If you are sitting the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) exam in 2026, the first thing to do is stop relying on recycled blog summaries. The official source is the GPhC’s Common Registration Assessment (CRA) guidance and the current sitting page. Those are the pages that should drive planning, not screenshots in group chats.
The current official terminology is CRA, with registration assessment also widely used. It is a computer-based assessment delivered in one sitting and split into two parts.
June 2026 key dates
The GPhC states that for the June 2026 sitting, the email to those eligible to sit the assessment and the application window both open on Thursday 22 January 2026. The deadline for reasonable adjustments is 5pm on Monday 23 February 2026. The application window closes at 5pm on Tuesday 14 April 2026. Approved-to-sit notifications are sent on Tuesday 21 April 2026. Assessment day is Tuesday 16 June 2026. Results day is 21 July 2026.
Those are the dates worth putting into a calendar early.
| June 2026 milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Eligible-candidate email and application opening | Thursday 22 January 2026 |
| Reasonable adjustment deadline | 5pm on Monday 23 February 2026 |
| Application window closes | 5pm on Tuesday 14 April 2026 |
| Approved-to-sit notifications | Tuesday 21 April 2026 |
| Assessment day | Tuesday 16 June 2026 |
| Results day | 21 July 2026 |
Assessment format in brief
Part 1 contains 40 pharmacy and healthcare calculations questions with a 2-hour time allowance. Part 2 contains 120 selected-response questions with a 2.5-hour time allowance, including 90 Single Best Answer (SBA) questions and 15 Extended Matching Question (EMQ) sets.
Both parts must be passed in the same sitting.
Fees
Candidates should check the current GPhC application materials or myGPhC account for the assessment fee applying to their sitting before payment. Fee information can change, and older blog posts are a poor place to trust for live payment details.
That may sound cautious, but it is the safer approach. Fees are one of the easiest details for outdated content to get wrong.
What to bring
The safest advice is to follow the current GPhC specification and permitted-items guidance for the sitting you are entering. In practice, candidates should expect identity checks and should be ready with the required photo identification. If using an allowed calculator for Part 1, candidates should check the permitted-items document in advance rather than assuming a preferred model will be accepted.
Everything else should be checked directly against the current GPhC rules and test-centre instructions.
What to expect on the day
Expect a long, structured testing day rather than a dramatic one. Part 1 demands calm calculations work. Part 2 demands reading discipline and consistent judgement over time. Because the assessment is computer-based, it helps to practise on screen rather than doing all revision on paper.
The pressure is usually less about one impossible question and more about maintaining control across the full sitting.
A realistic scenario
Imagine a candidate who knows the dates, books time off, and revises steadily, but ignores the permitted-items guidance until the final days. Suddenly, uncertainty over ID, calculator rules, or test-centre procedures creates avoidable stress. None of that helps performance.
This is why practical preparation matters as well as academic revision. The more routine the day feels administratively, the more mental space remains for the assessment itself.
The most useful final check
In the last stretch before the sitting, run through four things: application status, ID and permitted items, travel and arrival timing, and what the exam format will feel like under time pressure. That kind of preparation is low drama and high value.
Quick FAQs
- What is the assessment day for the June 2026 GPhC sitting? The GPhC lists Tuesday 16 June 2026 as assessment day.
- When do June 2026 results come out? The GPhC lists 21 July 2026 as results day.
- Where should candidates check the current fee? The safest place is the current GPhC application information and myGPhC, rather than third-party summaries.
- What should candidates check before the day? ID requirements, permitted items, calculator rules where relevant, and travel or arrival details are all worth confirming early.