Common Registration Assessment, Part 1

Glimepiride tablet strengths and stepwise daily doses for the GPhC assessment

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

Published 5 November 2026. Independent revision material, not GPhC questions, not for patient care.

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

The manufacturer's UK product information for glimepiride 1 mg tablets states that the starting dose is 1 mg glimepiride a day, and that if good control is achieved this dose is used for maintenance therapy.

The same information states that if control is unsatisfactory the dose should be increased, based on glycaemic control, in a stepwise manner with an interval of about 1 to 2 weeks between each step, to 2 mg, 3 mg or 4 mg a day, and that a dose of more than 4 mg a day gives better results only in exceptional cases.

It also states that the maximum recommended dose is 6 mg glimepiride 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 a supply period. All prescriptions and patients here are fictional; these are revision materials, not for patient care.

The method

  1. Identify the stated daily dose in milligrams and the tablet strength supplied.
  2. Divide the daily dose by the tablet strength to count tablets per day.
  3. Multiply the daily tablet count by the stated number of days for a supply quantity.
  4. Keep milligrams, tablets and weeks separate; convert only when the question asks.

Three practice questions

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

Question 1

A fictional patient starts glimepiride at 1 mg once daily. How many milligrams is this over the first week?

Show the answer

Answer: 7 mg

Working: 1 mg each day x 7 days = 7 mg in the first week.

Question 2

A fictional patient's glimepiride dose is increased stepwise from 1 mg to 2 mg, then 3 mg, then 4 mg once daily, with 2 weeks between each step. After how many weeks from the start does the 4 mg dose begin?

Show the answer

Answer: 6 weeks

Working: Three steps up: 1 mg to 2 mg after 2 weeks, to 3 mg after 4 weeks, to 4 mg after 6 weeks.

Question 3

A fictional patient takes the maximum recommended glimepiride dose of 6 mg once daily using 2 mg tablets. How many tablets is this each day?

Show the answer

Answer: 3 tablets

Working: 6 mg / 2 mg per tablet = 3 tablets each day.

eMC SmPC: Glimepiride 1 mg tablets

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/10742/smpc

Where marks are lost

  • Counting two titration steps instead of the three steps from 1 mg to 4 mg.
  • Using 4 mg as the maximum even though the stated maximum is 6 mg daily.
  • Forgetting to divide the daily milligram dose by the supplied tablet strength.

Frequently asked questions

Are these official assessment questions?

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

Does this calculation decide a real glimepiride dose?

No. Follow the stated prescription in the exercise. Real dosing checks include glycaemic control, titration interval and the stated maximum.

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.