How Long Should You Prepare for the CASC? A Realistic 12-Week Study Plan

"How long should I prepare for the CASC?" is one of the most searched questions among psychiatry trainees. The honest answer is that it depends on your starting point, but there is a sensible range, and there is a right way and a wrong way to spend the time. This guide gives you a realistic timeline and a week-by-week plan you can adapt.

The timings below are our suggested structure based on published preparation advice and common candidate experience. They are not official Royal College guidance.

So How Long Should You Prepare?

Published preparation guides for the CASC typically suggest starting knowledge revision at least 4 to 6 months before the exam, so that you feel secure in the content before you start worrying about how you present it. On top of that, you need 2 to 3 months of deliberate, timed practice where you say the words out loud to another person.

These phases overlap. You do not finish revising before you start practising. A workable rule of thumb:

• •Strong clinical experience and good communication: about 3 months of focused practice
• •Average preparation: 4 to 5 months
• •International medical graduates, or anyone new to UK-style communication stations: 5 to 6 months, with extra time on breaking bad news, capacity and consent

Check You Are Eligible Before You Plan

Before you build a timetable, confirm that you can actually sit the exam. The CASC requires a minimum period of whole-time-equivalent experience in psychiatry after foundation training, plus passes in the written papers or transitional arrangements. Check the current requirements and diet dates on the Royal College of Psychiatrists website, then work backwards from the date of your sitting.

Demand is high. For the January 2026 CASC the College reported an unprecedented number of applications, so apply as soon as applications open rather than planning around the last possible date.

The Two Phases of CASC Preparation

Think of preparation as two phases that gradually merge:

• •Phase 1 — Knowledge and structure. Know your frameworks cold: a history template, the mental state examination, a risk assessment structure, cognitive screening and the core management discussions. This is the part most trainees are comfortable with.
• •Phase 2 — Performance. Turn the knowledge into seven-minute performances. This is where most candidates underprepare, and where most of the marks are won or lost.

Everything in the plan below pushes you to start Phase 2 early.

A 12-Week CASC Study Plan

Use this as the final stretch before your exam. If you have longer, repeat the early weeks with more depth.

Weeks 1 to 2: Foundations

• •Write out your own one-page templates for history taking, mental state and risk
• •Practise your opening and closing until they are automatic
• •Do two to three timed stations per week with a partner, focusing on structure rather than perfection

Weeks 3 to 4: Core history stations

• •Cover depression, psychosis, mania, anxiety, OCD, eating disorders and substance misuse histories
• •Practise the funnel from open to closed questions
• •Add a short, natural risk screen into every history

Weeks 5 to 6: Mental state, risk and cognition

• •Practise mental state examination as a spoken performance, not just a list
• •Run full risk assessment stations, including risk to self, others and from self-neglect
• •Learn the cognitive examination routine and the physical examination stations you are likely to meet

Weeks 7 to 8: Management and difficult communication

• •Practise explaining diagnoses and treatment, including medication counselling
• •Work on capacity and consent, breaking bad news and angry or distressed relatives
• •Practise saying difficult things in plain, kind language

Weeks 9 to 10: Full circuits

• •Run a complete mock circuit of 8 stations back to back, at least once per week
• •Use the shorter 90-second reading time so you rehearse the afternoon-circuit pressure
• •Note your recurring weaknesses and spend the rest of the week fixing them

Weeks 11 to 12: Polish and stamina

• •Do one or two full 16-station mock days if you can find the people to run them
• •Practise your weakest station types until they become average, not just your strengths
• •Ease off in the last few days and focus on sleep, travel and logistics

How Many Practice Stations Do You Need?

There is no magic number, but candidates who feel prepared usually describe having done well over 100 timed stations. A good target is three to five stations a week early on, building to a full circuit every week by the last month. If you are practising fewer than two stations a week, you will likely feel underprepared on the day.

Quality matters as much as quantity. One station followed by thorough feedback teaches more than three stations with no discussion.

Preparing While Working Full Time

Most trainees prepare around a clinical job, so build a plan that is realistic:

• •Book fixed practice slots in the diary, like a clinic, and treat them as non-negotiable
• •Use short sessions: one or two focused stations in 30 minutes beat a rare four-hour marathon
• •Use travel time to run through frameworks out loud
• •Use an AI patient simulator, such as the one in the CASC Master app, for the times when you cannot find a partner

Mistakes That Waste Preparation Time

• •Only reading. Reading the textbook feels productive but does not train the skill being examined.
• •Practising silently. If you have not said it out loud against a clock, you have not practised it.
• •Skipping feedback. Peer observation studies have found that a gap between candidates' self-rating and the examiner's rating appears more often in those who go on to fail. Ask for honest feedback.
• •Only practising favourites. The 12-station rule means a weak area can cost you the exam.
• •Leaving it too late. Starting in the last four weeks leaves no time to fix problems.

The Final Week

Keep it light. Do a couple of confidence-building stations, check your travel and ID, and sleep properly. Do not try to learn new topics. Re-read your templates and remind yourself of your opening and closing lines.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many months do you need to prepare for the CASC?

Most guides suggest 4 to 6 months of knowledge revision, with at least 2 to 3 months of timed practice. Candidates with strong experience may need less and candidates new to UK exams may need more.

Can you pass the CASC with 2 months of preparation?

It is possible for a well-prepared candidate who already practises regularly, but it is risky. Two months leaves little time to find and fix weak station types.

Should I take a CASC course?

Courses can give structure and mock stations, but they are not essential. What matters is the number of timed practice stations you do and the quality of feedback you get.

How do I practise if I have no partner?

Use a mix of peer groups, recorded self-practice against the marksheet domains and AI patient simulators that give structured feedback.