Understanding the formulation of tablets is essential for B.Pharm students focusing on pharmaceutical technology, dosage form design, and quality assurance. This concise guide covers core concepts such as preformulation, selection of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and excipients, granulation (wet and dry), compression parameters, tablet coating, dissolution, bioavailability, stability testing, and regulatory quality control. Emphasis on manufacturing processes, critical material attributes, process validation and troubleshooting prepares students for practical lab work and exams. Keywords: formulation of tablets, excipients, compression, granulation, coating, dissolution, stability, bioavailability, quality control, manufacturing. These MCQs emphasize practical scenarios, calculations, formulation decisions, and regulatory considerations. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.
Q1. Which excipient is commonly used as a direct compression filler due to its good compressibility and binding properties?
- Starch
- Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC)
- Lactose monohydrate
- Talc
Correct Answer: Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC)
Q2. What is the primary purpose of a disintegrant in a tablet formulation?
- To enhance tablet hardness
- To promote breakdown of the tablet into smaller fragments
- To act as a lubricant during compression
- To improve taste masking
Correct Answer: To promote breakdown of the tablet into smaller fragments
Q3. Which granulation method is preferred for moisture-sensitive APIs to avoid degradation?
- Wet granulation
- Dry granulation (slugging or roller compaction)
- Spray drying
- Spheronization
Correct Answer: Dry granulation (slugging or roller compaction)
Q4. Over-lubrication with magnesium stearate commonly leads to which tablet problem?
- Increased dissolution rate
- Reduced tablet friability
- Decreased dissolution and poor wettability
- Improved tablet hardness
Correct Answer: Decreased dissolution and poor wettability
Q5. Which test assesses the uniformity of active pharmaceutical ingredient among individual tablets?
- Disintegration test
- Dissolution test
- Content uniformity assay
- Friability test
Correct Answer: Content uniformity assay
Q6. What parameter does the Carr’s index help to predict for powder blends?
- Moisture content
- Flowability and compressibility
- Chemical stability
- Particle density
Correct Answer: Flowability and compressibility
Q7. Which coating type is typically used to protect an API from stomach acid and release it in the intestine?
- Immediate-release film coating
- Sugar coating
- Enteric coating
- Opadry coating
Correct Answer: Enteric coating
Q8. Which excipient class lowers interparticle friction and improves powder flow before compression?
- Binders
- Glidants
- Disintegrants
- Sustained-release polymers
Correct Answer: Glidants
Q9. What is the main goal of wet granulation in tablet manufacturing?
- To reduce tablet size
- To improve flowability and uniformity of the powder blend
- To increase tablet coating adhesion
- To remove volatile impurities
Correct Answer: To improve flowability and uniformity of the powder blend
Q10. Which property is directly measured by a friabilator?
- S dissolution rate
- Tablet tensile strength
- Loss of mass due to abrasion
- Disintegration time
Correct Answer: Loss of mass due to abrasion
Q11. In direct compression, which property of the API is most critical?
- High hygroscopicity
- Good flow and compressibility
- Low melting point
- High solubility in water
Correct Answer: Good flow and compressibility
Q12. Which lubricant is most commonly used in tablet formulations?
- Sodium lauryl sulfate
- Magnesium stearate
- Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)
- Methylcellulose
Correct Answer: Magnesium stearate
Q13. Capping and lamination during compression are usually caused by:
- Excessive binding
- Poor air evacuation and excessive precompression or high moisture
- Too much glidant
- Ideal particle size distribution
Correct Answer: Poor air evacuation and excessive precompression or high moisture
Q14. Which test determines the time for a tablet to break down into particles under standardized conditions?
- Dissolution test
- Disintegration test
- Content uniformity
- Hardness test
Correct Answer: Disintegration test
Q15. Which polymer is commonly used as a film-coating polymer for sustained-release matrix tablets?
- Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)
- Lactose
- Talc
- Magnesium stearate
Correct Answer: Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)
Q16. Which factor most directly affects tablet hardness during compression?
- Ambient humidity only
- Compression force and dwell time
- Colorant concentration
- Packaging material
Correct Answer: Compression force and dwell time
Q17. For a poorly soluble BCS Class II drug, formulation strategies to enhance dissolution include:
- Using hydrophobic binders
- Particle size reduction, solid dispersions, and surfactants
- Adding more lubricant
- Increasing talc content
Correct Answer: Particle size reduction, solid dispersions, and surfactants
Q18. Which parameter is NOT typically evaluated during preformulation studies?
- Solubility and pKa
- Melting point and polymorphism
- Particle flow properties and density
- Final tablet coating color
Correct Answer: Final tablet coating color
Q19. Which excipient acts primarily as a binder in wet granulation?
- Microcrystalline cellulose
- Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)
- Talc
- Calcium phosphate
Correct Answer: Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)
Q20. Which dissolution medium property significantly influences drug release during testing?
- pH and surfactant content
- Punch shape
- Tablet color
- Compression speed
Correct Answer: pH and surfactant content
Q21. The Hausner ratio is used to assess:
- Compressibility index of tablets
- Powder flowability by comparing tapped and bulk density
- Moisture uptake of granules
- Tablet dissolution similarity
Correct Answer: Powder flowability by comparing tapped and bulk density
Q22. Which excipient is commonly used as a glidant to improve powder flow?
- Talc
- Sucrose
- Gelatin
- Ethylcellulose
Correct Answer: Talc
Q23. What is the principal reason for performing stability studies on tablet formulations?
- To optimize tablet color
- To assess changes in potency, dissolution, and physical integrity over time
- To test packaging aesthetics
- To measure compressibility
Correct Answer: To assess changes in potency, dissolution, and physical integrity over time
Q24. In a bilayer tablet, the common problem of layer separation is often due to:
- Incompatible APIs only
- Poor adhesion between layers, improper compression sequence, or differential shrinkage
- Using the same binder in both layers
- Excessive use of disintegrant
Correct Answer: Poor adhesion between layers, improper compression sequence, or differential shrinkage
Q25. Which of the following is a common cause of tablet sticking to the punch face?
- Low lubricant levels
- Presence of tacky binders or high moisture and inadequate lubrication
- High glidant concentration
- Excessive tablet hardness
Correct Answer: Presence of tacky binders or high moisture and inadequate lubrication
Q26. Which regulatory test compares dissolution profiles of a test product and a reference product?
- Disintegration test
- Similarity factor (f2) analysis
- Friability test
- Weight variation test
Correct Answer: Similarity factor (f2) analysis
Q27. Which manufacturing parameter is adjusted to control tablet weight in rotary tablet presses?
- Compression speed only
- Die fill depth (hopper feed) or turret fill settings
- Coating thickness
- Type of lubricant
Correct Answer: Die fill depth (hopper feed) or turret fill settings
Q28. What is the main advantage of film coating over sugar coating?
- Longer processing time
- Better moisture protection, faster processing, and thinner coats
- More weight gain per tablet
- Improved taste masking only
Correct Answer: Better moisture protection, faster processing, and thinner coats
Q29. Which phenomenon describes elastic recovery leading to tensile failure such as capping after compression?
- Plastic deformation
- Elastic recovery (springback)
- Fragmentation bonding
- Viscoelastic compression
Correct Answer: Elastic recovery (springback)
Q30. During scale-up of tablet manufacturing, which quality attribute must be closely monitored to ensure equivalence with pilot batches?
- Tablet color only
- Critical quality attributes such as dissolution, assay, hardness, and content uniformity
- Number of operators
- Label design
Correct Answer: Critical quality attributes such as dissolution, assay, hardness, and content uniformity
I am a Registered Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the founder of PharmacyFreak.com. I hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. With a strong academic foundation and practical knowledge, I am committed to providing accurate, easy-to-understand content to support pharmacy students and professionals. My aim is to make complex pharmaceutical concepts accessible and useful for real-world application.
Mail- Sachin@pharmacyfreak.com