Resitting the GPhC Registration Assessment

Preparing and plan your next steps

We understand that failing an assessment can be disheartening. You may be feeling a mixture of emotions from frustration, anger, disappointment and overwhelming - these are common feelings. Try to keep perspective and remember this is an opportunity to reflect and improve, so that you are able to achieve your goals.

We are here to support you, help you think through your next steps and prepare for your next assessment or other career options. We also have lots of wellbeing resources if you need help to manage your emotions and feelings. 

However, if you do wish to talk to someone who can offer advice on the management of stress and anxiety, Pharmacist Support offer a free and confidential service through Listening friends. Pharmacist support also provide information about options if you have failed your assessment.

Watch our next steps webinar

Reflect and learn

Before you make any decisions on your next steps take some time to reflect on your recent experience, as this will help you think through your options. Some points to consider are:

• How did I feel following the assessment?
• Was the environment optimal?
• Were there any practical issues on the day?
• Were there any topics in the assessment that I felt were particularly challenging?
• Did I manage to complete all the required questions in the set time?
• What were my main concerns after the assessment?
• What do I need improve for future assessments?

Arrange a meeting with your tutor to discuss your reflections and to start planning your next steps. 

You can also reach out to a RPS mentor for a different perspective if useful. sometimes it's useful to talk to someone outside your organisation and/or form another setting of practice for independent advice. 

Remember to read GPhC's information about next steps if you do not pass the registration assessment, to ensure you are aware of key dates and any immediate actions you need to take.

You can appeal if you have failed by contacting the GPhC directly. GPhC will ask you to provide information to support your appeal request. Further details of this process will be made available closer to the assessment results day.

Preparing for your next assessment

Take some time to clear your mind and think through your options; remember you do not have to take your assessment at the next available date, you can wait until a later date if that suits you better.

Ask yourself:

• Am I ready to sit the next assessment?
• Am I confident with all the aspects of the GPhC assessment framework?
• Do I feel I am well prepared and have covered everything I need to know roughly?
• Am I passing practice papers and can I do these well within in the set timeframe?
• Has my learning and knowledge progressed and developed compared to when I last took the assessment?
• Have I achieved the development and learning goals I set myself?
• If you have made the decision to take your assessment?

The next GPhC aassessment will take place in June 2024.

Revising for your assessment

We have collated lots of revision resources on our  registration assessment hub, including links to free ebooks, Pharmaceutical Journal articles and clinical guidance.

Our top tips for the GPhC registration assessment resource contains useful practical tips and advice on sitting the assessment.

Remember to ask your tutor and RPS mentors for their tips too. They might be able to help you devise a structured revision plan.

Learn and revise

We have collated some tips that might be useful for your revision. These are only suggestions and you should think about your own learning style and preferences, and your personal objectives.

• Understand your learning needs by identifying your development areas. Revisit the GPhC assessment framework and highlight your areas of strengths and weaknesses
• Think about when you want to start revision. It's never to early to start but you should also make time to refocus and relax as need
• Develop a focused and realistic revision plan that you can fit alongside work and personal commitments
• Look at the GPhC assessment learning points published after every assessment. This contains details of challenging topics. Make a note of these and include them in your revision plan
• Divide your revision into small chucks, perhaps 45 minutes focused on one topic, with regular breaks between each session
• Develop study groups with friends and peers, and learn together
• Reflect following each revision session, jot down your key learning points and ask yourself ‘how will this be tested in the assessment?’ This will help you apply your knowledge to an assessment question
• Practice questions where you can to improve your technique
• Try to revisit all of your revision material at least twice before your assessment.

Practice! Practice! Practice!

• Complete as many assessment questions as possible using Pharmacy Knowledge ONtrack. It contains thousands of questions to help you prepare. Do batches of questions under timed conditions, and with each attempt, try to complete a larger batch of questions in the same amount of time
• Try to complete at least two complete mock assessment papers under the timed conditions as you would in the actual assessment.

The RPS Pre-Registration and revision mock assessment is designed to give you practice on sitting the assessment under test conditions. This will enable you to learn how to manage your time effectively to ensure that you are able to complete both the assessment paper within the timeframe given.