus PLAB 2 support that includes AI virtual patients for Part 2 history taking, check PassMedicine's PLAB page, 4 months £12 to 12 months £25 as of October 2026. If you want a free tier for PLAB 1 and month-to-month pricing, look at Pastest PLAB 1, £7.99 monthly, 3 months £19.99, 6 months £34.99, with over 3,500 exam style questions.

Also weighing AMBOSS, see PassMedicine versus AMBOSS.

What neither question bank covers: talking to a patient

PassMedicine and Pastest for MRCP and finals are question banks built around questions, textbooks, past papers, and mocks. PassMedicine does list AI virtual patients, but for PLAB Part 2. Neither MRCP Part 1 product lists practice at taking a history out loud as of October 2026. MRCP Part 1 is a written paper, so this is about clinical work that comes later, not a gap for Part 1. If you are weighing passmedicine vs pastest, that difference matters.

Diagnosica is an AI clinical simulator for medical students and junior doctors: you take a history from an AI patient by voice or text, order labs and imaging, commit to a diagnosis and management plan, and get a competency scorecard. The patient appears as a video avatar, it is free to start with no card needed, and there are apps on iPhone and Android plus the web app.

There are over 130 cases across 18 specialties, and every case is reviewed and signed off by a doctor. You can practise history taking, investigations, diagnostic reasoning, and writing a management plan in one run.

Honest scope, before you ask. Diagnosica is not a question bank and will not replace one for MRCP Part 1. There is no physical examination practice. It is not built for or marked against any exam's mark sheet. It doesn't give advice about real patients, and it's not a diagnostic system. Treat every output as educational.

If you are starting to organise PACES prep at home, here is a practical guide on structured history practice and planning, without pretending to be the full exam: PACES practice at home.

Common questions

Common questions on PassMedicine vs Pastest for MRCP Part 1, and for students eyeing finals or PLAB, centre on price, trials, and whether AI patients feature. The answers here quote what each vendor's own MRCP or PLAB pages say as of October 2026. One budget, one start date. Pick the tool that fits your study style, not the loudest claim.

Is PassMedicine cheaper than Pastest for MRCP Part 1?

Yes, PassMedicine MRCP Part 1 is priced lower than Pastest as of October 2026. PassMedicine lists 4 months at £35 and 6 months at £45, which is £8.75 per month on the 4 month plan. Pastest lists 3 months at £99.99, 6 months at £149.99, and 12 months at £199.99, which is £33.33 per month on the 3 month plan.

Does Pastest have a free trial for MRCP Part 1?

Yes, Pastest offers 48 hours free for MRCP Part 1 on its product page as of October 2026. Pastest also has a no registration readiness quiz that gives you a quick score before you buy. If you want to sample the look and feel, the 48 hour window plus the readiness quiz covers that without committing a longer plan.

Does PassMedicine have AI patients?

Yes, PassMedicine lists AI virtual patients for history taking in its PLAB Part 2 resource. Its MRCP Part 1 page, as of October 2026, lists over 5,400 best of five questions, two textbooks, and three realistic mock exams, not AI patients. In other words, the AI patients are tied to PLAB 2 prep, while MRCP Part 1 remains a question bank and textbook combo.

Can you use PassMedicine and Pastest together?

Yes, nothing stops you running both. A common pattern is to pick one main bank, then use Pastest's 48 hours free to sample its style or PassMedicine's free demo to check question flavour. If you're screening options before committing, skim our roundup of other PassMedicine rivals and then lock one primary source to avoid fragmenting your revision.

Once your question bank is sorted, practise the other half with a full case and a video AI patient. Speak or type, order investigations, commit to a diagnosis, then see a scorecard with teaching points. Available any hour, free to start, no card needed. Start a free case on Diagnosica