FOP and TAS ask what you know. AKP asks what you would do.
The questions are still single best answer, but they are built around clinical decision-making and management, and the College says outright that candidates benefit from clinical experience in paediatrics. Reading alone gets you further in TAS than it does here. Candidates who have spent time carrying the bleep tend to find AKP fairer than candidates who have not.
The other difference is stamina. Two papers of two and a half hours each, on the same day, is five hours of continuous decision-making. Most candidates who underperform in AKP lose their marks in the back half of paper two.
| Papers | 2Taken on the same day |
|---|---|
| Questions | 120 SBA60 in each paper |
| Duration | 5 hours2 hours 30 minutes per paper |
| UK sitting times | Paper 109:30 – 12:00 Paper 214:00 – 16:30 |
| With 25% extra time | Paper 1ends 12:38 Paper 2ends 17:08 |
| Marking | Questions carry different weightingsThe weighting is shown on screen during the test |
| Delivery | Computer-based, TestReachTest centre, or remote invigilation if eligible |
| Standard setting | Modified Angoff |
| Attempts allowed | 6 |
Swipe across if the second column is cut off.
Sources: RCPCH theory exam structure and syllabi and theory exams — before you apply. Verified 10 October 2026. Times outside the UK and Ireland vary by country and are confirmed on the admissions document the College emails before the exam.
| Diet | Exam date | Applications open | Close, online | Close, test centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026.3 | Wed 16 Sep 2026 | Closed | 3 Jul 2026 | 6 Jul 2026 |
| 2027.1Next | Wed 20 Jan 2027 | Mon 2 Nov 202609:30 GMT | Fri 6 Nov 2026 | Mon 9 Nov 2026 |
| 2027.2 | Wed 26 May 2027 | Mon 8 Mar 202709:30 BST | Fri 12 Mar 2027 | Mon 15 Mar 2027 |
| 2027.3 | Wed 22 Sep 2027 | Mon 5 Jul 202709:30 BST | Fri 9 Jul 2027 | Mon 12 Jul 2027 |
Swipe across for the closing dates.
AKP runs three to four weeks before the FOP/TAS paper in the same diet. In 2027.1 and 2027.2 the gap is four weeks; in 2027.3 it narrows to three. If you are taking all three papers in one year, that gap is the thing to plan around.
Source: RCPCH — upcoming theory exam dates. Verified 10 October 2026. Dates can change; check the College page before you book.
Seats go first come, first served, and popular centres fill inside hours. Three things decide whether you get one.
Register at least ten days before the window opens. Applications from a fresh account on the morning of the window do not go well.
For 2027.1, Gulf countries opened on the Monday, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka on the Tuesday, and the UK on the Wednesday. Check which day is yours.
09:30 GMT is 14:30 PKT. 09:30 BST is 13:30 PKT. Winter diets are GMT, summer diets are BST. Set the alarm for the right one.
Have your payment card ready. The College takes payment at the point of application for theory exams, by credit card or by a debit card linked to a UK bank account.
| Sitting | Fee | In rupeesapprox, at Rs 366.63 |
|---|---|---|
| AKP, UK | £659 | Rs 241,600 |
| AKP, international | £929 | Rs 340,600 |
Swipe across for the rupee column.
AKP is the most expensive of the three theory papers for international candidates, at £929 against £455 for a single FOP or TAS. A resit is not a small decision.
Rupee figures are a guide only, converted at £1 = Rs 366.63 on 10 October 2026 and rounded to the nearest hundred. Your bank will apply its own rate and card charges on the day, so budget above the figure shown.
Source: RCPCH — theory exam fees. Verified 10 October 2026; 2027 fees were still unpublished at that date. Rate from Wise.
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Yes. AKP is the current name for the written paper that used to be called MRCPCH Part 2
No. The three theory exams are non-sequential and can be taken in any order. You need all three before applying for MRCPCH Clinical.
A hundred and twenty single-best-answer questions, sixty in each of two papers, sat on the same day. Each paper runs two and a half hours.
It is different rather than uniformly harder. It leans on clinical judgement and stamina rather than recall, so candidates with more paediatric ward time often find it more approachable than TAS, and candidates who have prepared mainly by reading often find it less so.
After enough clinical paediatrics that management decisions feel familiar. If you are choosing between diets, sit it when you can protect the last four weeks for timed practice rather than when the calendar happens to allow it.
Six to seven weeks to appear in your RCPCH account, with the detailed breakdown emailed about a week later.
Yes, there is no deferment rule for theory exams. Six attempts are allowed at each paper. The deferment rule applies only to MRCPCH Clinical, where a score of 52 or below blocks you from the next diet.
Yes. We’ll flag the application window and talk you through centre selection, but you submit your own application.
35-50. Capped so mentors can respond individually.
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