Following the trial UKMLA amongst UK final year medical students earlier in the year, we’ve been gaining feedback from those who took the exam to gather broad information on topics that commonly come up.
We've created a table summarising the top 10 high-yield subject areas for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test:
| Rank | High-Yield Area | Key Topics |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Common Skin Pathologies | Eczema, Psoriasis, Melanoma, Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC), Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) |
| 2 | Diagnosis of the Limping Child | Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SUFE), Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip, Perthes Disease |
| 3 | Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) | Syphilis, Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, HIV |
| 4 | Upper Motor Neuron vs Lower Motor Neuron Conditions | Bell’s Palsy, Stroke |
| 5 | Type 2 Diabetes Management and Medication Side-Effects | Management strategies, Medication side-effects (e.g., weight gain, hypoglycemia) |
| 6 | ABG and Chest X-Ray Interpretation | ABG results (pH, CO2, HCO3-), Chest X-ray (normal vs abnormal findings) |
| 7 | Differentiating Vertigo | Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), Ménière’s Disease |
| 8 | UC vs Crohn’s Disease Histology and Presentation | Ulcerative Colitis (UC) vs Crohn’s Disease (histology, presentation) |
| 9 | Autoantibodies and Their Related Conditions | Common autoantibodies (e.g., ANA, anti-dsDNA, anti-CCP) and associated conditions (e.g., lupus, RA) |
| 10 | Newborn Jaundice | Physiological vs pathological jaundice, timing, and severity |
As well as this Top 10, we have also devised a table covering 50 conditions that have appeared in recent UKMLA sittings:
| Topic Area | Common Conditions (High-Yield) |
|---|---|
| Cancer | Lung, breast, ovarian, cervical cancer, bone metastasis, tumour markers |
| Cardiology | Arrhythmias, valve issues, heart failure, rheumatic fever, infective endocarditis, pericarditis, aortic dissection |
| Child Health | Croup, bronchiolitis, cystic fibrosis, slipped femoral epiphysis, transient synovitis, developmental dysplasia, milk protein allergy, pyloric stenosis, Hirschsprung’s disease, biliary atresia, malrotation, scarlet fever, jaundice in newborns, febrile seizures, retinoblastoma |
| Clinical Haematology | Anaemia, clotting disorders, myelofibrosis, myeloproliferative disorders, blood film reading, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), multiple myeloma |
| Dermatology | Eczema, psoriasis, melanoma, basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) |
| Endocrine and Metabolic | Acromegaly, Conn’s syndrome, diabetes (type 1, type 2, diabetes insipidus), Addison’s, Cushing’s, thyroid disorders |
| Ear, Nose and Throat | Ramsay Hunt syndrome, Ménière's disease, acoustic neuritis, sinusitis, otitis (various types), benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) |
| Gastrointestinal including Liver | Cholecystitis, ascending cholangitis, diverticulitis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis (UC), acute pancreatitis, alcoholic liver disease, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), ulcers |
| Infection | Malaria, Clostridium difficile, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), dengue, typhoid, yellow fever |
| Musculoskeletal | Hip fractures, arm fractures, hand fractures, scleroderma, autoantibodies in rheumatology |
| Neurosciences | Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), Parkinson’s, Bell’s palsy, upper vs lower motor neuron signs, Alzheimer’s, stroke, cauda equina syndrome, nerve palsies, multiple sclerosis |
| Obstetrics and Gynaecology | Pre-eclampsia, HELLP syndrome, gestational diabetes, miscarriage, induction, endometriosis, fibroids, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), contraception |
| Ophthalmology | Anterior uveitis, glaucoma, retinal vein/artery occlusion, retinal detachment, optic neuritis |
| Renal and Urology | Glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, polycystic kidney disease, urinary tract infection (UTI), scrotal conditions |
| Respiratory | Pulmonary fibrosis, COPD, asthma, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis (CF), pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), ABG and chest X-ray interpretation |
| Sexual Health | Syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV, vaginitis (BV, TV), hepatitis |
| Surgery | Breast lumps |
In conclusion
- Predicting exactly what will appear in the exam can be challenging.
- We recommend allowing 4-6 months for thorough preparation.
- Start by revising the diagnosis, investigations, and management for all 311 conditions listed in the UKMLA Content Map—about 80% of the UKMLA questions focus on these aspects.
- As the exam approaches, concentrate on the high-yield topics highlighted above.
- Make sure you can recognise common images, including ECGs, radiology, rashes, and fundoscopy.
Revise MLA revision notes cover all these conditions in detail and include over 3000 single-best answer questions to enhance your learning. They are meticulously mapped to the MLA Content Map, ensuring comprehensive coverage.
Our question bank includes over 200 images covering all specialties and incorporate ECGs, rashes, radiology, fundoscopy and much more.