How to pass the GPhC registration assessment: a realistic revision plan
6 November 2026 · 4 min read · By the PharmacySkills team
If you are a foundation trainee pharmacist, the registration assessment is the one exam standing between you and your name on the register. It has a reputation for being hard, and it is. But it is hard in a predictable way, and that means you can prepare for it.
This guide explains what the exam is really testing, how the two papers work, and how to plan your revision so you are not cramming the BNF in the last fortnight.
What the exam is actually testing
The registration assessment is not a memory test of the whole BNF. It tests whether you can apply knowledge safely, the way a newly qualified pharmacist would on their first day. Most questions give you a patient, a prescription or a situation and ask what you would do.
That changes how you should revise. Reading a monograph from top to bottom feels productive, but it does not train the skill being examined. Answering questions, getting them wrong, and understanding why does.
How the two papers work
At the time of writing, the assessment has two parts, sat on the same day:
| Paper | What it covers | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Calculations | 40 questions in 2 hours |
| Part 2 | Clinical, legal and professional practice | 120 multiple choice questions in 2.5 hours |
Many questions include extracts from reference sources such as the BNF or a summary of product characteristics, so you are not expected to memorise every dose. You are expected to read those extracts quickly and pull out what matters. The GPhC publishes the current format, sitting dates and the full framework on its website, so always check there before you plan around any detail.
Start with the framework, not the textbook
The GPhC publishes a registration assessment framework that lists the topics and the weighting given to each therapeutic area. Print it. Use it as your checklist. High-weighted areas such as cardiovascular, central nervous system, infections and endocrine deserve more of your time than rarely examined corners.
A 16-week plan that fits around a full-time placement
You are working full time, so a plan that assumes eight free hours a day will fail by week two. This one assumes about an hour on weekdays and a longer session at the weekend.
Weeks 1 to 4: build the base
- Do 10 calculation questions every weekday. Calculations are pure practice, and they are the paper where steady work pays off most.
- Pick one BNF chapter a week (start with cardiovascular). Learn the main drug classes, how they work, their key side effects and their key interactions.
- Learn the law that you use every day: prescription requirements, controlled drugs and emergency supply.
Weeks 5 to 10: switch to questions
- Move to mostly question-based revision. Aim for 30 to 50 exam-style questions a week, then read the explanation for every one you got wrong and every one you guessed.
- Keep a "mistakes log". One line per error: the topic, what you thought, and what the right answer was. Review it every Sunday.
- Keep the 10 daily calculations going.
Weeks 11 to 14: timed papers
- Sit full mock papers under timed conditions, as close to the real day as you can make them.
- Notice where you run out of time. Most people lose time in Part 2 by rereading long extracts for facts they already know.
Weeks 15 and 16: tighten up
- Go back through your mistakes log. These are your personal weak spots and the most efficient revision you can do.
- Do one more mock, then ease off. Sleep matters more than one more chapter the night before.
Five habits that make the difference
- Answer, then look it up. Commit to an answer before checking. You remember the corrections far better than things you simply read.
- Revise calculations little and often. Ten a day for four months beats a 200-question weekend.
- Get fast with reference sources. Practise finding interactions, renal dosing and pregnancy advice in the BNF and SPCs. Reading a reference quickly and accurately is a skill the exam rewards.
- Learn the "why". If you know why ACE inhibitors cause a cough, you can answer a question about any ACE inhibitor, not just ramipril.
- Use your placement. Every prescription you check is a free practice question. Ask your designated supervisor about the ones that puzzle you.
Where to go next
If calculations make you nervous, start with our guide to GPhC calculation questions with worked examples. For the law that comes up again and again, read our summary of controlled drug prescription requirements.
Sources: GPhC registration assessment framework and candidate guidance (pharmacyregulation.org); GPhC Standards for the initial education and training of pharmacists.
This article is for revision and education. Always check the current BNF, NICE guidance and your local policies before applying it in practice.