Free MSRA questions with explanations
Try the questions below. They are free, there is nothing to sign up for, and each one comes with its full explanation as soon as you answer. They are written for the Clinical Problem Solving paper of the Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment (MSRA).
Try one
Question 1 of 3
Select the SINGLE most appropriate investigation from the list below. Select ONE option only.
A 29 year old man with schizophrenia attends a review 12 weeks after starting olanzapine. He feels tired and has gained weight, mostly around his abdomen.
Select the SINGLE most appropriate management from the list below. Select ONE option only.
A 32 year old man of Black African family origin has a clinic BP of 156/96 mmHg. Home BP monitoring gives an average of 138/86 mmHg. Assessment shows no target organ damage and his estimated 10-year cardiovascular risk is 2%.
- Ambulatory BP monitoring
- Lifestyle advice alone
- Specialist referral
- Start a calcium channel blocker
- Start an ACE inhibitor
Select the SINGLE most likely diagnosis from the list below. Select ONE option only.
A 38 year old woman presents with a 6 month history of mildly itchy brown patches in both axillae and on the back of the neck. On examination, the affected skin is thickened with a rough surface.
- Acanthosis nigricans
- Erythrasma
- Intertrigo
- Lichen simplex chronicus
- Pityriasis versicolor
- Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation
- Seborrhoeic keratosis
What you get with every question
Answer first. Nothing is shown before you choose. Then:
- Your answer and the correct answer, marked on the options.
- Key question clues. The exact words in the question that decide it, each with what it tells you. Open the section and the same words light up in the question.
- Key takeaway. One line you can carry to the next question on the same point.
- Why the other options are wrong. One short reason for each option you did not need.
That is the format every MSRA Navigator question follows. Questions are free for everyone.
How many are there?
A few now; more are being added. We would rather show a small number that are right than a large number that are not. The samples on this page are single best answer questions.
What these questions cover, and what they do not
MSRA Navigator covers the clinical paper only. The MSRA has two papers: Clinical Problem Solving and Professional Dilemmas. Professional Dilemmas is a separate paper that we do not cover yet. The official description of the clinical paper is on the Clinical Problem Solving page, and we summarise it in What the Clinical Problem Solving paper tests.
Our questions are our own. They are not taken from the exam. The official structure page says the MSRA uses many different equated assessment forms, so knowledge of the questions in one paper will not necessarily benefit others.
Use the official practice paper too
The exam's own team publishes a practice paper with answer key and rationales, which the official pages label the 2022-2023 MSRA practice paper, with a section for each paper, a glossary and a list of abbreviations. It comes from the people who set the assessment, and in our view that makes it the practice material to do whatever else you use.
The official tips page adds two points worth knowing before you start practising: papers are not negatively marked, so answer every question; and a generic tutorial is available so you can get used to the controls and screen layout in advance.
Dates and rules can change, and this page is not legal or careers advice. Confirm them on the official page before you rely on them: MSRA practice paper with answer key and rationales (NHS England).