What PSM covers
- Concept of health and disease
- Epidemiology
- Biostatistics
- Communicable diseases
- Non-communicable diseases
- Nutrition
- Environmental health
- Maternal and child health
- National health programmes
- Demography and health indicators
A study map from the standard curriculum. Check the official bulletin for the authoritative topic list.
How to study it
- 1
Practise biostatistics with small calculations until sensitivity, predictive values and risk measures are automatic.
- 2
Keep a separate sheet for programme details and update it from official sources.
- 3
Revise study designs by what each can and cannot measure.
Where students slip
- Using outdated programme names or figures.
- Mixing up incidence and prevalence, or relative risk and odds ratio.
Where the PSM practice questions concentrate
Our 888 worked PSM questions fall into these areas, largest first. This shows what our practice set emphasises. It is not a prediction of the exam's weightage.
- Epidemiology 117
- Communicable diseases 98
- Biostatistics 91
- Environmental health 75
- Nutrition 59
- Maternal and child health 39
- Demography 35
- Screening 32
- Non-communicable diseases 21
- Concept of health and disease 20
- National programmes 20
- Study design 17
Four quick-revision cards
Define sensitivity and specificity.
Sensitivity: true positives ÷ all diseased. Specificity: true negatives ÷ all healthy.
Proportion within ±1, ±2 and ±3 SD of a normal distribution?
About 68%, 95% and 99.7%.
Which design gives incidence, and which suits rare diseases?
Cohort gives incidence and relative risk; case-control suits rare diseases and gives odds ratios.
Main vectors of dengue and of urban malaria?
Dengue: Aedes aegypti. Urban malaria: Anopheles stephensi.
Try a PSM question
A sample item with the reasoning behind every option. Nothing here is recorded.
PSM · Biostatistics
Sample itemOf 200 people who truly have a disease, a screening test is positive in 180. What is the sensitivity of the test?
Common questions
How do I prepare PSM efficiently?
Master epidemiology and biostatistics, then maintain an updated sheet of programmes and indicators.
Do figures change from year to year?
Yes. Verify any statistic against current official sources.