Month: June 2023

The Prescribing Safety Assessment (PSA) is an essential exam that measures the ability to prescribe medications safely and effectively. As an open book exam, students and foundation doctors who sit the PSA have access to the BNF to reference their answers. But with only 120 minutes to answer 60 questions, how do you avoid using up your time to search for answers? In this blog, we explore how to utilise the BNF efficiently without eating up your time.

The Prescribing Safety Assessment (PSA)

The PSA is a two-hour exam that assesses the prescribing skills of early-career doctors. It is a mandatory exam in the UK, meaning foundation doctors must pass in order to progress on to FY2. The exam contains 8 different question styles with varying marks for each. The marks awarded indicate how much time to spend on each question.

What resources are available during the PSA?

As we’ve established above, the PSA is an open-book exam, which means that you will have access to at least one resource to reference your answers. For those sitting the exam in the UK, you will have access to the Medicines Complete BNF, Medicines Complete BNF for Children and the NICE BNF to check your answers.

For students sitting the exam in Ireland or overseas, you will only have access to the NICE BNF, unless your institution has otherwise purchased their own license of the Medicines Complete BNF and Medicines Complete BNF for Children.

How to use the BNF in the PSA

The BNF is a comprehensive guide to prescribing medication in the UK and can be accessed online.

To use the BNF effectively during the PSA, it’s important to understand how it’s organised. The BNF is arranged by drug class, and each drug has a corresponding monograph that provides information on its indications, contraindications, dosages, and potential side effects.

When answering PSA questions, it’s recommended to start by identifying the relevant drug class and then look up the specific drug in the BNF. It’s important to pay attention to any contraindications or warnings that may be relevant to the question at hand and make note of the recommended dosages and administration guidelines.

Additionally, the BNF includes a section on prescribing in special populations, such as elderly patients or those with renal impairment, which can provide useful information for answering questions about medication safety.

The best way to use your time is to confirm answers using the BNF instead of searching for uncertain ones. When revising, you should familiarise yourself with all versions, to ensure you can use either Medicines Complete or NICE to look up your answers.

How can you prepare for the PSA

You can practice using the BNF to reference your answers by making sure to take full advantage of the practice papers available on your official PSA account.

You can also get more information on the exam and how to use the BNF with our free eLearning sessions, PSA Prep, available on the BPS Assessment Learner’s Portal. Or take your revision one step further with our practice papers. For just £40 take our full 60 time paper and two 30-item practice papers!

BPS Assessment has launched a new assessment accredited by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), UK. The assessment is available for members enrolled on the RCP Assessment and Continued Professional Development (CPD) scheme, which runs from 1st April to 31st March every year.

The new Safe and Effective Prescribing Assessment from BPS Assessment, is a comprehensive 30-item assessment that provides data-rich feedback, giving participants the knowledge and skills necessary to improve their prescribing abilities. It can help professionals assess their current understanding of medicines and treatments while earning 6 CPD points.

The assessment can be taken online via the BPS Assessment learners portal and is accessible any time and from any location, meaning it’s a really convenient resource for busy healthcare professionals looking for ways to add points to their CPD diaries.

CPD is a cornerstone in the development and maintenance of valid and reliable clinical practices. Through completing CPD training, healthcare professionals can stay up-to-date with the latest research, technologies, and best practices in their field. This ongoing learning helps healthcare professionals to adapt to the constantly evolving healthcare landscape and provide the best possible care to their patients.

Nowhere is this more relevant than in prescribing, where new drugs are continually added to the market and an ageing population sees more individuals suffering from chronic illnesses which require different medications and careful monitoring and higher rates of polypharmacy. In providing a new CPD accredited assessment, we hope to support clinicians at all stages of their careers, allowing them to identify areas for improvement, enhancing their knowledge and skill and which we hope will ultimately lead to improved patient outcomes.

Find out more
Get ready to bring your prescribing knowledge up-to-date. Get your 6 RCP accredited CPD points by completing our Safe and Effective Prescribing Assessment. Visit our webpage now, to get access!

The PSA is an integral part of the medical education programme in the UK, a mandatory exam that all foundation doctors have to pass in order to progress. So as a student, it’s understandable to have a lot of questions about what to expect when taking the PSA. In this blog, we look at some of the commonly asked questions among those preparing to sit the PSA exam.

What is the pass mark of the PSA?

The Modified Angoff method of standard setting is used to establish the pass mark for the PSA. However, the exact pass mark is not disclosed before the test as adjustments may be necessary to account for variations in difficulty between papers, as well as any issues with items identified after the test has been taken. The Standard Setting Group, which is made up of assessment experts from UK medical schools and representatives of the MSC Assessment Alliance, defines the passing standard for each question.

How long is the PSA exam?

The standard length of the PSA is 120 minutes but this may vary depending on whether you are entitled to reasonable adjustments. Reasonable adjustment measures should be in line with what is in place at your medical or foundation school.

Do I get a calculator in the PSA exam?

Yes, a basic (non-scientific) calculator is allowed in the exam. You will have access to an online calculator that’s built into the PSA assessment, it’s available in the dashboard at the top of the screen during the exam.

Is the PSA an open book exam?

Yes, the PSA is an open book exam. You will get access to both the Medicines Complete BNF (if based in the UK) and the NICE BNF to reference their answers. No other resources except for the BNF are allowed, and from 2024 no paper copies of the BNF are allowed in the exam room.

When should I download my PSA certificate?

PSA certificates are available once your results have been released. You should download a copy of the certificate as soon as it’s available from your results dashboard and save a copy locally to your device. It’s also recommended that you save a copy in a cloud storage system or on a hard drive so that you can access this should anything have to your device.

How do I study for the PSA exam?

There are lots of resources available to help you prepare for the PSA exam. We’ve put together a list to help you with your revision.

1. Take advantage of the PSA practice papers available on the official PSA website. You should get access to the platform 1 month before sitting the assessment.
2. PSA Prep – a set of free eLearing resources from BPS Assessment each eLearning session covers the 8 different question items which make up the assessment. They give a thorough account of what to expect from which of the questions styles including how to approach the questions, where marks are awarded and suggestions on how much to spend on each question.
3. Prescribing Practice Papers – take your revision one step further with the practice papers available for BPS Assessment. Paper 3 is designed to be a full-length practice exam, with 60 question items, where you can time yourself over 2 hours.

Choose from our selection of free and paid resources and get practicing for your prescribing exam. Visit the BPS Assessment portal shop.