Common Registration Assessment, Part 1

Temazepam oral solution volumes and bedtime doses for the GPhC assessment

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

Published 11 November 2026. Independent revision material, not GPhC questions, not for patient care.

A person asleep in bed hugging a pillow
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 Temazepam 10mg/5ml Oral Solution states that for insomnia in adults the usual dose is 5 to 15 ml (10 to 30 mg) orally on retiring, that a dose of 10 ml (20 mg) will be found satisfactory for most patients, and that this may be increased to 15 to 20 ml (30 to 40 mg) in patients who do not respond to the lower dose.

The same information states that elderly patients may respond to smaller doses, that half the normal dose (2.5 to 7.5 ml, or 5 to 15 mg) may be sufficient, that treatment should if possible be intermittent, and that it should not be continued beyond 4 weeks.

A 10 mg/5 ml solution contains 2 mg per ml, so every volume in ml converts to mg by doubling.

Each question fixes the values needed for its arithmetic. Write the unit beside every step and distinguish ml from mg. All prescriptions and patients here are fictional; these are revision materials, not for patient care.

The method

  1. Using 10 mg per 5 ml, convert the stated ml to mg by doubling, or the stated mg to ml by halving.
  2. Read the stated patient group (adult or elderly) before applying a dose range.
  3. Multiply the nightly volume by the stated nights for a course total.
  4. Keep ml, mg, nights and dose ranges 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 adult takes the label's satisfactory-for-most temazepam dose at bedtime, using the 10mg/5ml oral solution. What is the dose in ml and in mg?

Show the answer

Answer: 10 ml (20 mg)

Working: The label states a dose of 10 ml (20 mg) is satisfactory for most adults. Check: 10 mg per 5 ml = 2 mg per ml, so 10 ml = 20 mg.

Question 2

A fictional elderly patient takes 5 mg of temazepam oral solution at bedtime, within the label's elderly range. How many ml is that?

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Answer: 2.5 ml

Working: At 2 mg per ml, 5 mg / 2 = 2.5 ml, inside the label's 2.5 to 7.5 ml elderly range.

Question 3

A fictional adult takes temazepam oral solution 10 ml at bedtime for 14 nights. How many ml and how many mg are taken in total?

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Answer: 140 ml (280 mg)

Working: 10 ml x 14 nights = 140 ml. 20 mg x 14 nights = 280 mg. Both sit inside the label's not-beyond-4-weeks limit.

eMC SmPC: Temazepam 10mg/5ml Oral Solution

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/9479/smpc

Where marks are lost

  • Treating ml and mg as interchangeable; at 10 mg in 5 ml each ml holds 2 mg, so the ml figure doubles to mg.
  • Applying the adult range to an elderly patient; the label halves the dose to 2.5 to 7.5 ml (5 to 15 mg) for the elderly.
  • Extending a course past 4 weeks; the label limits treatment to 4 weeks.

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 temazepam dose?

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

How should I check the answer?

Convert with 2 mg per ml, check the patient group against the adult or elderly range, then multiply by the stated nights.

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.