Common Registration Assessment, Part 1

Cinnarizine 15mg tablets and travel sickness doses for the GPhC assessment

Three original practice questions, with the working shown. Read the stated prescription or plan before calculating.

Published 29 October 2026. Independent revision material, not GPhC questions, not for patient care.

Young girl sitting in a car looking out of the window
Photo from Pexels, used under the Pexels licence. It is a stock image and does not show the exercise.

The NHS lists cinnarizine for travel sickness as 15 mg tablets; adults and children aged 12 years and over take 2 tablets 2 hours before travelling, then 1 tablet every 8 hours during the journey if needed.

The NHS lists children aged 5 to 11 years as taking 1 tablet 2 hours before travelling, then half a tablet every 8 hours during the journey if needed.

Each question fixes the values needed for its arithmetic. Write the unit beside every step and distinguish a single dose from a daily total or course supply. All prescriptions and patients here are fictional; these are revision materials, not for patient care.

The method

  1. Identify the exact age band, strength and schedule supplied in the question.
  2. Count the pre-travel dose and the during-journey doses as separate steps before adding.
  3. Work out during-journey doses by dividing the stated journey length by 8 hours.
  4. Multiply tablets by 15 mg when an answer is requested in mg.
  5. Apply whole-tablet rounding only if the question specifies it.

Three practice questions

Work each one on paper first, then open the answer. All patients and prescriptions are fictional.

Question 1

A fictional adult takes 2 cinnarizine 15 mg tablets 2 hours before a journey, then 1 tablet every 8 hours during a 24-hour journey. How many tablets is that in total?

Show the answer

Answer: 5 tablets

Working: 24 hours ÷ 8 hours = 3 doses during the journey; 2 + 3 = 5 tablets.

Question 2

For the same fictional schedule of 5 cinnarizine 15 mg tablets, how many mg is that in total?

Show the answer

Answer: 75 mg

Working: 5 tablets × 15 mg = 75 mg.

Question 3

A fictional child aged 8 takes 1 cinnarizine 15 mg tablet 2 hours before travelling, then half a tablet every 8 hours during a 16-hour journey. How many tablets is that in total?

Show the answer

Answer: 2 tablets

Working: 16 hours ÷ 8 hours = 2 during-journey doses of half a tablet = 1 tablet; 1 + 1 = 2 tablets.

NHS: Cinnarizine

https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/cinnarizine/

Where marks are lost

  • Using a remembered strength or schedule instead of the stated product.
  • Reporting a daily total when the question asks for one dose or the course.
  • Treating arithmetic as evidence that a real prescription is clinically suitable.

Frequently asked questions

Are these official assessment questions?

No. They are original revision exercises, not official GPhC questions and not for patient care.

Can a quantity calculation justify a formulation switch?

No. Follow the formulation and prescription in the exercise. Real switches and dose changes need clinical checks.

How should I check the answer?

Check the requested unit, then work backwards from the quantity to the stated dose and duration.

Sources

The questions above are original and use fictional patients and prescriptions. PreRegExamPrep is not affiliated with or endorsed by the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Practise until the method is automatic

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More calculation topics

See also the formula sheet, the eight sample questions and the approved calculator page.