Common Registration Assessment, Part 1

Nicotine gum strength choice and daily piece maximums for the GPhC assessment

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

Published 14 November 2026. Independent revision material, not GPhC questions, not for patient care.

A cigarette resting in a small cup on a windowsill
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 Nicorette gum links the starting strength to cigarettes smoked: 2 mg gum where 20 or fewer cigarettes a day are smoked, and 4 mg gum where more than 20 cigarettes a day are smoked.

The gum is used whenever there is an urge to smoke, with the chew and rest technique described on the pack; after about 30 minutes of such use the gum is exhausted.

The maximum daily dose is 15 pieces a day. When cutting down, the number of pieces is reduced gradually, and users of the 4 mg strength can switch to the 2 mg strength as the daily count falls.

Each question fixes the values needed for its arithmetic. State the strength and the piece count beside every answer. All prescriptions and patients here are fictional; these are revision materials, not for patient care.

The method

  1. Count the cigarettes a day: 20 or fewer points to 2 mg gum, more than 20 to 4 mg gum.
  2. Use one piece whenever the urge to smoke strikes, with the chew and rest technique.
  3. Keep the total at or below 15 pieces a day.
  4. Reduce the number of pieces gradually when cutting down, switching from 4 mg to 2 mg as the count falls.

Three practice questions

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

Question 1

A fictional patient smokes 25 cigarettes a day. Which gum strength does the product information indicate?

Show the answer

Answer: 4 mg gum

Working: More than 20 cigarettes a day are smoked (25 > 20), so the product information indicates the 4 mg strength to meet the higher nicotine levels from heavier smoking.

Question 2

A fictional patient uses the maximum of 15 pieces of 4 mg gum in a day. How many mg of nicotine is that?

Show the answer

Answer: 60 mg

Working: 15 pieces x 4 mg = 60 mg of nicotine in the day.

Question 3

A fictional patient cuts down from 15 pieces of 4 mg gum a day to 10 pieces of 2 mg gum a day. By how many mg does the daily nicotine total fall?

Show the answer

Answer: By 40 mg, from 60 mg to 20 mg

Working: 15 x 4 mg = 60 mg. 10 x 2 mg = 20 mg. 60 - 20 = 40 mg less nicotine a day.

eMC SmPC: Nicorette 4 mg Gum

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/1323/smpc

Where marks are lost

  • Choosing 2 mg gum for someone smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day.
  • Chewing continuously like ordinary gum instead of using the chew and rest technique.
  • Exceeding 15 pieces a day when cravings are strong.

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 dose?

No. Follow the stated prescription in the exercise. Real dosing follows the prescriber and the product information for the named product.

How should I check the answer?

Match the cigarette count to the strength, multiply the pieces by the gum strength for the daily nicotine total, and check the piece count stays at or below 15.

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.