The SCE Infectious Diseases sits once per year, typically in June. It is one of the smaller SCEs by candidate volume, which means it receives less attention from preparation resource providers than high-volume specialties like Cardiology or Respiratory. This scarcity creates both a problem and an opportunity for candidates.
Why ID is underserved
The ID curriculum is unusually international in scope. HIV medicine alone accounts for roughly 18 per cent of the exam, requiring detailed knowledge of ART regimens, opportunistic infection prophylaxis, resistance testing, PrEP, and HIV in pregnancy — all aligned to current BHIVA guidelines. Tropical and imported infections account for another 12 per cent, testing presentations that most UK registrars encounter rarely in clinical practice. TB and mycobacterial disease account for 12 per cent. Antimicrobial stewardship and resistance patterns account for 10 per cent.
This breadth, combined with the rapid pace of guideline updates (BHIVA updates ART recommendations regularly, UKHSA revises infection control guidance frequently), means that question banks must be continuously updated to remain current. Many providers do not invest in this level of maintenance for a specialty with relatively few candidates.
StudyPRN
StudyPRN does not currently list a dedicated Infectious Diseases bank as prominently as their other SCE specialties. The coverage that exists may be bundled within broader medical content. This is the single weakest area in StudyPRN's SCE portfolio — if you are preparing for the SCE ID, StudyPRN is not a strong option.
iatroX
iatroX's SCE Infectious Diseases bank contains over 1,500 questions covering the full JRCPTB ID curriculum. The content is aligned to BHIVA guidelines (HIV), NICE and UKHSA guidance (TB, infection control, antimicrobial stewardship), WHO recommendations (tropical infections, travel medicine), and BSAC guidelines (antimicrobial prescribing).
HIV medicine questions cover first-line ART regimens (integrase inhibitor-based), switch strategies, resistance interpretation, opportunistic infection prophylaxis and treatment (PJP, CMV, toxoplasmosis, cryptococcal meningitis, MAC), CD4-guided management, viral load monitoring, PrEP eligibility, and HIV in pregnancy (including PMTCT).
Tropical medicine questions cover malaria (species identification, treatment by severity and species, chemoprophylaxis), dengue, typhoid, schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis, strongyloides, and returning traveller assessment.
TB questions cover diagnosis (sputum smear, culture, NAAT, IGRA), treatment (standard regimen, drug-resistant TB, latent TB treatment), contact tracing, BCG, and TB in immunosuppression.
The adaptive algorithm ensures that all curriculum domains — including the less familiar ones like parasitology, fungal infections, and travel vaccination schedules — receive proportional attention. All included at £29 per month or £99 per year.
The practical recommendation
For SCE Infectious Diseases, iatroX is the strongest dedicated question bank available in 2026. The combination of comprehensive HIV, tropical, and antimicrobial stewardship content with adaptive learning and current guideline alignment fills a gap that no other platform adequately addresses for this specialty.