Revising for the Prescribing Safety Assessment exam? We take a look at all the revision and practice materials out there, and recommend the best study resources for 2023.
1. PSA Prep (free)
These new eLearning sessions have been written by Professor Simon Maxwell, Medical Director of the PSA in collaboration with BPS Assessment, the learning and assessment arm of the British Pharmacological Society. There is 1 session for each of the 8 sections of the PSA exam, as well as an introductory session. PSA Prep is totally free to access and covers:
- The exam format and layout of each question
- Understanding how to answer the questions
- Common challenges, like the time pressure and exam calculations
To get instant access, simply create a free BPS Assessment platform account and you’ll be able to press play on PSA Prep next time you log in.
2. Official PSA Practice Papers (free)
This may sound obvious but don’t overlook what you already have! One month before your exam you’ll be registered by your school at https://prescribingsafetyassessment.ac.uk. Once you’re logged in, read up on the exam, use the information you’ll find there, and complete the 3 official PSA practice papers included.
3. MedicinesComplete and the NICE BNF
We know that time pressure is reported to be the biggest challenge for candidates sitting the PSA exam, so it makes sense that some of the best study resources you’ll find are MedicinesComplete and the NICE BNF. You don’t want to lose valuable minutes in the exam trying to navigate your way around the BNF, so it’s important that you familiarise yourself with these resources ahead of time. Time well spent!
4. Bonus Practice Papers (£40 for all 3 papers)
Once you’ve completed the 3 official practice papers, you’ll want more practice on a variety of question items in the same style as the exam format. You’ll find 3 bonus practice papers exclusively on the BPS Assessment Learner Portal, mirroring the format of the PSA and offering clear, in-depth feedback on each question.
There are 120 questions across the 3 papers, spanning all 8 sections of the PSA. You also get unlimited attempts, so you can learn from the automated feedback and keep trying til you get 100%. What better way to get confident ahead of exam day?!
It’s also worth noting that Paper 3 is worth a full 200 marks and is designed to be taken over 2 hours, just like the real exam. So you can set your timer and complete your very own ‘mock’ PSA exam whenever and wherever suits you! Once you’ve completed the paper and read through the feedback on your answers, you can have another try (you get unlimited attempts after all).