We outline the changes to the pre-reg exam due to be introduced next year.

The revised registration assessment will see two new-style papers. The first paper will include 40 calculation questions to be completed in two hours. Trainees will now be allowed to use calculators provided by the GPhC for the exam.

They will be provided with the units but will need to handwrite the answer; there will be no marks for workings. The use of calculators means that more realistic questions can be set, as it negates the need for simple whole numbers. Gone are the days when every patient had to have a body surface area of two.

The second paper will include 120 questions to be completed in two-and-a-half hours. The style of questions has been changed for the new assessment. Only two styles of question will be used – 90 single best answer multiple choice questions and 30 extended matching questions.

The multiple completion and assertion reasoning questions (statement 2 is an explanation of statement 1) have been removed from all papers. Paper two may also contain some multiple choice calculations. Trainees will not be allowed to use calculators for these.

Open book... closed

The summer 2016 registration exam will also see all open book references removed from the assessment, including the BNF and cBNF. These will be replaced with a new booklet of artefacts including excerpts from the BNF and cBNF, patient information leaflets, and photographs of conditions, which will be provided with the examination papers. The GPhC still values the BNF as a resource and will expect trainees to use it in their day-to-day practice.

Change of emphasis

The emphasis of the exam will also change. There will be much less concentration on factual recall and a greater focus on application of knowledge. This might be challenging for some trainees, who may be more comfortable with learning factual information.

Tutors helping their trainees with the new-style questions may find the following tips useful:

• Ensure they are aware of the changes on the GPhC website
• Encourage a learning environment for your trainee
• Help them develop their decision-making skills. Discuss the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of your clinical decisions
• Encourage trainees to apply their knowledge and evaluate their success
• Practise sample questions with them, particularly the new-style handwritten calculation questions
• Test their understanding
• Ensure that trainees are competent in their ability to locate information efficiently in the BNF – this will no longer be tested within the examination but it is still a skill that is currently needed.

Further information about the changes to the registration assessment can be found on the GPhC website (pharmacyregulation.org/2016changes), along with sample questions.

_{This article first appeared as a UKCPA Viewpoint in the July 2015 edition of Pharmacy Magazine.}