Common Registration Assessment, Part 1

Low-dose aspirin 75mg tablets and daily supply for the GPhC assessment

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

Published 28 October 2026. Independent revision material, not GPhC questions, not for patient care.

Pills being poured into a hand from a bottle
Photo from Pexels, used under the Pexels licence. It is a stock image and does not show the exercise.

The NHS lists low-dose aspirin as 75 mg tablets, usually taken as 1 tablet once a day, swallowed whole or dissolved in water for dispersible tablets.

The NHS lists aspirin for pain relief as 300 mg tablets: 1 to 3 tablets at a time, at least 4 hours between doses, and no more than 4 doses in 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 low-dose aspirin 75 mg once a day for 28 days, using 75 mg tablets. How many tablets cover the course?

Show the answer

Answer: 28 tablets

Working: 1 tablet × 28 days = 28 tablets.

Question 2

A fictional plan needs a single 300 mg aspirin dose, but only 75 mg tablets are available. How many tablets make one dose?

Show the answer

Answer: 4 tablets

Working: 300 ÷ 75 = 4 tablets.

Question 3

On a fictional day of pain relief, the maximum pattern is followed: 3 tablets of 300 mg per dose, 4 doses in 24 hours. How many tablets, and how many mg in total?

Show the answer

Answer: 12 tablets (3,600 mg)

Working: 3 × 4 = 12 tablets; 12 × 300 mg = 3,600 mg.

NHS: Aspirin

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

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.