PSA Exam Prep
Preparing to sit the Prescribing Safety Assessment? Get ahead with PSA Prep, our collection of FREE eLearning sessions for medical students.
Written and reviewed by a team of UK experts, the 9 eLearning sessions in PSA Prep provide you with a detailed outline of each of the question styles found in the Prescribing Safety Assessment. Each session addresses areas of the exam commonly found difficult among candidates, such as dealing with the time pressure, calculations, the exam format and identifying the key points in clinical scenarios.
Take a closer look at each of the sessions below.
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Introduction to PSA Question Styles
Prescribing (PWS) Question Items
Prescription Review (REV) Question Items
Planning Management (MAN) Question Items
Providing Information (COM) Questions
Calculation Skills (CAL) Question Items
Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR) Question Items
Drug Monitoring (TDM) Question Items
Data Interpretation (DAT) Questions
Introduction to PSA Question Styles
Access All PSA Prep Modules for Free
Prescribing (PWS) Question Items
- answer the Prescribing (PWS) questions using the PSA prescribing form
- understand how marks are awarded for optimal and sub-optimal answers
- manage the time pressures
- approach Prescribing items confidently and effectively
Access All PSA Prep Modules for Free
Prescription Review (REV) Question Items
- identify which components of a prescription are inappropriate, unsafe or ineffective based on their clinical circumstances.
- understand how marks are awarded for optimal and sub-optimal answers
- understand the structure of the questions
- approach Prescription Review items confidently and effectively
Access All PSA Prep Modules for Free
Planning Management (MAN) Question Items
- decide which treatment is best to manage a particular clinical scenario
- understand how marks are awarded for optimal and sub-optimal answers
- understand the structure of the questions
- approach Planning Management items confidently and effectively
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Providing Information (COM) Questions
- identify the most important pieces of information to share with the patient, carer or other healthcare providers.
- understand how marks are awarded for optimal and sub-optimal answers
- understand the structure of the questions
- approach Providing Information items confidently and effectively
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Calculation Skills (CAL) Question Items
- complete calculations with confidence
- understand the structure and rationale required of the Calculation Skills questions.
- get a step-by-step breakdown of the formula and workings of the questions
- understand how marks are awarded
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Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR) Question Items
- identify the likely adverse reactions of specific drugs or the potentially dangerous drug interactions from clinical case scenarios.
- understand how marks are awarded for optimal and sub-optimal answers
- understand the structure of the questions
- approach Adverse Drug Reactions items confidently and effectively
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Drug Monitoring (TDM) Question Items
- monitor the beneficial and harmful effects of medicines and the decisions that inform these actions
- understand how marks are awarded for optimal and sub-optimal answers
- understand the structure of the questions
- approach Drug Monitoring items confidently and effectively
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Data Interpretation (DAT) Questions
- decide the meaning of results from an investigation and how this may affect further decisions about ongoing drug therapy
- understand how marks are awarded for optimal and sub-optimal answers
- understand the structure of the questions
- approach Data Interpretation items confidently and effectively
Access All PSA Prep Modules for Free
What is PSA Prep?
PSA Prep is our exclusive set of free preparatory resources for candidates who will be sitting the Prescribing Safety Assessment (PSA) exam in the UK. Although it is UK-focused, students taking the Prescribing Skills Assessment elsewhere may still find it of use in understanding the PSA blueprint and question styles.
Here’s a video detailing the 9 eLearning sessnions included in PSA Prep
FAQs About PSA Prep
What’s included in PSA Prep?
PSA Prep offers 9 free eLearning sessions which cover all aspects of the prescribing skills exam. Each structured session outlines one question style and is written by a team of UK experts. These sessions have been developed to both introduce you to the PSA online interface, the PSA question styles and also to address areas that candidates often find the most challenging. The PSA Prep sessions cover: dealing with time pressure, calculations, question formats, and identifying the key information within questions allowing you to answer them more confidently.
PSA Prep is designed to help prepare students for the Prescribing Safety Assessment but it is also of value for students sitting the Prescribing Skills Assessment. The fundamentals of PSA blueprint, question styles and platform layout remain the same for both exams, and we recommend it for both Prescribing Safety Assessment and Prescribing Skills Assessment candidates.
What’s the difference between PSA Prep and the PSA practice papers
Think of PSA Prep as your training programme ahead of completing your official PSA practice papers and sitting your PSA exam. PSA Prep is a great tool to help you familiarise yourself with the exam dashboard layout, the 8 sections of the exam, and even provides helpful feedback on the sections you complete. PSA Prep isn’t structured like a mock exam, instead it’s a handy guide that will help you approach your practice papers and mock exams with confidence.Â
Is PSA Prep a PSA mock exam or a PSA practice paper?
PSA Prep is neither a PSA mock nor a practice paper, in fact it’s not even in an exam format. What is is, is a 9-part eLearning introduction to the PSA exam, including the exam sections, test questions which include detailed feedback, an area to practice using resources like the BNF and calculator as you will use them in the exam, and what’s more – the entire dashboard layout is a copy of the one used in the official UK PSA exam. PSA Prep is a great starting point for those sitting their PSA exam in the near future.
Where can I find official PSA practice papers?
You’ll be able to access your free PSA practice papers, via your login on the official Prescribing Safety Assessment website here. Contact your school if you’re having any issues accessing this great, free resource. PSA Prep is the ideal eLearning set to complete before you attempt your official practice papers to ensure you get the most out of them.
Does PSA Prep include past PSA papers?
No, PSA Prep doesn’t include any past PSA papers, mock PSA exams, or even any timed exams or questions. PSA Prep is 9 eLearning sessions that we think you’ll find helpful ahead of attempting any type of PSA paper. PSA Prep does include some example questions in each module to give you an idea of what you’ll find in your PSA mock exam.Â
How will PSA Prep help me prepare to sit the PSA exam?
PSA Prep is our free, most highly recommended resource for UK medical students and junior doctors preparing for their PSA mocks or PSA exam. Candidates who complete PSA Prep are more likely to feel familiar with the exam dashboard, be better informed on the resources used in the exam, may be more confident with handling the time pressures of their PSA mock or PSA exam, and are better prepared for questions styles that arise in the PSA exam.
In addition to PSA Prep, you can access a selection of our online learning and assessment products free of charge, including sample eLearning sessions from our courses and a case studies in prescribing (primary care) assessment.
CERSI Course
MHRA – Yellow Card Scheme
Polypharmacy Knowledge Check
Antimicrobial Prescribing Knowledge Check
MHRA – Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Assessment
Drugs In Healthcare & Society
Introduction To Clinical Pharmacology & Theraputics
What better way to prepare for your prescribing exam than by practising? While we can’t offer official exam past papers, you might like our Practice Papers!Â
These Practice Papers are designed specifically for UK medical students, helping you prepare for your final year Prescribing Exams. There are 120 questions split across 3 individual papers, including a 60-item practice exam not previously available.
There is in-depth feedback for each question and unlimited attempts on each of the practice papers, allowing candidates to learn where they’re going wrong and understand how to fix it. The papers are all aligned to the British National Formulary and written by UK experts, highlighting best practice procedures expected of newly qualified doctors.
You can buy these papers individually or purchase all 3 together at a discount.
Practice Paper 3 (60 items)
Practice Paper 2 (30 items)
Practice Paper 1 (30 items)
Better Prescribing, Better Patient Safety
BPS Assessment is the learning and assessment branch of the British Pharmacological Society. We aim to drive improvement in medication safety worldwide, through knowledge assessment and learning.Â
We work side by side with the Society to develop products and services that help institutions all over the world in the teaching of good prescribing practice and the assessment of prescribing knowledge.
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