Pharmaceutics MCQ: 30 Best Free Questions With Answers

Table of Contents

If you want pharmaceutics MCQ practice that feels like a real exam paper, this quiz is a good place to start. Pharmaceutics is the subject where one forgotten number, like 121 C or 0.9%, can cost you a mark, and it shows up in D.Pharm, B.Pharm, GPAT and pharmacist recruitment papers alike.

We put together these 30 questions from the topics that students find confusing most often: tablet excipients, emulsions, sterilisation, tablet tests and shelf life. Try the quiz first, then read the explanations below it.

Start the Pharmaceutics MCQ quiz

There are 30 questions with four options each. Try to finish without looking at your notes, then use the explanations further down to fix your weak spots.

Pharmacy Quiz 1 - Pharmaceutics

1 / 30

Which dosage form is placed under the tongue to avoid first-pass metabolism?

Sublingual tablet

Enteric coated tablet

Syrup

Effervescent granules

2 / 30

The HLB value range suitable for O/W emulsifying agents is

3-6

8-18

1-3

0-2

3 / 30

The Noyes-Whitney equation describes the rate of

Dissolution

Disintegration

Absorption

Excretion

4 / 30

Sodium starch glycolate is used in tablets as a

Lubricant

Binder

Disintegrant

Glidant

5 / 30

Magnesium stearate is commonly used in tablets as a

Diluent

Lubricant

Disintegrant

Coating agent

6 / 30

Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) is used in tablet formulation as a

Binder

Lubricant

Sweetener

Preservative

7 / 30

Colloidal silicon dioxide is used in tablets as a

Binder

Disintegrant

Glidant

Colorant

8 / 30

Which polymer is used for enteric coating of tablets?

Methylcellulose

Cellulose acetate phthalate

Starch

Lactose

9 / 30

Which ointment base is water washable?

White soft paraffin

Wool fat

Macrogol (PEG) base

Hard paraffin

10 / 30

Tragacanth is used in pharmaceutical suspensions as a

Suspending agent

Preservative

Sweetener

Antioxidant

11 / 30

The irreversible breaking of an emulsion into two separate layers is called

Creaming

Cracking

Flocculation

Sedimentation

12 / 30

The dye solubility test is used to identify the

Particle size of a suspension

Type of emulsion

Viscosity of a gel

pH of a solution

13 / 30

Which method is used to sterilize thermolabile solutions?

Autoclaving

Dry heat

Membrane filtration

Flaming

14 / 30

The standard autoclave condition is

121 C for 15 minutes

160 C for 2 hours

100 C for 30 minutes

60 C for 1 hour

15 / 30

The standard dry heat sterilization condition is

121 C for 15 minutes

160 C for 2 hours

100 C for 5 minutes

80 C for 1 hour

16 / 30

Pyrogens are mainly

Fungal spores

Viral particles

Bacterial endotoxins

Heavy metals

17 / 30

An isotonic sodium chloride solution contains

0.45% w/v

0.9% w/v

1.8% w/v

5% w/v

18 / 30

The sucrose concentration in Simple Syrup IP is about

20% w/w

40% w/w

66.7% w/w

90% w/w

19 / 30

Hard gelatin capsule shells are made of

Starch

Gelatin

Cellulose acetate

Agar

20 / 30

Which instrument is used to measure the hardness of tablets?

Monsanto hardness tester

Roche friabilator

Viscometer

Polarimeter

21 / 30

The official limit of friability for tablets is not more than

0.1%

10%

22 / 30

The disintegration time limit for uncoated tablets as per IP is

5 minutes

15 minutes

60 minutes

2 hours

23 / 30

USP Dissolution Apparatus 1 is the

Paddle type

Basket type

Reciprocating cylinder

Flow-through cell

24 / 30

Cocoa butter (theobroma oil) melts at approximately

5-10 C

30-35 C

60-65 C

90-95 C

25 / 30

The displacement value is used in the preparation of

Tablets

Suppositories

Capsules

Emulsions

26 / 30

Which propellant is now widely used in metered dose inhalers instead of CFCs?

Hydrofluoroalkane (HFA)

Nitrogen mustard

Propane only

Chloroform

27 / 30

Which mill is commonly used to reduce hard brittle drugs by impact and attrition?

Ball mill

Colloid mill

Hammer mill only

Roller

28 / 30

Levigation is a process used in the preparation of

Ointments

Tablets

Injections

Capsule shells

29 / 30

For a first-order reaction the shelf life (t90) is calculated as

0.693/k

0.105/k

k/0.105

1/k

30 / 30

A transdermal patch delivers the drug through the

Skin

Mucous membrane of the eye

Lungs

Rectum

Your score is

The average score is 73%

How Pharmaceutics is asked in exams

Pharmaceutics is a scoring subject because most questions are direct. The trouble is that it is also a memory-heavy subject. Many students understand what an emulsion is but forget which HLB range suits oil-in-water systems, or mix up the temperatures of moist heat and dry heat sterilisation. Exam papers tend to test the same core facts again and again in different wording, so revising small facts often works better than reading a whole chapter once.

Pharmaceutics MCQ mistakes students make, and the logic behind them

These are the questions from the set above that students most often get wrong, with the reason behind each answer.

What are the correct autoclave conditions?
Answer: 121 C for 15 minutes. Moist heat kills microbes at a lower temperature than dry heat. Dry heat sterilisation needs 160 C for 2 hours, and students often swap the two.
Which HLB range suits O/W emulsifiers?
Answer: About 8 to 18. W/O emulsifiers fall around 3 to 6. A simple way to remember: water-in-oil needs the low number.
What is the friability limit for tablets?
Answer: Not more than 1%. Friability checks how well a tablet resists abrasion. Do not confuse it with hardness, which is checked on a Monsanto hardness tester.
Which dissolution apparatus is the basket type?
Answer: USP Apparatus 1. Apparatus 2 is the paddle type. Basket first, paddle second.
How do you calculate shelf life (t90) for a first-order reaction?
Answer: 0.105 divided by k. Half-life is 0.693 divided by k. The number 0.105 comes from the time taken to lose 10% of the drug, so do not use 0.693 for shelf life.

Quick revision points for Pharmaceutics

Isotonic sodium chloride solution is 0.9% w/v, and Simple Syrup IP has about 66.7% w/w sucrose.
Magnesium stearate is a lubricant, while talc and colloidal silicon dioxide work as glidants.
Cellulose acetate phthalate is a classic enteric coating polymer.
Pyrogens are mainly bacterial endotoxins, and heat-sensitive solutions are sterilised by membrane filtration through a 0.22 micron filter.
Hard gelatin capsule shells are made of gelatin, and uncoated tablets should disintegrate within 15 minutes as per IP.
Water-washable ointment bases include the macrogol (PEG) base, which is easy to remove from skin.

A simple way to learn from your mistakes

Do not use the quiz only for a score. When you finish, write every missed question in a small notebook with the right answer and one line of reason. Attempt the pharmaceutics MCQ set again after two days and re-check only those missed questions. This takes less than 20 minutes and works much better than reading the same notes again.

Frequently asked questions about pharmaceutics MCQ

Which topics are most important in pharmaceutics for exams?

Dosage forms and their evaluation, sterilisation, emulsions, suspensions, tablets, capsules and parenterals are commonly asked. This pharmaceutics MCQ quiz touches all of them.

Is this quiz useful for DPEE and GPAT?

Yes. The questions follow the core D.Pharm and B.Pharm syllabus, which is also the base for GPAT and pharmacist exams. For more DPEE-style practice you can also try our 100-question Pharmaceutics MCQs for DPEE Exam page.

How many times can I attempt the quiz?

As many times as you like. Wait a day or two between attempts so that your score shows real learning.

Keep practising

If this pharmaceutics MCQ set felt comfortable, move on to the next subject. These pages will help:

For official syllabus details and regulations, refer to Pharmacy Council of India and Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission.

Written by the Noteskarts pharmacy education team. This quiz is for exam practice and learning only; always check your latest syllabus and standard textbooks for final answers.