Common Registration Assessment, Part 1

Cyclizine tablet strengths and three daily doses for the GPhC assessment

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

Published 24 October 2026. Independent revision material, not GPhC questions, not for patient care.

Assorted medicines on a wooden surface
Photo from Pexels, used under the Pexels licence. It is a stock image and does not show the exercise.

The BNF lists cyclizine 50 mg tablets taken up to three times a day for nausea, vomiting and vertigo. The NHS describes it as an anti-sickness medicine that usually comes as tablets.

For motion sickness the BNF timing is 50 mg taken 1 to 2 hours before departure, up to three times a day.

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 formulation, strength, dose and frequency supplied in the question.
  2. Convert an X mg/5 mL strength to mg/mL if a dose-to-volume conversion is needed.
  3. Calculate one dose first; for tablets or capsules divide prescribed mg by mg per unit.
  4. Scale to the stated frequency and duration only when a total quantity is requested.
  5. Apply whole-container or complete-day 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 prescription specifies cyclizine 50 mg three times a day for 7 days, using 50 mg tablets. How many tablets cover the course?

Show the answer

Answer: 21 tablets

Working: 3 doses per day × 7 days = 21 doses; 21 × 1 tablet = 21 tablets.

Question 2

A fictional plan specifies cyclizine 100 mg three times a day, using 50 mg tablets. What is the total daily amount?

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Answer: 300 mg

Working: 100 mg × 3 = 300 mg per day. Each dose is 2 tablets, so 6 tablets daily.

Question 3

A fictional traveller takes cyclizine 50 mg once each morning, 1 to 2 hours before departure, on a 3-day trip. How many 50 mg tablets is that in total?

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Answer: 3 tablets

Working: 1 tablet × 3 days = 3 tablets, which is 150 mg in total.

NHS: Cyclizine

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

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.

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More calculation topics

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