Revision method · Free template
GPhC mistake log: free template and how to use it
Past a certain point, more questions teach you less than reviewing the ones you got wrong. This log turns each mistake into a rule you can follow and a re-test you can check.
Updated 1 October 2026
Download the template. gphc-mistake-log-template.csv (12 columns, opens in Excel or Google Sheets, two example rows to delete).
The twelve columns
They group into eight ideas. Keep each entry short enough that you will actually finish it.
Date and source
When you did it and where it came from: question bank, mock, or an official example question.
Part and topic
Part 1 or Part 2, and the topic, using the framework or Board feedback wording where you can.
Question in one line
Enough to recognise it later. You do not need to copy it out.
My answer and the correct answer
Both, with units for calculations.
Error type
One of the six types below. Pick one, not several.
Why I got it wrong
One honest sentence. 'Rushed' is allowed, 'unlucky' is not.
What I will do differently
A rule you can follow next time, not a promise to try harder.
Re-test date and result
Re-do the question a week later without looking. Record right or wrong.
Six error types
Knowledge gap
You did not know the fact, drug, dose, or rule. Fix: learn it from the BNF or the relevant guidance, then re-test.
Misread the question
You missed a word such as NOT, most appropriate, or first-line. Fix: underline the question word before reading the options.
Unit or decimal error
The method was right and the answer was out by a factor of 10, 100 or 1,000. Fix: write units on every line and estimate first.
Set-up error
You used the wrong formula or the wrong numbers in the right formula. Fix: write the formula before substituting.
Time pressure
You knew it, or could have worked it out, but rushed. Fix: practise in timed blocks.
Guess
You picked without a reason. Fix: treat a correct guess as a mistake too and learn the answer.
A weekly routine
- Log every wrong answer, and every right answer you guessed, on the day you do the set.
- Once a week, spend 20 minutes sorting the log by error type. The biggest group is your next focus.
- Re-test last week's entries without looking. Anything still wrong goes to the top of the list.
- Before each full mock, read the "What I will do differently" column from the past month.
- After each mock, add the new mistakes and look for a type that keeps coming back.
Use it with the Board feedback
After each sitting the Board of Assessors publishes the topics trainees found challenging. Put those topic names in your Topic column so you can see whether your own mistakes match them. Our results and feedback page summarises the themes, and the formula sheet helps with the set-up and unit errors. For the timed structure to practise in, see the exam format page, and for the official practice material see past papers and example questions.
Frequently asked questions
How many mistakes should I log?
All the wrong ones, plus right answers you guessed. If the log is too long to review, you are probably doing too many questions without reviewing them. Cut the set size, not the log.
Is the template tied to a particular question bank?
No. It works with any source of questions, including the official GPhC example questions.
Which error type should I fix first?
The one with the most entries after two weeks of logging. Calculation errors are often unit or decimal slips, which a written estimate before calculating catches.
Can I use a spreadsheet instead?
Yes. Download the CSV below and open it in Excel or Google Sheets. It has the same twelve columns and two example rows marked EXAMPLE that you should delete.
Give the log something to work on
Single best answer, extended matching and calculation questions with worked answers.