Cutline vs BrainBank
The short answer
Our verdict: for most HSFY students, Cutline is the better choice.
BrainBank sells Anki cards and lecture quizzes for NZ$100 a semester. Cutline adds walkthrough videos, mocks timed like the real tests and Summer lessons to start before semester.
Cutline is the fuller option. You get a question bank organised by lecture, mock exams and progress tests timed like the real ones, concept pages, Anki decks, and Summer lessons to start before semester. Full Year 2027 is NZ$949 and includes UCAT 2027 and the Otago Dent interview room. You can also see who builds it, how many questions there are, and what happens if you want a refund.
Side by side
| Compared on | Cutline | BrainBank |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Full Year 2027 NZ$949, or a single paper from NZ$99 | NZ$100 per semester bundle |
| Access | To 1 December 2027 | 6 months per purchase |
| How you use it | Cutline app on phone, tablet or laptop | Moodle site plus Anki |
| Question bank | 25,033 questions, organised by lecture | Lecture quizzes, module quiz and a mock. No counts published |
| Mock exams and progress tests | Yes | A mock exam per module |
| Eighth papers | STAT115, MATH130 and MAOR102 | We could not find any |
| Summer head start | Cutline Summer, 305 lessons | We could not find one |
| UCAT and interviews | UCAT 2027 and the Dent interview room in Full Year, plus an MMI bank | We could not find any |
| Who makes it | Otago medicine and dentistry students, named on our site | We could not find any names on BrainBank's site |
| Refunds | Full refund within 14 days | We could not find a refund policy |
BrainBank information is from brainbank.nz on 11 November 2026.
What we believe
Why a question bank isn't enough
A question bank tells you that you got something wrong. It doesn't teach you why. We built Cutline to do both. Lessons are taught through walkthrough videos from Otago medicine and dentistry students who sat the same papers, so you can pause, rewind and rewatch the exact bit you didn't get, at 11pm the night before a test if that's when it clicks. Then you practise it straight away with questions written for the Otago exams.
We think understanding something at your own pace beats waiting a week to ask about it. That is the whole idea behind Cutline.
Why students pick Cutline
Walkthrough videos from people who just sat it.
Otago med and dent students explain every idea the way they wish someone had explained it to them, and you can rewatch any part as many times as you need.
Practice that looks like the exam.
Otago's tests have their own formats and timings. Cutline's mocks and progress tests are built around them.
You know what you are paying for.
We publish our question and card counts, who writes and checks the questions, and a 14-day full refund.
One place for the whole year.
Summer, both semesters, the eighth papers, UCAT and the Dent interview, in one app, on one login.
When BrainBank might suit you
It is cheaper. NZ$100 for a whole semester is less than one Cutline paper pass. It also has a free trial.
Common questions
Is BrainBank cheaper than Cutline?
Yes, per semester. BrainBank is NZ$100 per semester bundle. Cutline Full Year 2027 is NZ$949 and covers more, including mocks, Summer lessons, UCAT and the Dent interview.
Does BrainBank use Anki?
Yes. BrainBank sells curated Anki cards alongside quizzes on its Moodle site. Cutline also includes Anki decks.
Checked 11 November 2026 from brainbank.nz. Products and prices change, so check their site for the latest. Cutline is not affiliated with the University of Otago or BrainBank.