Medicines Prep

Oriel Numeracy Calculations: The Full FAQ

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Oriel Numeracy Pharmacy Test

This quiz will let you know if you’re ready to pass the Oriel Numeracy test.

The Numeracy test for Oriel is used as a way to separate matching rankings, with a historical pass of 3/10.

You will have 20 minutes to complete the Oriel test, and are only permitted basic calculators. Please find a list in the FAQs.

There are 10 questions to complete – we will time you!

1 / 10

A prescription asks for 100mg of drug to be given to a patient.

You have a 0.6% w/v solution.

What volume, in millilitres, should you give? Give your answer to 2 decimal places.

Check

Please enter a number

2 / 10

A patients tablets come in 5mg doses and has the instruction:

Take 15mg OD for the first week, then reduce by 5mg each day until the course is finished.

How many 5mg tablets do they need in total?

Check

In one day he takes 3 tablets (15mg/5mg). For 1 week this is 21 tablets (3 tablets x 7 days).

Monday = 2 tablets (10mg)
Tuesday = 1 tablet (5mg)

Total = 21 + 2 + 1 = 24

3 / 10

How much 15% salt solution can be made with 45g of salt?

Give your answer to the nearest mL.

Check

Please enter a number

You can use C1/V1 = C2/v2 here.

15% = 15g in 100ml

15/100 = 45/x

Rearrange for x

4 / 10

How much 30% solution is needed to prepare 600 mL of a 10% solution?

Check

Once again, we can use C1 × V1 = C2 × V2:

C1 × V1 = C2 × V2
30 × V1 = 10 × 600

From here, we can rearrange:

V1 = (10 × 600) ÷ 30
V1 = 6000 ÷ 30
V1 = 200 mL

Answer: 200 mL

5 / 10

A child weighing 35kg is prescribed a medication with dosing 5 milligrams/kg BD.

How many grams will the child receive in 4 days?

Give your answer to 1 decimal place. (please enter a number)

Check

Please enter a number

6 / 10

A 5% w/v antiseptic solution is diluted by taking 4 mL of stock and making it up to 40mL.

What is the final concentration?

Check

As we are diluting, we should use C1 × V1 = C2 × V2:

C1 × V1 = C2 × V2
C1 = 5%
V1 = 4 mL
V2 = 40 mL

From here, we can re arrange the formula:

C2 = (C1 × V1) ÷ V2
C2 = (5 × 4) ÷ 40
C2 = 20 ÷ 40
C2 = 0.5%

Answer: 0.5% w/v

7 / 10

A pharmacist must prepare 250 mL of a solution at 7.5% w/v using a 35% stock solution and purified water.

After preparing the solution, an additional 18 mL of solvent is accidentally added.

Calculate the corrected final concentration using C1/V1 = C2/V2 to 2 decimal places.

Check

Step 1: Identify initial C1 = 35%, desired C2 = 7.5%, V2 = 250 mL.

Step 2: Use C1 × V1 = C2 × V2 to find V1.

Step 3: V1 = (7.5 × 250) / 35 = 53.57 mL of stock.

Step 4: Total volume after error = 250 + 18 = 268 mL.

Step 5: New concentration = (35 × 53.57) / 268 ≈ 6.99%.

8 / 10

Convert 0.004% to ppm.

Check

This is an extreme form of ration strength (1 in x); however, the principal remains the same.

Begin by converting to something useful:

0.004% = 0.004 in 100

Identify the correct equation and substitute:

C1 / V1 = C2 / V2
C1 = 0.004%
V1 = 100
C2 = 1 – as this an extreme form of ratio strength, we still have 1 in x

Rearrange for V2:

V2 = C2 × V1 / C1
V2 = (1 × 100) / 0.004
V2 = 100 / 0.004
V2 = 25, 000

This value is 1 in 25, 000, we require x in 1 million:

1 million / 25, 000 = 40

40 × 1 = 40

Answer: 40 ppm

9 / 10

A recipe uses:

• 300 mL active solution
• Made up to 900 mL total

A patient needs 1800mL. How much active solution is required?

Check

There are many ways to do this question, one way is to use C1 / V1 = C2 / V2 and have a 300 mL in 900 mL solution. However, we can notice that the recipe calls for 900 mL total, but we have 1800 mL; therefore, 2x as much.

We can assume there will 2x as much active solution:

300 mL x 2 (as much solution) = 600 mL

10 / 10

A patient’s height is 180cm and their weight is 90kg. Calculate their BMI to 1 decimal place.

BMI = Weight (kg) / Height (m)^2

Check

Your score is

The average score is 58%

0%

Restart quiz

For MPharm & Pre-Reg Pharmacy Students

[Take The Free Oriel Numeracy Quiz Above ↑] before you read on – it’s the fastest way to see exactly where you stand before the real exam.

The Oriel numeracy test is the pass/fail calculations exam every pharmacy student sits as part of the Oriel Foundation Training recruitment process. It catches students out every year – not because the maths is hard, but because it’s done under time pressure with an unfamiliar calculator and an unfamiliar format.

1. What Is The Oriel Numeracy Test?
2. What Format Does The Oriel Numeracy Test Follow?
3. What Is The Oriel Numeracy Test Pass Mark?
4. What Calculator Can I Use?
5. What Topics Appear In The Oriel Numeracy Test?
6. Where Can I Find Oriel Numeracy Practice Questions?
7. Is There An Oriel Numeracy Test Practice PDF?
8. How Do I Prepare For The Oriel Pharmacy Numeracy Test?
9. Is The Oriel Numeracy Test Hard?
10. What Happens If I Fail The Oriel Numeracy Test?
11. Oriel Numeracy vs MPharm & GPhC Calculations – What’s The Real Challenge?
12. Quick Reference

What Is The Oriel Numeracy Test?

The Oriel numeracy test is a pass/fail pharmacy calculations exam sat as part of the Oriel recruitment process for Foundation Training Year (FTY) placements. It sits alongside the SJT and is used to confirm you are “appointable” – it does not contribute to your ranking score beyond a pass/fail gate.

Key points:

• Assesses core pharmacy calculations, not clinical reasoning
• Sat online, as part of the same Oriel assessment window as the SJT
• Pass/fail only – a fail makes you not appointable for that recruitment round
• Open to all final-year MPharm students applying through Oriel

Why it matters: You cannot receive a Foundation Training offer without passing it, regardless of how well you preference programmes or perform in the SJT.

What Format Does The Oriel Numeracy Test Follow?

The test is 10 questions in 20 minutes (roughly 2 minutes per question), delivered online under exam conditions. Questions are typically single best-answer or numerical-entry style, based on realistic pharmacy scenarios.

Key points:

• 10 questions, 20 minutes
• Delivered via the Oriel online assessment platform
• Calculator use is permitted – but only from an approved list
• No formula sheet is provided – you’re expected to know the methods

What Is The Oriel Numeracy Test Pass Mark?

The pass mark is set using standard-setting methods rather than a fixed percentage, but it has historically sat around 30% (3/10). This sounds low, but the standard-setting process accounts for the difficulty of that year’s specific question set.

Key points:

• Pass mark is not a fixed number – it’s recalculated each cycle
• Historically around 30%, but treat this as a guide, not a guarantee
• Set using recognised standard-setting methodology, the same principle used for the GPhC registration assessment

What you must do: Don’t calibrate your revision to “just scraping 30%” – question difficulty and standard-setting both vary by year, so aim to comfortably clear the mark, not creep over it.

What Calculator Can I Use?

Only calculators from the approved Oriel list are permitted in the exam. Bringing an unapproved calculator can result in disqualification, so check this well in advance.

Approved calculators:

• Casio MX-8S-WE (discontinued, but historically accepted)
• Casio MX-8B-WE / MX-8B
• Aurora HC133 – also accepted in the GPhC registration assessment
• Aurora DT210

Why it matters: These are the same calculator models accepted for the GPhC exam, so buying one early means you can practise on your actual exam calculator for both assessments.

What Topics Appear In The Oriel Numeracy Test?

Questions are drawn from the core calculation types used daily in pharmacy practice. Nothing on the test is conceptually advanced – the difficulty comes from speed and unfamiliar wording, not the underlying maths.

Common topics:

• Doses and dose regiments
• Dosage and unit conversion
• Concentrations
• Dilutions
• Using provided formulae
• Quantities to supply

Where Can I Find Oriel Numeracy Practice Questions?

The most reliable practice comes from three places: your MPharm course materials, the official Oriel Applicant Handbook, and dedicated pharmacy calculation resources that replicate the timed, online format of the real test.

Key points:

• Start with calculations covered across your MPharm years, they overlap heavily with Oriel content
• The Oriel Applicant Handbook➚ outlines exactly what to expect
• Timed, scenario-based practice is far more useful than static worksheets – replicate the 2-minutes-per-question pressure

Is There An Oriel Numeracy Test Practice PDF?

Static PDFs are a reasonable starting point for learning methods, but they don’t replicate exam conditions – no timer, no calculator restrictions, and usually no worked reasoning behind each answer.

Why it matters: The Oriel numeracy test is sat online and against the clock. Practising exclusively from a PDF can leave you knowing the method but underprepared for the pace of the real assessment.

What you must do: Use PDFs and worksheets to learn or refresh a method, then move to timed, online-style practice before the exam window opens.

Try our quiz above.

How Do I Prepare For The Oriel Pharmacy Numeracy Test?

Preparation for Oriel numeracy is more about method and speed than raw knowledge. Most final-year MPharm students already know how to do the calculations – the test catches people out through time pressure and unfamiliar calculator use.

Steps:

1. Confirm your approved calculator and practise on it directly, not a substitute
2. Revisit core calculation types: dose, concentration, unit conversion
3. Practise under timed conditions – 2 minutes per question, no exceptions
4. Read the Oriel Applicant Handbook➚ so nothing about the format surprises you
5. Write out your working every time – accuracy under time pressure comes from method, not memory
6. Use your Pharmacy Calculation➚ guide

Is The Oriel Numeracy Test Hard?

For most final-year MPharm students, no – the Oriel numeracy test covers calculations you’ll already have practised repeatedly across your degree, and the historical pass mark reflects that. The real risk isn’t the maths itself; it’s sitting an unfamiliar online format, under time pressure, with a calculator you haven’t used before.

Key points:

• Content overlaps heavily with existing MPharm coursework
• The pass mark and format are designed to be achievable for a competent final-year student
• Most failures come from calculator unfamiliarity or time pressure, not lack of knowledge

Why it matters: Where students genuinely lose marks isn’t Oriel – it’s the calculations that come after Oriel, in your MPharm exams and the GPhC registration assessment, which are longer, harder, and carry far higher stakes.

What Happens If I Fail The Oriel Numeracy Test?

A fail makes you not appointable for that recruitment round, regardless of your SJT score or preferencing. This is separate from failing your MPharm degree itself.

Key points:

• Fail the numeracy test → not appointable for that round, no Foundation Training offer
• Does not affect your MPharm degree classification
• You can typically reapply in a future recruitment cycle once eligible

What you must do: Contact your School of Pharmacy immediately if this happens, and check the current Oriel Applicant Handbook➚ for the latest reapplication guidance.

Oriel Numeracy vs MPharm & GPhC Calculations – What’s The Real Challenge?

Here’s the part most students get backwards: the Oriel numeracy test is one of the easier calculations hurdles you’ll face. It’s short, the pass mark is low, and the content mirrors what you’ve already covered.

The calculations that genuinely determine your degree and your registration are the ones in your MPharm exams and the GPhC registration assessment – longer papers, harder scenarios, tighter pass marks, and far higher stakes if you don’t pass.

Key points:

• MPharm calculations exams carry real weight toward your final degree classification
• The GPhC registration assessment uses a much stricter calculations pass mark, and you cannot register as a pharmacist without passing it
• Both use the same approved calculators as Oriel – so your prep transfers directly
• Oriel numeracy readiness is a by-product of being properly prepared for MPharm and GPhC calculations, not the other way round

This is exactly what our Calculations Kit is built for. It’s not a numeracy-test crammer – it’s a full pharmacy calculations course designed around the calculations that actually decide your MPharm results and your GPhC registration, covering every core calculation type, worked methodically, under timed exam conditions.

Why it matters: Prepare properly for MPharm and GPhC-level calculations, and the Oriel numeracy test stops being something to worry about at all.

Quick Reference

Test what you know first. Use the quiz at the top of this page to see which calculation types need work, then explore our Calculations Kit for full MPharm & GPhC-level preparation.