Dr Kola Tytler (MBBS CertHE MBA MRCGP)|21 April 2026|7 min read
The GPhC Registration Assessment is the final exam that pharmacy graduates must pass to register as a pharmacist in Great Britain. It consists of two papers: Part 1 tests clinical and pharmaceutical knowledge through SBA and EMQ questions, and Part 2 tests calculations — drug dosing, dilutions, infusion rates, and pharmaceutical arithmetic.
The exam is demanding. It requires not just pharmacological knowledge but the ability to apply that knowledge to clinical scenarios, interpret Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) data, and perform accurate pharmaceutical calculations under time pressure.
This guide covers the format, the revision strategy, the best resources, and the specific approach needed for the calculation paper.
Part 1: Clinical and Pharmaceutical Knowledge
Part 1 uses SBA and EMQ formats to test knowledge across the GPhC Registration Assessment Framework. Topics include pharmacology and therapeutics, pharmaceutical chemistry, dispensing and supply, professional practice and ethics, public health, and evidence-based practice.
The clinical scenarios are set in UK pharmacy practice — community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, and primary care. UK-specific guidelines (NICE, BNF, SmPC) are the reference standard. Management recommendations that differ from international practice will follow UK guidance.
Part 1 Revision Strategy
High-volume question practice is the core approach — as with any SBA-based exam. Work through a Q-bank systematically, reading every explanation carefully and referring to the BNF or SmPC when the explanation references a specific drug or guideline.
The BNF is not just a reference tool for pharmacy practice — it is the reference standard for the exam. Many questions can be answered correctly by knowing the BNF entry for the relevant drug. Make the BNF your constant companion during revision: check it for every drug-related question you practise.
SmPCs (Summaries of Product Characteristics) are the authoritative source for individual drug information. The exam tests your ability to interpret SmPC data — contraindications, interactions, dosing in special populations, and storage requirements. Practise reading SmPCs from the electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC) during your revision period.
Part 2: Calculations
The calculation paper tests pharmaceutical arithmetic: drug dosing (including paediatric weight-based dosing), infusion rate calculations, dilution and concentration calculations, and unit conversions. Every answer must be numerically correct — there is no partial credit.
Calculation Revision Strategy
Calculation competence requires daily practice. Do 10–20 calculations per day from the start of your revision period. Do not leave calculation practice until the final weeks — the skills need to be automatic by exam day.
Focus on accuracy over speed initially. Once you are consistently getting calculations correct, introduce time pressure. The real exam has strict timing.
Common calculation pitfalls: unit conversion errors (micrograms to milligrams, millilitres to litres), decimal point errors, misreading the question (total daily dose vs single dose, volume vs concentration), and failing to account for displacement volumes in reconstitution calculations.
Build a systematic method for each calculation type and apply it consistently. A structured approach reduces errors under pressure.
Resources
iatroX — 1,000 Questions Across SBA, EMQ, and Calculation
iatroX offers a dedicated GPhC Registration Assessment bank with 1,000 questions spanning SBA, EMQ, and calculation types. The calculation questions use a numeric free-entry format with acceptable ranges and worked solutions — mimicking the real exam's calculation format.
The Q-bank uses the same AI-adaptive engine as iatroX's medical exam banks, targeting weak areas automatically and scheduling spaced repetition reviews. The clinical AI can be used to query BNF and guideline information when reviewing wrong answers — for example, "What are the contraindications for methotrexate?" or "What is the maximum dose of paracetamol in hepatic impairment?"
The GPhC bank is available as part of iatroX's specialist subscription. iatroX is UKCA-marked and MHRA-registered.
PassMedicine — Pharmacy Registration Assessment
PassMedicine offers a Pharmacy Registration Assessment module within its broader platform. This provides access to the proven PassMedicine exam engine with SBA questions, revision notes, and performance tracking. Check their website for the current question count and pricing.
Other Resources
PreReg Pharmacist and PharmaTutor are established resources in the pharmacy exam preparation space. The GPhC's own practice papers provide official example questions — always work through these as part of your preparation.
Study Timeline
Most candidates prepare over 2–4 months. A balanced plan allocates time across all three areas: clinical knowledge (Part 1 SBA/EMQ), professional practice and ethics (Part 1), and calculations (Part 2).
Weeks 1–4: build the clinical knowledge base through Q-bank practice (40–60 questions per day). Begin daily calculation practice (10–15 calculations per day). Read the BNF alongside question review.
Weeks 5–8: targeted revision of weak areas identified by Q-bank performance. Increase calculation practice to 15–20 per day. Begin SmPC interpretation practice. Do timed question sets to build exam pacing.
Final 2 weeks: mock exams under timed conditions for both Part 1 and Part 2. Review all incorrect answers. Focus on high-yield topics and calculation accuracy.
The Pharmacist Audience and iatroX
iatroX was originally built for doctors, but the clinical knowledge platform — Ask iatroX for UK guideline retrieval, clinical calculators for dosing and scoring, and now the GPhC Q-bank — is directly relevant to pharmacists. The guideline retrieval draws from the same NICE, BNF, and CKS sources that underpin pharmacy practice, making it a clinical reference tool that works for pharmacy as well as medicine.
The GPhC bank is part of the expanding iatroX ecosystem that now serves pharmacists, physician associates, and advanced clinical practitioners alongside doctors.
Information based on GPhC publications and public sources as of 21 April 2026. Trademarks belong to their owners.