OphthaMCQ vs PrepGuidance
Both platforms serve Indian PG residents, but they are different products solving different problems — one is a question bank, the other is a taught course.
This comparison is often framed as two question banks, which is the wrong frame. PrepGuidance is built around taught video content and faculty mentorship. OphthaMCQ is built around exam-pattern questions, handwritten notes and past papers. They address different failure modes, and the price gap between them follows directly from that.
The question worth asking is what is actually stopping you. If you understand the material but keep losing marks on exam-pattern questions, more teaching will not fix that and a bank will. If you have never properly understood retina or optics and reading is not landing, a bank will only tell you repeatedly that you are wrong; a taught course will explain why.
Plenty of residents end up using both, in that order — course first for the topics that never made sense, bank throughout for the repetition.
Feature comparison
We compare format before features, because that is where the real difference sits: taught video and mentorship on one side, question volume with notes and past papers on the other.
Pricing is quoted as each platform lists it. Course pricing scales with the amount of teaching included, so the top of the PrepGuidance range is not comparable to a bank subscription and should not be read as one.
| Platform | Price | Notes | Past Papers | Mobile | Free Trial | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OphthaMCQ | ₹249–₹1,799 | ✅ Handwritten | ✅ ICO/FICO | ✅ iOS + Android | 200+ free MCQs | Indian + international exams |
| PrepGuidance | ₹999–₹8,995 | ❌ | ✅ DNB solved | ✅ Android | ❌ | Video + faculty mentorship |
Prices and feature sets change without notice, and several of these platforms price in different currencies. Treat the table as a starting point and confirm the current figure on each vendor’s own checkout page before you buy.
When each one is the right choice
We publish one of these products. Where a rival is the better buy for your exam, it says so below.
Choose PrepGuidance when…
Your gap is conceptual rather than one of practice volume. If there are topics you have read three times and still cannot reason through, taught video with faculty contact does something no question bank can, and solved DNB papers are a genuine asset.
The trade-off: You pay course pricing — the top of the range is several times what a question bank costs — there is no free tier to test the fit before committing, Android only, and handwritten revision notes are not part of the package.
Choose OphthaMCQ when…
You broadly understand the material and need exam-pattern repetition, condensed revision notes, and past papers. Also when budget is a real constraint: individual bundles start at ₹249 and there are 200-plus free questions to test the fit first.
The trade-off: There is no live faculty and no taught video course. If what you need is someone to explain the topic from first principles, we are the wrong shape for that.
Pick by the exam you are sitting
The blueprint decides this more than any feature does.
| Your exam | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| DNB theory | Either | Bank for question repetition and past patterns; course if specific topics have never landed. |
| DNB / MS practical | OphthaMCQ | OSCE stations, case presentation formats, instruments and drugs for the viva table. |
| NEET-SS | PrepGuidance | Superspecialty entrance benefits from structured teaching across a very wide syllabus. |
| ICO / FICO | OphthaMCQ | Past papers with explanations; not something a DNB-focused course covers. |
| PDCET | OphthaMCQ | A dedicated bank in the PDCET entrance pattern. |
Questions residents ask before buying
Is a question bank or a video course better for DNB?
They fix different problems. Courses build understanding; banks build exam reflexes and expose the gaps you did not know you had. If you are already reading a standard text competently, the bank is the higher-yield spend.
Can I use both?
Many residents do, and the sequencing that works is course first for topics that never made sense, bank running throughout for repetition and in the final months for pattern recognition.
Which is better value?
They are priced for what they are. A bank is cheaper because it is not paying faculty time. Whether that is better value depends entirely on whether teaching is what you are missing.
Does either cover the practical exam?
OphthaMCQ publishes OSCE stations, case presentation formats, instruments and drugs material for the practical and viva. Check the current course contents on PrepGuidance directly, since course composition changes between cohorts.
Can I try before paying?
OphthaMCQ has 200-plus free MCQs with explanations on this site and no signup requirement. PrepGuidance does not currently list a free tier, so ask about a sample module before committing to a full course.
Read the long version
An exam-first buying framework
The long version of this page: how to pick a bank by the exam you are sitting rather than by feature count.
Free vs paid banks: where free runs out
How far a free question bank actually gets you, and the point at which paying starts to buy something real.
Best ophthalmology apps for residents
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