Subject guide

Biochemistry MCQs for Pharmacy Exams

Metabolism, enzymes, vitamins and clinical biochemistry.

Practice Biochemistry MCQs

Biochemistry explains the chemical processes of life that drugs act upon. It is a foundation subject in the early Pharm-D professional years and appears in NTS and FPSC tests as short questions on enzymes, vitamins and metabolic pathways.

Pathways are easiest to learn as diagrams, with attention to the regulatory steps and the enzymes that drugs and diseases affect. These biochemistry MCQs concentrate on exactly those points.

Topics covered

What Biochemistry questions on PharmaPrep cover.

High-yield Biochemistry topics

  • Rate-limiting enzymes of major pathways
  • Competitive versus non-competitive inhibition on Km and Vmax
  • Vitamin deficiency diseases
  • HMG-CoA reductase and statins
  • Interpretation of liver and kidney function tests

Exams that test Biochemistry

Sample Biochemistry MCQs

Original practice questions with answers and explanations.

  1. 1A competitive inhibitor affects enzyme kinetics by:

    • AIncreasing apparent Km with no change in Vmax
    • BDecreasing Vmax with no change in Km
    • CDecreasing both Km and Vmax
    • DIncreasing Vmax
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A. Increasing apparent Km with no change in Vmax

    A competitive inhibitor competes with substrate for the active site, raising the apparent Km, but enough substrate still reaches Vmax. A non-competitive inhibitor lowers Vmax without changing Km.

  2. 2The rate-limiting enzyme of cholesterol synthesis is:

    • AHMG-CoA reductase
    • BAcetyl-CoA carboxylase
    • CPhosphofructokinase-1
    • DGlycogen synthase
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A. HMG-CoA reductase

    HMG-CoA reductase converts HMG-CoA to mevalonate and is the target of statins. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase regulates fatty acid synthesis and phosphofructokinase-1 regulates glycolysis.

  3. 3Deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1) causes:

    • ABeriberi
    • BPellagra
    • CScurvy
    • DRickets
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A. Beriberi

    Thiamine deficiency causes beriberi and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Pellagra results from niacin deficiency, scurvy from vitamin C deficiency and rickets from vitamin D deficiency.

Practice all Biochemistry MCQs

Biochemistry FAQs

How much biochemistry do I need for pharmacy exams?

Focus on major pathways and their regulation, enzyme kinetics, vitamins and the clinical tests pharmacists interpret.

Is biochemistry tested in recruitment exams?

Yes, usually as a smaller share in NTS and FPSC tests, mostly on vitamins, enzymes and metabolism basics.

Does clinical biochemistry include lab values?

Questions cover what common tests indicate, such as liver enzymes, creatinine and lipid profiles, rather than memorising every reference range.

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