What a PassthePSA mock paper is
A mock paper is a full sitting of the PSA format: 60 questions drawn from the question bank in the official proportions of the eight sections, worth 200 marks, with a 120-minute clock. The item styles are the assessment's own, so prescriptions are written on a chart, drug charts are ticked and calculations are typed in a stated unit. PassthePSA is a free online Prescribing Safety Assessment (PSA) revision platform for UK medical students, with 1,200+ PSA practice questions and 11 full mock papers.
The blueprint each paper follows
The official assessment publishes how its 60 items are shared between the sections and how many marks each carries. Every PassthePSA paper is assembled to the same table, so the weight of prescribing, and the pace it demands, is the same as on the day.
| Section | Items | Marks each | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prescribing | 8 | 10 | 80 |
| Prescription review | 8 | 4 | 32 |
| Planning management | 8 | 2 | 16 |
| Communicating information | 6 | 2 | 12 |
| Calculation skills | 8 | 2 | 16 |
| Adverse drug reactions | 8 | 2 | 16 |
| Drug monitoring | 8 | 2 | 16 |
| Data interpretation | 6 | 2 | 12 |
| Total | 60 | 200 |
Source for the blueprint: the PSA Item Writing Manual; the PSA exam guide sets out the official facts in full.
How a paper runs
- Start the clock120 minutes for 60 items. The navigator shows every item, lets you flag and return, and the clock stays visible.
- Answer in the exam's formatsPrescriptions on the chart, ticks on the drug chart, numbers in the unit asked for, single best answers where the section uses them.
- Leave and come back if you mustA paper can be left and finished later. A finished paper shows a tick and its score.
- Submit and read the breakdownA total out of 200, a score for each section, and every item marked with its explanation, so the review is the revision.
- Reset and resitAny completed paper can be reset and sat again later, with the score shown or hidden on the list.
Using mock papers well
- Not firstSit a full paper only after practising by section with the BNF open. A mock measures a method; it does not teach one.
- One paper, one lessonMark where the time went as well as where the marks went. Most lost marks in a timed paper are lost to pace on the prescribing items.
- Review every prescription you wroteRead each one back as a nurse would. A right drug at a wrong dose is half the item, and the feedback shows exactly which half.
- Space them outA paper a week in the final month, with section practice on the errors in between, is more useful than several papers in a row.
- Read scores as a trendThe real pass mark is set per paper and is not published in advance, so the direction across papers matters more than any one total.
The revision guide and the study plan put the papers in a timetable.
How these relate to the official practice papers
The assessment provider makes its own practice papers available to registered candidates through the official platform, and those are the authoritative sample of the assessment. PassthePSA's papers are different, additional papers written to the same blueprint, for the point where the official ones have been used and more timed practice is needed. Where the two differ, the official material is the reference.
Questions people ask
How many PSA mock papers are there?
11 full papers at the last build. Each is 60 items and 200 marks in the official section proportions, so they can be sat one after another without repeating a paper.
Are the mock papers timed?
Yes. The clock runs at two minutes per item, 120 minutes for the paper, and the navigator works the way the assessment's does. You can also leave a paper and finish it later.
Are these the official PSA practice papers?
No. The assessment provider makes its own practice papers available to registered candidates, and those are the authoritative sample. These are different, additional papers written to the same blueprint.
How is a mock paper scored?
Every item is marked as it would be in the assessment, prescribing in its two halves with partial credit, and the paper reports a total out of 200 and a breakdown by section. The pass mark for the real assessment is set per paper by the provider and is not published in advance, so treat scores as a trend across papers.
Can I retake a paper?
Yes. A completed paper shows a tick and its score, and can be reset and sat again; the score can be shown or hidden on the list.
Are the mock papers free?
Yes, with a free account.
11 full PSA mock papers, timed and marked like the exam
Every question is free. Score by section after every paper. No card needed.