GPhC Registration Assessment Format: Both Papers Explained

The GPhC registration assessment format is two computer-based papers sat on the same day. Part 1 is 40 calculation questions in 2 hours, with numerical free-entry answers. Part 2 is 120 multiple-choice questions in 2.5 hours: 90 single best answer and 30 extended matching questions. You must reach the pass mark in both parts at the same sitting, and there is no negative marking.

The assessment's official name is now the Common Registration Assessment (CRA), because the GPhC and the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland deliver it jointly across the UK. Most trainees and supervisors still call it the GPhC exam or the registration assessment, so you will see all three names. Everything below comes from the GPhC's published CRA framework for 2026 sittings. Always check the framework and specification for your own sitting on the GPhC website, because details can change between years.

The two papers at a glance

Both papers are delivered at test centres across the UK on the Surpass platform, in a locked-down environment. Check the permitted item list on the GPhC website before you buy or bring a calculator, because only approved models are allowed in the room.

Accepted calculator models

1. Aurora DT210

2. Aurora HC133

3. Casio SL-300SV

4. Casio HS-8VA

5. Casio MX-8S-WE (also known as Casio MX-8S*)

6. Casio MX 8B-WE (also known as Casio MX 8B*) (Note: No longer available for purchase new, but allowed if you already own one)

7. Casio MS-80F

8. Casio SL-460L-W

9. Catiga CD-8185

10. Lexibook C208

Part 1: what the calculations paper tests

Part 1 is not a maths test dressed up in pharmacy words. Every question is a scenario you could meet as a pharmacist, and every question is multi-step. The framework says each Part 1 paper includes at least one question from each of these nine areas:

1. Concentrations
2. Dilutions
3. Displacement volumes
4. Dose and dosage regimens
5. Infusion rates
6. Medical statistics
7. Pharmacoeconomics
8. Pharmacokinetics
9. Quantities to supply

On top of the topic, questions may test rounding at the right stage, using pharmacy formulae, pulling information out of a resource, and unit conversions. You are expected to know simple everyday formulae, such as body mass index, from memory. More complex formulae are given to you. An upcoming blog post will go through the calculation paper in depth.

Because answers are typed in rather than picked from a list, there is nothing to sense-check against. A misplaced decimal point gives you a confident wrong answer. Build the habit of asking "is this a dose I would actually give or supply?" before you move on.

If infusions or concentrations are your weak spot, start there: they appear in every paper and they reward a consistent method more than raw speed.

Part 2: clinical, law and practice questions

Part 2 assesses the safe and effective care of patients and the public. Most questions apply clinical knowledge to realistic patient scenarios; the rest apply law, governance and regulation. It uses two question types.

Single best answer (SBA)

A scenario, a focused question, and five options. All five are plausible and closely related, but one is better than the rest. The skill is ranking good answers, not spotting the obviously wrong one. Typical lead-ins look like "Which is the most appropriate management?" or "Which is the most appropriate advice to communicate to the GP?"

Extended matching questions (EMQ)

A theme, a list of eight options, and a set of two or three questions that share those same eight options. Each question has one most appropriate answer. EMQs take longer to read, which is why the guidance allows about 2 minutes each.

The clinical areas, in order of how often they appear

The framework lists fifteen clinical therapeutic areas, aligned with the BNF and BNFC, and ordered by how often they are assessed. That ordering is the most useful revision information in the whole document.

🔴 High Weight (60% to 70%):

1. Cardiovascular
2. Central nervous system
3. Endocrine
4. Infection

🟡 Medium Weight (25% to 35%):

1. Gastro-intestinal
2. Respiratory
3. Nutrition and blood
4. Malignant disease and immunosuppression

🟢 Low Weight (Up to 10%):

1. Musculoskeletal and joint diseases
2. Skin
3. Eye
4. Ear, nose and oropharynx
5. Vaccines
6. Drug toxicity
7. Obstetrics, gynaecology and genito-urinary

There is no fixed number of questions per area. The mix reflects UK disease prevalence, prescribing trends across the four nations and patient safety risk.

The framework also names high-risk drug classes that can appear in either part, including anticoagulants and antiplatelets, insulins, opioids, chemotherapy, immunosuppressants, teratogenic medicines, time-critical medicines and narrow therapeutic index drugs. You are also expected to be up to date with MHRA and Commission on Human Medicines safety advice, so make reading the MHRA Drug Safety Update a monthly habit during your foundation year.

What you get in the exam, and what you don't

Selected questions include resources in an on-screen PDF viewer. Examples given in the framework include BNF and BNFC extracts, prescriptions, dispensing labels, MAR charts, controlled drug registers, SmPCs, guidelines and treatment algorithms. You will not get the whole BNF to browse, and you are expected to have a working knowledge of common guidelines without them.

Normal reference ranges for laboratory results are provided. Normal ranges for common physiological parameters, such as blood pressure or heart rate, are not, so learn them.

A list of standard abbreviations, from AF to VTE, is available on screen and can be used without expansion.

How the pass mark works

The GPhC does not publish a fixed percentage. The passing standard is set by trained practising pharmacists using a modified Angoff method, with one standard error of measurement added, and it is maintained across sittings using item response theory. In plain terms: the pass mark moves a little between sittings to reflect how hard each paper is, but the standard you need to meet stays the same.

Two rules matter for your strategy:

• No compensation between parts. A strong Part 2 cannot rescue a weak Part 1, and a pass in one part does not carry over to a later sitting.
• No negative marking. Never leave a question blank. If time is running out, enter your best answer and move on.

The GPhC also states that it does not set target pass rates. Everyone who meets the standard passes.

What to do this week

Download the current CRA framework and specification from the GPhC website and mark each of the fifteen clinical areas and nine calculation areas as confident, shaky or not started. Then sit one timed paper so you know where you actually stand, rather than where you hope you stand. You can sit a free GPhC-style mock paper on PassPharma to get that baseline, and if you are still choosing a training place, read our guide to preferencing on Oriel.