The GPhC Common Registration Assessment has a harder failure rate than most foundation trainee pharmacists expect. In November 2024, 42% of candidates failed. In June 2025, 23% failed — and that was the better sitting. These are not edge cases. They are the statistical reality for inadequately prepared candidates.
The key insight that separates candidates who pass from those who do not is this: most trainees study hard but study wrong. They re-read BNF chapters passively rather than practising applied clinical decision-making under time pressure. They treat Part 1 calculations as an afterthought rather than a separate skill set that requires timed drilling. They know the clinical therapeutics but cannot apply pharmacy law under exam conditions.
This guide maps the exam, identifies the highest-leverage revision tactics, reviews the best resources — including iatroX's new adaptive GPhC Q-bank — and gives a 12-week structure that works around a full foundation training year.
The GPhC CRA — What You Are Actually Being Tested On
Part 1 — Calculations (40 questions, 120 minutes, numerical free-entry)
Part 1 tests pharmaceutical calculations through 40 questions where you type numerical answers — not select from options. This is a closed-book paper. You have 120 minutes (3 minutes per question) and may use a GPhC-approved calculator.
The calculation types tested include dose and dose regimen calculations, weight-based dosing (including paediatric), unit conversions (mg to mcg, mL to L, mmol to mg), IV infusion rates (mL/hour, drops/minute), displacement values for reconstitution, concentration expressions (%w/v, %w/w, 1:x ratios, parts per million), and creatinine clearance-based dose adjustments (Cockcroft-Gault equation).
The critical rule: you must pass Part 1 AND Part 2 in the same sitting. A fail in either means a fail overall — no compensation, no averaging. In the June 2025 sitting, the Part 1 pass mark was 24 out of 40 and 84% of candidates passed Part 1. That means 16% failed Part 1 alone — and their Part 2 performance became irrelevant.
The failure pattern: candidates fail Part 1 not because they cannot do the mathematics, but because they have not drilled calculation types under timed conditions. Knowing the method is insufficient — you need speed and accuracy simultaneously.
Part 2 — Clinical Practice (120 questions, 150 minutes, SBAs and EMQs)
Part 2 contains 90 single best answer questions and 15 extended matching question sets, completed in 2.5 hours. In June 2025, the Part 2 pass mark was 79 out of 120, and 86% of candidates passed.
The content spans three areas: clinical therapeutics (highest volume), law governance and regulation, and pharmacy calculations embedded within clinical scenarios. Therapeutic areas are weighted — cardiovascular, nervous system, endocrine, and infectious disease are high-weighted. Around 20% of questions involve paediatric patients. Some questions provide resources (drug registers, prescriptions, patient records) — but not the BNF itself.
Part 2 tests applied clinical decision-making. It does not test knowledge recall. The question is never "what is the mechanism of action of ramipril?" — it is "given this patient's comorbidities, renal function, and current medications, what is the most appropriate next step?"
What Changed for 2026
From 2026, all trainees take the same assessment regardless of training route (interim standards or 2021 IETP standards). Independent prescribing-specific content (LO37) is excluded from the 2026 CRA. The exam remains computer-based via the Surpass platform at Pearson VUE centres, with two sittings: June 2026 (assessment day: Tuesday 16 June, results: 21 July) and November 2026.
The maximum of 3 lifetime attempts remains — making resource choice and preparation quality genuinely career-critical.
The 5 Most Common Reasons Candidates Fail
1. Underestimating Part 1. Treating calculations as an afterthought rather than a separate skill set requiring dedicated timed practice. Sixteen percent of June 2025 candidates failed Part 1 — and their entire sitting was wasted regardless of Part 2 performance.
2. Passive revision. Reading BNF chapters without doing applied questions. The CRA tests decision-making, not recall. Reading is necessary but insufficient — you must practise applying knowledge to clinical scenarios under time pressure.
3. Not knowing pharmacy law cold. The Board of Assessors consistently flags law and governance as an underperformance area. Candidates know clinical therapeutics from MPharm training but find pharmacy law abstract and under-reinforced by daily practice.
4. Ignoring the indicative assessment topics. The CRA framework document lists the topics, therapeutic areas, and calculation types that may be assessed. Candidates who do not download, read, and highlight this document are preparing blind.
5. Not practising under timed conditions. The Surpass platform interface, the time pressure (75 seconds per Part 2 question), and the numerical free-entry format of Part 1 all require familiarity. Candidates who practise untimed on paper are not preparing for the actual exam experience.
The Best GPhC Revision Resources in 2026
GPhC Official Resources (Free — Use These First)
The CRA framework document is your blueprint — download it, highlight the indicative assessment topics, and use it to structure your revision. The example questions on the Surpass platform provide essential format familiarisation. The Board of Assessors feedback documents (published after each sitting) show exactly what candidates got wrong — these are gold for targeted revision. Limitations: small question volume, no adaptivity, no personalised feedback.
PassMedicine Pharmacy (Free)
Long-established static Q-bank with free access. Familiar interface for trainees who used PassMedicine during MPharm. Covers core topics. Limitations: not updated to the 2026 CRA framework changes, no adaptive engine, questions appear in rotation regardless of your performance. Best for: supplementary question practice on a budget.
ONtrack Pharmacy
Thousands of questions covering Part 1 and Part 2 formats in authentic exam style. UK-focused with pharmacy news integration and an active user community. Limitations: static bank, no adaptive engine, no BNF integration, web-only. Best for: candidates who want platform-authentic question practice with a UK pharmacy community.
PreRegExamPrep.com
Over 2,000 questions with detailed explanations covering SBA, EMQ, and calculation formats. Performance analytics available. From £30/month. Limitations: no adaptive engine, no live BNF/NICE integration, static content, web-only. Best for: candidates who want the largest static question bank with explanations.
Coditioning
Over 1,000 questions plus strong exam strategy content and calculation drills. Good accompanying guidance on the CRA framework and exam technique. Limitations: moderate question volume, no adaptive engine. Best for: candidates who benefit from exam technique coaching alongside question practice.
PharmacyCPA
Accumulated GPhC sample questions year-on-year, informed by annual candidate feedback. Unique strength: historical question archive mapped to the framework. Limitations: smaller platform, no adaptive engine. Best for: candidates who want to see question evolution over time.
Focus Pre-Reg Revision
Question bank plus live Zoom sessions plus BNF chapter recordings. The live teaching element is valuable for community-based trainees with less peer learning. Limitations: less flexible for self-paced learners, not mobile-optimised. Best for: trainees who learn well from taught sessions.
RPS Revision Webinars
Available to foundation trainee RPS members. Expert-authored revision sessions aligned to the framework. Limitations: membership required, scheduled sessions. Best for: trainees already holding RPS membership.
iatroX GPhC Adaptive Q-Bank (iatrox.com/boards)
What makes iatroX fundamentally different from every other option is the adaptive engine. After each question, the engine analyses your performance across all CRA content areas and serves the next question to target your weakest area specifically. Static banks show you questions in rotation. iatroX identifies your weak therapeutic areas — say, endocrine dosing or paediatric calculations — and concentrates revision there until proficiency improves, then moves on.
BNF and NICE integration. Every explanation is anchored to current BNF and NICE guidance — the same sources the exam tests against. When guidelines update, the explanations update. This is not static authored text — it is guideline-grounded, citation-linked content.
Performance dashboard. Topic-level proficiency across all CRA content areas. Know before exam day exactly which therapeutic areas or calculation types are undermining you.
Part 1 and Part 2 coverage. Adaptive calculation drills with difficulty scaling for Part 1. SBAs and EMQs mapped to the CRA framework for Part 2.
Mobile app. iOS and Android — revise in the dispensary, on the commute, between consultations during your foundation year placements. The only GPhC revision platform with a native mobile app.
MHRA-registered platform. The only adaptive pharmacy revision resource with clinical governance backing.
Available at iatrox.com/boards.
The 12-Week Revision Plan
Weeks 1-2: Framework mapping and baseline. Download the CRA framework. Highlight all indicative assessment topics. Complete GPhC official example questions to establish baseline. Take an iatroX diagnostic quiz across all CRA areas — let the dashboard show your starting proficiency map. Identify your bottom 3 therapeutic areas and your weakest calculation type.
Weeks 3-5: Systematic Part 2 therapeutics — high-weighted areas first. Cardiovascular (hypertension, heart failure, AF, ACS — BNF + NICE NG136, NG185, NG208), nervous system (depression, epilepsy, Parkinson's, pain management), endocrine (diabetes types 1 and 2, thyroid, adrenal — know insulin types, monitoring, adjustments). Run daily iatroX adaptive sessions targeting your flagged weak topics.
Weeks 6-7: Medium-weighted areas + law and governance. GI, respiratory, genito-urinary, infection. Pharmacy law: Misuse of Drugs Regulations, prescription requirements, controlled drug schedules, responsible pharmacist regulations. Ethics: GPhC Standards for Pharmacy Professionals — all 9 standards.
Weeks 8-9: Part 1 calculations intensive. Drill every calculation type: displacement values, IV infusion rates, doses from concentrations, weight-based paediatric doses, unit conversions. Time yourself: 40 questions in 120 minutes = 3 minutes per question maximum. Use iatroX Part 1 adaptive calculation sets — difficulty scales as you improve.
Weeks 10-11: Mixed-mode mock conditions. Full timed mock papers across Parts 1 and 2. Review Board of Assessors feedback from the most recent two sittings. Target remaining weak areas with iatroX focused sessions.
Week 12: Light consolidation. No new content — reinforce, do not cram. Final review of pharmacy law and paediatric dosing (most common failure points). Familiarise yourself with the Surpass platform interface.
Part 1 Calculations — A Focused Strategy
Candidates fail Part 1 because they practise the method but not the pace. The calculation types are finite and predictable. The challenge is executing them accurately under time pressure.
Essential types to drill: dose and dose regimen calculations, unit conversions (the dangerous ones — micrograms to milligrams where tenfold errors occur), IV infusion rates, displacement values for reconstitution, concentration expressions, creatinine clearance-based dose adjustments, and paediatric weight-based dosing.
The calculator rule: you may bring your own GPhC-approved model or use the on-screen Surpass calculator. Practise with your actual exam calculator from day one. The timed practice habit: from week 8 onwards, never do calculations untimed.
Part 2 — How to Approach Applied Clinical Questions
Part 2 does not test knowledge — it tests decision-making. For SBA questions: identify the clinical scenario and the specific decision being asked, apply BNF/NICE knowledge (first-line choices, contraindications, monitoring), consider patient context (age, renal function, co-morbidities, drug interactions), and eliminate distractors (which often contain one specific factual error).
Pharmacy law questions: know the Regulations, not just the principles. CD schedules, prescription validity, emergency supply, wholesale dealing. Paediatric questions (20% of the paper): BNF for Children, weight-based doses, age-appropriate formulations.
The BNF — How to Use It for Revision
The BNF is the single most important document for Part 2 preparation. But most trainees use it as a lookup tool, not a learning tool. For each condition in your high-weighted therapeutic areas, read the treatment summary — not just individual drug entries. Note first-line versus second-line choices and the rationale. Know common monitoring parameters. Know which drugs require dose adjustment in renal or hepatic impairment.
iatroX reinforces this: every Part 2 explanation is anchored to current BNF/NICE guidance. You are revising from the same sources the exam tests against.
The CRA is passable with the right approach. Most failures come from imbalanced preparation — neglecting Part 1 or treating Part 2 as passive knowledge revision. Start with iatroX's adaptive GPhC Q-bank — the only resource that tells you what you specifically do not know and focuses your revision there.