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100+ Free SAPC Pre-Registration Exam Practice Questions

Pass your SAPC Pharmacist Pre-Registration Examination — South Africa exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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Varies by sitting (historical overall pass often mid–high 80%) Pass Rate
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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: SAPC Pre-Registration Exam Exam

≥120

SBA MCQs (minimum) in one paper

2026 Intern and Tutor Manual

≥30%

Calculations share of the paper

2026 Intern and Tutor Manual

60%

Calculations section subminimum

2026 Intern and Tutor Manual / Pharmaciae

50%

Overall and general-section minima

2026 Intern and Tutor Manual

4.5 h

Total exam time (2 h + 2.5 h)

SAPC Intern pre-registration page

R0 / R2,800

Entrance fee attempts 1–2 / 3+

2026 Intern and Tutor Manual

33%

Largest domain — Supply of medicines

2026 Intern Manual Table 7

100

Free practice SBAs on OpenExamPrep

OpenExamPrep

SAPC pre-registration is an open-book ≥120-SBA exam (calc ≥30% with 60% subminimum; general ≤70% with 50% subminimum; overall ≥50%). 2026 fees: free for attempts 1–2, R2,800 from attempt 3, late booking R1,383. This free bank has 100 practice SBAs mapped to official domain weights.

Sample SAPC Pre-Registration Exam Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your SAPC Pre-Registration Exam exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1According to the SAPC 2018 Competency Standards, which activity best illustrates Domain 1 (Public health) at entry level?
A.Advising a community on disease prevention and healthy lifestyles within South African public-health priorities
B.Updating only the pharmacy’s private financial ledger
C.Calculating a paediatric infusion rate for a single inpatient
D.Signing a batch release certificate in a manufacturing pharmacy
Explanation: Domain 1 centres on population and community health: health promotion, disease prevention, and culturally appropriate public-health work. Individual infusion calculations and batch release belong to other domains.
2A community pharmacy partners with the local clinic for an influenza vaccination awareness day. Which competency is primarily being demonstrated?
A.Promotion of health and wellness through collaborative public-health activity
B.Wholesale distribution fee negotiation
C.Laboratory assay validation
D.Medicine production according to GxP
Explanation: Vaccination awareness and clinic collaboration map to Competency Standard 1.1 (promotion of health and wellness) under Public health.
3When assessing healthcare needs of a rural community, an entry-level pharmacist should primarily take into account:
A.Cultural and social context and South African public-health priorities
B.Only the pharmacy’s monthly turnover targets
C.International pricing unrelated to local disease burden
D.Personal preference of a single wholesaler representative
Explanation: Competency Standard 1.1 requires assessment of community needs considering cultural/social context and SA public-health priorities.
4Providing accurate medicines information to another healthcare professional in support of rational prescribing is classified mainly under which Domain 1 competency area?
A.Medicines information
B.Packaging material reconciliation
C.Medicine compounding
D.Human resources management
Explanation: Competency Standard 1.2 (Medicines information) covers provision of evidence-based medicine information to patients and healthcare professionals.
5A pharmacist advocates for improved access to chronic medicines at a district health forum. This best reflects:
A.Professional and health advocacy
B.Tablet compression yield calculation
C.Private insurance underwriting
D.Sterile product aseptic technique only
Explanation: Competency Standard 1.3 covers professional and health advocacy for patients and communities.
6In health economics for pharmacy practice, a cost-minimisation analysis is most appropriate when:
A.Two interventions are assumed to have equivalent outcomes and the cheaper option is sought
B.Outcomes differ substantially and quality-adjusted life years must be compared
C.No costs are considered and only clinical outcomes are ranked
D.Only intangible benefits without monetary costs are measured
Explanation: Cost-minimisation analysis compares costs when clinical outcomes are equivalent (or assumed equivalent). If outcomes differ, cost-effectiveness or cost–utility approaches are used instead.
7Brand medicine A costs R240 for a 30-day course. An interchangeable generic costs R96 for the same course with equivalent therapeutic outcome. What is the absolute cost saving per course if the generic is selected?
A.R144
B.R336
C.R96
D.R240
Explanation: Absolute saving = R240 − R96 = R144 per equivalent course (cost differential between branded and generic equivalents — CS 1.4).
8During a declared disease outbreak, the pharmacist’s public-health role most appropriately includes:
A.Supporting epidemic response with accurate information, supply continuity, and collaboration with health authorities
B.Refusing all patient queries until the outbreak ends
C.Discarding all vaccines regardless of cold-chain status
D.Ignoring official guidance and inventing unapproved therapies for sale
Explanation: Competency Standard 1.5 (Epidemic and disaster management) expects pharmacists to support outbreak/disaster response within professional and legal bounds.
9In South Africa’s primary healthcare approach, the community pharmacist most clearly contributes by:
A.Providing accessible first-contact care, health promotion, and appropriate referral within the PHC system
B.Replacing all medical practitioners for surgical procedures
C.Issuing Schedule 6 opioids without any legal authority
D.Operating without any record-keeping requirements
Explanation: Competency Standard 1.6 (Primary healthcare) aligns pharmacists with PHC: accessible care, prevention, counselling, and referral—not unrestricted medical practice.
10Which source is most appropriate when a pharmacist needs official South African Standard Treatment Guidelines / Essential Medicines List guidance for public-sector primary care?
A.Current National Department of Health STGs/EML (or provincial adaptations in use)
B.A patient blog describing personal experience only
C.An unverified social-media post without citations
D.A foreign OTC advertising flyer only
Explanation: South African public-sector rational use is guided by NDoH STGs/EML (and provincial adaptations). Unverified informal sources are not appropriate primary references.

About the SAPC Pre-Registration Exam Exam

The SAPC Pharmacist Pre-Registration Examination is the open-book single-best-answer assessment taken during the pharmacist internship before registration. It is blueprinted to the 2018 Competency Standards for Pharmacists and mixes calculation and general practice items across manufacturing, institutional and community contexts. Candidates must meet internship Portfolio of Evidence/progress-report requirements, complete the compulsory practice examination, and achieve overall and section subminima. This free bank offers 100 SBAs weighted to the 2026 Intern and Tutor Manual Table 7 domain percentages.

Assessment

One open-book SBA MCQ paper based on the 2018 Competency Standards. Calculations section (≥30% of items; 2 hours; ≥60% subminimum) and general section (≤70%; 2.5 hours; ≥50% subminimum). Questions span community, institutional, wholesale and manufacturing contexts. Remote sittings are commonly split over two days.

Time Limit

4.5 hours total (2 h calculations + 2.5 h general)

Passing Score

Overall ≥50%; calculations ≥60%; general ≥50%

Exam Fee

R0 (1st–2nd attempt); R2,800 (3rd+); late booking R1,383 (2026; confirm gazette) (South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC))

SAPC Pre-Registration Exam Exam Content Outline

15.83%

Public health

Health promotion, medicines information, advocacy, health economics, epidemic/disaster management, primary healthcare

27.50%

Safe and rational use of medicines and medical devices

Counselling, medicine review, safety, monitoring, PIT, pharmacovigilance, clinical trials, dose/PK calculations

33.00%

Supply of medicines and medical devices

GxP, supply chain, formulary, dispensing, compounding, disposal — largest domain and heavy on calculations

5.00%

Organisation and management skills

HR, finance, infrastructure, QA, change management, policy

17.00%

Professional and personal practice

Patient-centred care, professional/ethical/legal practice, leadership, decisions, collaboration, communication

1.76%

Education, critical analysis and research

Critical appraisal and research/ethics at entry level

How to Pass the SAPC Pre-Registration Exam Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Overall ≥50%; calculations ≥60%; general ≥50%
  • Assessment: One open-book SBA MCQ paper based on the 2018 Competency Standards. Calculations section (≥30% of items; 2 hours; ≥60% subminimum) and general section (≤70%; 2.5 hours; ≥50% subminimum). Questions span community, institutional, wholesale and manufacturing contexts. Remote sittings are commonly split over two days.
  • Time limit: 4.5 hours total (2 h calculations + 2.5 h general)
  • Exam fee: R0 (1st–2nd attempt); R2,800 (3rd+); late booking R1,383 (2026; confirm gazette)

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

SAPC Pre-Registration Exam Study Tips from Top Performers

1Prioritise calculations early — historically most failures are in the calculations section (60% subminimum).
2Use the 2026 Intern and Tutor Manual Table 7–8 blueprint and calculation topic list as your revision map.
3Practise open-book lookup under timed conditions with permitted SA references (Pharmacy Act, Medicines Act, GPP, STGs/EML) — previous exam papers are not allowed in the real sitting.
4Complete the compulsory SAPC practice examination to learn the remote platform and pacing.
5Drill sector-contextual scenarios (community, hospital, wholesale, manufacturing) rather than memorising isolated facts.
6Confirm sitting dates, booking windows, and fees on pharmcouncil.co.za / sapc.za.org before you book.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the format of the SAPC pre-registration examination?

It is an open-book single-best-answer MCQ assessment with a minimum of 120 questions in one paper covering calculations (≥30%) and general practice (≤70%), based on the 2018 Competency Standards and contextualised across pharmacy sectors.

What are the pass requirements?

Candidates need at least 50% overall, at least 60% in the calculations section, and at least 50% in the general section. If either section is failed, both sections must be rewritten.

How long is the examination?

The paper is written over 4.5 hours: 2 hours for calculations and 2.5 hours for general questions. Remote sittings are often scheduled across two days.

How much does it cost in 2026?

There is no entrance fee for the first and second attempts. A fee of R2,800 applies for a third and subsequent attempts. Late bookings (less than four weeks and up to 14 days before the date) attract R1,383. Confirm the current Board Notice/fee schedule before booking.

Who can sit the exam?

Registered pharmacist interns who meet the current Intern and Tutor Manual booking requirements (including Portfolio of Evidence/CPD and tutor progress reports) and who have completed the compulsory practice examination.

How are questions weighted across domains?

The 2026 Intern and Tutor Manual Table 7 weights the 120 items approximately as: Public health 15.83%, Safe and rational use 27.50%, Supply 33.00%, Organisation and management 5.00%, Professional and personal practice 17.00%, and Education/research 1.76%.