PSA study plan for 2, 4 and 8 weeks

What principles apply to every PSA study plan?

Every plan has the same four ingredients: daily practice with the BNF open, a running error log, timed work that builds towards a full paper, and rest before the exam. Only the amount of time at each stage changes.

• Practise a little every day rather than a lot occasionally.
• Weight your time towards prescribing, which carries the most marks in the paper.
• Review your error log weekly and retest what you got wrong.
• Do at least one full-length timed paper before the exam if time allows.

Start by finding your baseline. Do a short mixed set with the BNF open in the first session, log what you got wrong, and let that result decide where the early weeks go. Someone who prescribes daily on the ward needs more work on exam technique and timing; someone who rarely prescribes needs more work on drug choice and the BNF layout.

The paper has eight sections, 60 items and 200 marks over 120 minutes, and the prescribing section alone is worth 80 of the 200 marks. The plans below reflect that.

What does an 8-week plan look like?

Eight weeks allows foundations first, then volume, then timing. Spend the early weeks on method and the BNF layout, and keep timed work for the second half.

Treat weeks 6 to 8 as fixed. If earlier weeks overrun, shorten the topic work rather than the timed practice, because the exam rewards speed with the BNF as much as knowledge.

What does a 4-week plan look like?

Four weeks means combining topic work with timing from the start. Cover each section style once, then spend the second half on mixed timed sets.

What can I achieve in a 2-week plan?

Two weeks is enough to learn the method and fix your biggest weaknesses, not to cover everything. Prioritise ruthlessly and keep practising with the BNF open every day.

• Give prescribing the largest share of your time; it is 80 of the 200 marks.
• Learn the safe prescription format until it is automatic.
• Skip rare topics; return to your most frequent errors instead.

If you can add a third week, use it for a second full paper. The aim of the final week is a calm, practised routine, not a larger volume of material.

How should I structure each week?

Use a repeating weekly rhythm so that revision stays manageable alongside clinical work. A simple pattern is enough.

• Most days: 30 to 60 minutes of practice, BNF open.
• One day: a longer timed set and an error-log review.
• One day: rest or very light revision.

Adjust the amount to your own timetable. Regular, shorter sessions are more effective than rare marathons.

Protect the rest day. Spaced, regular practice consolidates better when it is not squeezed into every available hour, and tired practice produces careless writing errors that you then log for the wrong reason.

What should I do in the last 48 hours?

In the last 48 hours consolidate and rest; do not start new topics. Cramming new material late adds anxiety and little benefit in an open-book exam.

• Read your error log and the prescription format one more time.
• Do a short, untimed set to keep the BNF search habit warm.
• Check your booking details and the exam arrangements, using the official PSA information.
• Plan your arrival time and travel arrangements so nothing is left to the morning.
• Sleep properly and eat normally the night before.

Check yourself

• How much of the 200 marks sits in the prescribing section?
• At what point in your plan will you first do a timed set?
• When will you do a full 120-minute paper?
• How often will you review your error log?
• Which topics will you deprioritise if time is short?
• What will you do, and not do, in the last 48 hours?

Questions people ask

Related revision notes

Sources: BNF; British Pharmacological Society and MSC Assessment PSA information. These notes are for exam revision and are not patient-specific advice; in the exam and in practice, the BNF is the authority.

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