100+ Free PSA Practice Questions
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Key Facts: PSA Exam
8 sections
Prescribing, Prescription Review, Planning Management, Providing Information, Calculation Skills, Adverse Drug Reactions, Drug Monitoring and Data Interpretation
PSA Blueprint, British Pharmacological Society and MSC Assessment
200 marks
Total marks available across about 60 items in the PSA
PSA Blueprint, British Pharmacological Society
2 hours
Time candidates are normally expected to complete the PSA in
PSA Item Writing Manual, British Pharmacological Society
80 marks
Prescribing section: eight items at 10 marks each (5 drug, 5 dose/route/frequency)
PSA Blueprint, British Pharmacological Society
Open-book
Full access to the BNF, BNF for Children and NICE interaction checker during the PSA
Prescribing Safety Assessment official site
Pass/fail
Criterion-referenced standard set to the competence of a new FY1 prescriber
Prescribing Safety Assessment official site
Final year
Sat by final-year UK medical students; a pass is required for full GMC registration
Prescribing Safety Assessment official site
100
Free original practice questions here
OpenExamPrep
The Prescribing Safety Assessment (PSA) is a national online pass/fail test of prescribing skills for final-year UK medical students and FY1 doctors, delivered by the British Pharmacological Society and MSC Assessment. It has eight sections - Prescribing, Prescription Review, Planning Management, Providing Information, Calculation Skills, Adverse Drug Reactions, Drug Monitoring and Data Interpretation - with about 60 items worth 200 marks total, completed within two hours. The Prescribing section is the heaviest, with eight items worth 10 marks each (80 marks). It is open-book with full BNF access, and the pass mark is criterion-referenced (commonly near 70%) to the standard of a new FY1 prescriber. This 100-question bank gives BNF-grounded single-best-answer practice across all eight sections.
Sample PSA Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to test your PSA exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1A 60 kg adult is admitted with community-acquired pneumonia (CURB-65 score 1) and no penicillin allergy. Following local and BNF guidance for low-severity community-acquired pneumonia, which oral antibiotic regimen is the most appropriate first-line choice?
2A 45 kg woman in diabetic ketoacidosis needs a fixed-rate intravenous insulin infusion. According to standard UK DKA protocols, which insulin and starting rate is most appropriate?
3A previously well 70 kg adult presents with anaphylaxis after a wasp sting, with stridor and hypotension. Which is the correct first-line drug, dose and route?
4A hypovolaemic adult needs an initial fluid bolus for resuscitation. Which prescription is most appropriate as a first bolus?
5An adult with no contraindications has moderate post-operative pain not controlled by regular paracetamol. Following the WHO analgesic ladder, which is the most appropriate next step to add?
6A patient with confirmed proximal deep vein thrombosis and normal renal function is to start a direct oral anticoagulant. Which initial apixaban regimen is correct for treatment of acute VTE?
7An adult with an acute exacerbation of asthma requires a systemic corticosteroid. Which is the most appropriate prescription?
8A patient with confirmed Helicobacter pylori infection and no penicillin allergy needs first-line eradication therapy. Which 7-day regimen is most appropriate?
9A 25-year-old man has a first uncomplicated tonic-clonic seizure and an epilepsy diagnosis is made; he wishes to drive in future. Which is generally the most appropriate first-line antiepileptic monotherapy for generalised seizures in a young man?
10An adult with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, eGFR 80 mL/min/1.73m2 and no contraindications needs first-line glucose-lowering therapy alongside lifestyle measures. Which drug is most appropriate?
About the PSA Exam
The Prescribing Safety Assessment (PSA) is a national, online, pass/fail assessment of the prescribing skills, judgement and supporting knowledge expected of a newly qualified Foundation Year 1 doctor in the NHS. Developed and delivered by the British Pharmacological Society and MSC Assessment, it is based on the General Medical Council's Outcomes for graduates. Final-year UK medical students sit the PSA before graduation, and a pass is required for full GMC registration. The assessment has eight sections, each with a distinct item style: Prescribing, Prescription Review, Planning Management, Providing Information, Calculation Skills, Adverse Drug Reactions, Drug Monitoring and Data Interpretation. It is open-book, with full access to the BNF, BNF for Children and the NICE interaction checker, and offers 200 marks across about 60 items completed within two hours.
Assessment
Eight sections, each with six or eight items: Prescribing (8 items, 80 marks), Prescription Review (8 items, 32 marks), Planning Management, Providing Information, Calculation Skills, Adverse Drug Reactions, Drug Monitoring and Data Interpretation. About 60 items in total offering 200 marks.
Time Limit
Candidates are normally expected to finish within a total of two hours (120 minutes) of examination time.
Passing Score
Pass/fail and criterion-referenced. There is no fixed published pass mark; the standard is set per sitting (modified Angoff) to reflect the competence of a new FY1 prescriber, with pass marks commonly around 70%.
Exam Fee
No individual sitting fee for final-year UK medical students; the PSA is funded through participating medical schools. International or independent sittings via BPS Assessment may carry a provider-set fee. (British Pharmacological Society and MSC Assessment)
PSA Exam Content Outline
Prescribing
Choose the most appropriate single drug or IV fluid with the correct dose, route and frequency for a clinical scenario. Practice here covers analgesia, antibiotics, anticoagulation, IV fluids, insulin, antiemetics and emergency prescribing, with attention to safe, legal and effective prescriptions.
Prescription Review
Review a drug chart and identify the most or least appropriate item, an interaction, contraindication or prescribing error. Practice here covers polypharmacy in the elderly, renal and hepatic dose adjustment, duplicate therapy and high-risk combinations.
Planning Management
Select the most appropriate initial management or treatment for a clinical situation from a list of options. Practice here covers acute presentations across medicine, surgery, psychiatry, O&G and general practice.
Providing Information
Give the best counselling or safety advice to a patient about a medicine. Practice here covers how to take a drug, side effects to expect or report, monitoring and lifestyle interactions such as warfarin, methotrexate, inhalers and oral contraceptives.
Calculation Skills
Perform drug dose, infusion-rate and unit-conversion calculations accurately. Practice here covers weight-based paediatric dosing, mL/hour and drops/min infusion rates, concentration conversions and dose adjustments.
Adverse Drug Reactions
Recognise likely adverse reactions, identify the drug causing an effect, spot interactions and choose the best management. Practice here covers NSAIDs, diuretics, opioids, anticoagulants, antibiotics and common high-risk medicines.
Drug Monitoring
Choose the most appropriate monitoring test or parameter and frequency for a medicine. Practice here covers warfarin/INR, gentamicin and vancomycin levels, lithium, methotrexate, digoxin, amiodarone and statins.
Data Interpretation
Interpret results such as INR, U&Es, drug levels, blood glucose and blood gases to guide a prescribing decision. Practice here links abnormal results to the correct change in therapy.
How to Pass the PSA Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: Pass/fail and criterion-referenced. There is no fixed published pass mark; the standard is set per sitting (modified Angoff) to reflect the competence of a new FY1 prescriber, with pass marks commonly around 70%.
- Assessment: Eight sections, each with six or eight items: Prescribing (8 items, 80 marks), Prescription Review (8 items, 32 marks), Planning Management, Providing Information, Calculation Skills, Adverse Drug Reactions, Drug Monitoring and Data Interpretation. About 60 items in total offering 200 marks.
- Time limit: Candidates are normally expected to finish within a total of two hours (120 minutes) of examination time.
- Exam fee: No individual sitting fee for final-year UK medical students; the PSA is funded through participating medical schools. International or independent sittings via BPS Assessment may carry a provider-set fee.
Keys to Passing
- Complete 500+ practice questions
- Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
- Focus on highest-weighted sections
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
PSA Study Tips from Top Performers
Frequently Asked Questions
How many sections are on the PSA?
There are eight sections: Prescribing, Prescription Review, Planning Management, Providing Information, Calculation Skills, Adverse Drug Reactions, Drug Monitoring and Data Interpretation. Each has a distinct item style and either six or eight items.
How long is the PSA and how many marks is it worth?
The PSA is completed within two hours (120 minutes) and offers a total of 200 marks across about 60 items. The Prescribing section carries the most marks, with eight items worth 10 marks each (80 marks).
Is the PSA open-book?
Yes. The PSA is an open-book online assessment with full access to the BNF, the BNF for Children and the NICE interaction checker throughout. You are expected to use them efficiently rather than memorise every detail.
What is the pass mark for the PSA?
The PSA is pass/fail and criterion-referenced. There is no fixed published pass mark; the standard is set per sitting by panel review to reflect the competence of a new FY1 prescriber, and pass marks commonly settle around 70%.
Who has to sit the PSA?
Final-year UK medical students sit the PSA before graduation, and a pass is required for full GMC registration. FY1 doctors who did not pass at medical school can resit through their deanery.
Are these official PSA questions?
No. These are original OpenExamPrep questions modelled on the eight PSA item styles and grounded in BNF prescribing practice. The British Pharmacological Society and MSC Assessment provide official practice papers separately.