Medical Students
British Pharmacological Society & MSC Assessment
Prescribing Safety Assessment
450 Single Best Answer (SBA) questions for the PSA exam.
PSA Overview
The Prescribing Safety Assessment (PSA) is a national online examination that tests the knowledge, judgement and skills needed to prescribe and supervise the use of medicines safely and effectively. It is developed jointly by the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) and the Medical Schools Council (MSC) Assessment.
The PSA is sat by all final-year UK medical students, who must demonstrate prescribing competence before starting work as a foundation doctor. It is also taken by others who need to evidence safe prescribing, including some international medical graduates. This question bank builds prescribing confidence with practice questions and teaching-point explanations across every PSA section.PSA Details
FormatComputer-based, delivered online at medical schools and test centres
Duration2 hours (120 minutes)
StructureEight question sections, 200 marks in total
MarkingNo negative marking; pass mark set by standard setting
SittingsSeveral sitting dates each academic year, with resit opportunities
Official source: prescribingsafetyassessment.ac.uk ↗
Question sections
| Section | Focus |
|---|---|
| Prescribing | Writing safe, appropriate and unambiguous prescriptions |
| Prescription review | Reviewing existing prescriptions for errors and hazards |
| Planning management | Choosing appropriate treatment for a clinical scenario |
| Providing information | Communicating clearly about medicines with patients |
| Adverse drug reactions | Recognising, avoiding and managing side effects |
| Drug monitoring | Selecting how to monitor the effects of a medicine |
| Data interpretation | Using results to guide prescribing decisions |
| Calculation skills | Performing accurate drug and dose calculations |
Who sits the PSA
- Final-year medical students at UK medical schools, before entering foundation training.
- Foundation doctors and others who need to demonstrate safe prescribing competence.
- International medical graduates evidencing prescribing skills where required.
Pricing
Start practicing today
1 Month
£7
- Timed & tutor mode
- Teaching-point explanations
- Weak topic tracking
- Performance analytics
3 Months
£11
£4/mo
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- Timed & tutor mode
- Teaching-point explanations
- Weak topic tracking
- Performance analytics
6 Months
£14
£2/mo
Save 67% vs monthly
- Timed & tutor mode
- Teaching-point explanations
- Weak topic tracking
- Performance analytics
Best Value
12 Months
£19
£2/mo
Save 77% vs monthly
- Timed & tutor mode
- Teaching-point explanations
- Weak topic tracking
- Performance analytics
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