The Ultimate Exam Preparation Tool: Master your prescribing exams with a full 60-item paper

As your prescribing exams approach, every tool in your preparation arsenal matters! At BPS Assessment, we’re proud to offer a full 60-item practice paper designed to help you refine your prescribing skills and boost your confidence for exam day.

Here’s why our practice paper stands out and why it’s an essential part of your preparation journey:

A Complete Experience

Our 60-item practice paper mirrors the format, structure, and question style used in your actual exams. This allows you to familiarise yourself with the exam environment, helping you feel more prepared and less anxious on exam day. It’s the perfect way to simulate the exam experience while allowing you to identify areas that need more focus.

Feedback That Matters

What sets our practice paper apart from other resources is the comprehensive feedback we provide. For every question you answer, you’ll receive detailed insights that:

  • Highlight where you went wrong: Understand why your answer wasn’t correct, with clear explanations to address common pitfalls.
  • Guide you to the correct approach: Learn how to think through the problem and apply the appropriate skills to arrive at the correct answer.
  • Provide actionable advice: Gain practical tips for tackling similar questions in the future, ensuring continuous improvement.

This targeted feedback transforms the practice paper into a powerful learning tool, giving you more than just a score—it gives you the knowledge to do better next time!

Why Use This Resource?

  • Tailored Learning: Unlike generic practice papers, our feedback is tailored to help you understand your mistakes and grow from them.
  • Efficient Revision: With clear advice, you can focus your study time on areas that need the most attention, optimising your preparation.
  • Confidence Building: Familiarity with the format and question types, combined with a deeper understanding of how to approach them, will leave you feeling ready to tackle your real exams.

How to Use the Practice Paper Effectively

  • Simulate Exam Conditions: Set aside uninterrupted time to complete the practice paper in one sitting, just as you would on exam day.
  • Review Feedback Thoroughly: Take the time to read the feedback for every question, even those you answered correctly—you may still find valuable insights.
  • Revise Strategically: Use the advice from the feedback to target weak areas and revisit those topics in your study materials.
  • Reattempt the Paper: One of the most helpful features of our 60-item practice paper is the ability to attempt it as many times as you want! After revising, go back to the practice paper and attempt it again to track your progress and solidify your understanding.

Ready to Boost Your Prescribing Preparation?

The BPS Assessment full 60-item paper is the ultimate resource for any student aiming to excel in their prescribing exams. With its realistic format and in-depth feedback, you’ll gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to succeed.

Log in to the BPS Assessment Portal today to access the full 60-item paper and take your preparation to the next level. Your journey to success starts here!

PSA exam countdown: Your guide to the final 2 weeks of exam preparation

The first Prescribing Safety Assessment (PSA) of 2025 is just around the corner, taking place on Thursday, 30th January—earlier than in previous years. For final-year medical students and foundation doctors, this means starting the year with a critical milestone. Whether you’ve been preparing steadily or are just getting started, the next two weeks are crucial to ensuring you’re confident and ready for exam day.

In this blog, we’ll guide you through a step-by-step approach to make the most of your time. With expert tips, targeted strategies, and practical resources from BPS Assessment, you can tackle the PSA with confidence.

Two Weeks to Go: Get Familiar with the Exam

Two weeks before the PSA, focus on understanding the exam format and sharpening your skills:

  • Revise the PSA structure: To understand what the exam evaluates, revisit the PSA framework and question types. The official PSA website has valuable resources, including example papers and FAQs.
  • Use PSA Prep eLearning sessions: BPS Assessment offers PSA Prep, nine free eLearning modules tailored to the PSA. Each session focuses on the different question styles that are found within the exam. This is an excellent time to work through these sessions if you haven’t already!
  • Complete a full-length paper: Available through BPS Assessment, a full 60-question practice paper. Use it to simulate the real exam, test your knowledge under timed conditions, and identify areas for improvement.

One week before the PSA exam 

With one week left, focus on consolidating what you’ve learned:

  • Focus on weak areas: Review feedback from your practice papers and revisit topics where you scored lower, such as calculations, contraindications, or drug interactions.
  • Review the BNF and BNFc: Make sure you’re comfortable navigating these essential resources, as they’ll be your lifeline during the exam. 
  • Work through additional questions: If you want more practice material consider the practice papers available on our portal website which include detailed feedback on how best to answer each question. Revisit difficult questions to reinforce your understanding.

Three days before the PSA exam 

As the exam nears, balance last-minute prep with self-care:

  • Quick refreshers: Revisit key prescribing principles and ensure you’re confident with common calculations and drug dose adjustments.
  • Light practice: Avoid overloading yourself; focus on short, targeted exercises to keep your skills sharp without adding stress.
  • Plan your exam day: Ensure you know the exam schedule, your login details for the PSA platform, and any technical requirements.

On Exam Day: Stay Calm and Focused

Finally, approach the exam with confidence:

  • Trust your preparation: You’ve put in the work; trust your knowledge and use available resources.
  • Utilise the BNF effectively: During the exam, rely on the BNF and BNFc to verify answers and avoid errors.

Ready to tackle the PSA? Explore all our resources here or find out more about the Prescribing Skills Assessment here.