Understanding the ideal characteristics of tablets is essential for B.Pharm students focused on pharmaceutical formulation and quality control. This topic examines critical tablet evaluation parameters—hardness, friability, disintegration, dissolution, content uniformity, weight variation, stability, drug release, bioavailability, and excipient compatibility—that determine therapeutic performance, patient compliance, and regulatory acceptance. Learning in vitro test procedures, pharmacopoeial limits, instrumental techniques, and formulation strategies helps you optimize dosage forms and troubleshoot manufacturing problems. Emphasizing both theoretical principles and practical quality assurance skills will prepare you for formulation development, batch release testing, and regulatory documentation. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.
Q1. Which characteristic best describes the “ideal” mechanical strength of an immediate‑release tablet?
- Extremely high hardness that prevents any breakage under all conditions
- Balanced hardness sufficient to resist mechanical stress yet allow proper disintegration
- Very low hardness to ensure immediate fragmentation
- Hardness is irrelevant if coating is applied
Correct Answer: Balanced hardness sufficient to resist mechanical stress yet allow proper disintegration
Q2. What is the primary purpose of the friability test?
- To measure chemical degradation during storage
- To assess tablet tendency to chip, break or abrade under mechanical stress
- To determine the dissolution rate of the drug substance
- To evaluate drug‑excipient compatibility
Correct Answer: To assess tablet tendency to chip, break or abrade under mechanical stress
Q3. Which instrument is most commonly used for friability testing?
- Disintegration apparatus
- Roche friabilator
- Pyranometer
- High performance liquid chromatograph
Correct Answer: Roche friabilator
Q4. Which result is generally considered acceptable for tablet friability?
- Weight loss greater than 5%
- Weight loss between 2% and 5%
- Weight loss less than 1%
- Any amount of weight loss is acceptable if hardness is high
Correct Answer: Weight loss less than 1%
Q5. What does the disintegration test measure?
- The time for a tablet to dissolve completely in the dissolution medium
- The time for a tablet to break down into particles under specified conditions
- The mechanical strength of a tablet under compression
- The chemical potency of the active ingredient
Correct Answer: The time for a tablet to break down into particles under specified conditions
Q6. Typical pharmacopeial disintegration time for an uncoated immediate‑release tablet is:
- 5 seconds
- 15 minutes
- 6 hours
- 24 hours
Correct Answer: 15 minutes
Q7. Dissolution testing is most useful for assessing which tablet attribute?
- Color uniformity
- Rate and extent of drug release into solution
- Tablet friability
- Compression force applied during manufacture
Correct Answer: Rate and extent of drug release into solution
Q8. “Q” in dissolution specifications typically represents:
- The disintegration time limit
- The specified amount (percentage) of drug released at a given time
- The tablet weight variation allowance
- The hardness requirement in kiloponds
Correct Answer: The specified amount (percentage) of drug released at a given time
Q9. Which parameter ensures each tablet contains the intended amount of active drug?
- Friability
- Content uniformity
- Disintegration time
- Tablet coating thickness
Correct Answer: Content uniformity
Q10. What are the USP weight variation criteria for tablets weighing ≥324 mg?
- ±10%
- ±7.5%
- ±5%
- ±2%
Correct Answer: ±5%
Q11. Which excipient is commonly used to promote tablet disintegration?
- Lactose as filler
- Magnesium stearate as lubricant
- Croscarmellose sodium as superdisintegrant
- Titanium dioxide as coating pigment
Correct Answer: Croscarmellose sodium as superdisintegrant
Q12. Overuse of a hydrophobic lubricant like magnesium stearate typically causes:
- Increased tablet dissolution rate
- Improved wettability
- Hydrophobic film formation and reduced dissolution
- Immediate increase in bioavailability
Correct Answer: Hydrophobic film formation and reduced dissolution
Q13. Which tablet defect is most likely caused by trapped air during compression?
- Capping and lamination
- Weight variation
- Excessive hardness
- Overcoating
Correct Answer: Capping and lamination
Q14. Which test directly correlates with in vivo drug absorption for many oral tablets?
- Friability
- Dissolution
- Colorimeter reading
- Bulk density
Correct Answer: Dissolution
Q15. Content uniformity and weight variation tests differ because:
- Weight variation measures chemical potency while content uniformity measures weight
- Weight variation is for capsules only
- Content uniformity measures actual drug content per unit; weight variation infers uniformity from weight
- They are identical tests with different names
Correct Answer: Content uniformity measures actual drug content per unit; weight variation infers uniformity from weight
Q16. Which property of a tablet influences its ease of swallowing (patient compliance)?
- Friability only
- Size, shape, surface smoothness and coating
- Only the color of the tablet
- Only the hardness value
Correct Answer: Size, shape, surface smoothness and coating
Q17. Which factor most directly affects tablet hardness during manufacture?
- Type of coating pigment used
- Compression force applied during tableting
- Dissolution medium pH
- Ambient light intensity
Correct Answer: Compression force applied during tableting
Q18. A formulation scientist wants faster onset of action for an oral tablet. Which strategy is most appropriate?
- Increase lubricant concentration
- Use a suitable superdisintegrant and optimize particle size
- Apply a thick enteric coating
- Increase tablet weight substantially
Correct Answer: Use a suitable superdisintegrant and optimize particle size
Q19. Moisture sensitive drugs require special consideration because moisture can cause:
- Enhanced mechanical strength
- Chemical degradation, polymorphic changes or sticking during compression
- Improved dissolution uniformly
- Reduced need for lubricants
Correct Answer: Chemical degradation, polymorphic changes or sticking during compression
Q20. Which attribute is most relevant when selecting a filler for a high drug‑load tablet?
- Color only
- Compressibility and flow properties
- Ability to reduce dissolution rate
- High hygroscopicity
Correct Answer: Compressibility and flow properties
Q21. What does “bioavailability” of a tablet describe?
- The tablet’s mechanical resistance to breakage
- The proportion of administered drug reaching systemic circulation in active form
- The tablet’s taste masking efficiency
- The manufacturing throughput of a tableting line
Correct Answer: The proportion of administered drug reaching systemic circulation in active form
Q22. Which test would you perform to evaluate coating integrity and permeability?
- Friability test
- Dissolution test and visual inspection for cracks
- Weight variation test only
- Flow property measurement
Correct Answer: Dissolution test and visual inspection for cracks
Q23. Which parameter is LEAST likely to be affected by tablet hardness?
- Friability
- Disintegration time
- Content uniformity
- Mechanical strength
Correct Answer: Content uniformity
Q24. The presence of polymorphic forms of an API in a tablet formulation can impact:
- Only the tablet color
- Solubility, dissolution rate and stability
- The number of tablets per blister pack
- Lubricant performance only
Correct Answer: Solubility, dissolution rate and stability
Q25. Which statement about lubricants is true?
- Lubricants always increase tablet dissolution
- Lubricants reduce die wall friction and facilitate ejection but can retard dissolution if overused
- Lubricants are the same as disintegrants
- Lubricants are only used to improve tablet color
Correct Answer: Lubricants reduce die wall friction and facilitate ejection but can retard dissolution if overused
Q26. Why is particle size reduction (milling) often used in tablet formulation?
- To decrease surface area and slow dissolution
- To improve flow, compressibility and dissolution rate by increasing surface area
- To remove active drug from the formulation
- To increase tablet friability intentionally
Correct Answer: To improve flow, compressibility and dissolution rate by increasing surface area
Q27. Which in‑process control is most important to ensure uniform tablet weight in a rotary tablet press?
- Monitoring coating color uniformity
- Controlling feed frame and hopper flow to maintain consistent die fill
- Measuring tablet dissolution after packaging
- Checking ambient music levels in the factory
Correct Answer: Controlling feed frame and hopper flow to maintain consistent die fill
Q28. A sustained‑release tablet formulation should primarily aim to:
- Release the entire dose immediately
- Provide controlled release over an extended period to maintain therapeutic levels
- Disintegrate faster than immediate‑release tablets
- Minimize tablet hardness at all costs
Correct Answer: Provide controlled release over an extended period to maintain therapeutic levels
Q29. Which is a common cause of poor content uniformity in low‑dose tablets?
- Excellent powder flow
- Segregation of API during mixing or filling
- Use of a high level of binder
- Applying a uniform film coating
Correct Answer: Segregation of API during mixing or filling
Q30. Stability testing of tablets primarily assesses:
- Only the tablet’s mechanical hardness over one day
- Chemical potency, physical appearance, dissolution and degradation over time under defined conditions
- How quickly a tablet dissolves in cold water only
- Manufacturing line efficiency
Correct Answer: Chemical potency, physical appearance, dissolution and degradation over time under defined conditions
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.
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