Pharmacist Grade II — 2025 — Provisional Answer Key — Kerala PSC PYQ Practice with Answers

Correct answer (Option C):\nSterilization by dry heat is typically performed in a hot air oven. The standard and most widely accepted temperature-time relationship for ensuring complete sterilization using dry heat is heating the materials at 160°C for 2 hours. This treatment ensures the destruction of even the most heat-resistant bacterial spores by mechanism of oxidative damage and protein denaturation.\n\nWhy others are wrong:\nOption A is incorrect because 100°C for 1 hour is insufficient to kill bacterial spores using dry heat. Option B specifies 121°C for 20 minutes, which is the standard protocol for moist heat sterilization (autoclaving), not dry heat. Option D describes a temperature of 200°C for 20 minutes, which is not the standard clinical setting and can char glass or degrade materials.\n\nStudy tip:\nAlways remember the distinction between dry heat (160°C for 2 hours in a hot air oven) and moist heat (121°C for 15-20 minutes at 15 psi in an autoclave) for pharmacy exam questions.

Correct answer (Option D):\nMicroorganisms that have the capability to survive high-temperature exposures or heat treatments, such as pasteurization, without necessarily growing or multiplying at those temperatures, are defined as thermoduric. They possess highly stable cellular components and protective mechanisms that shield them from thermal death during temporary heat applications.\n\nWhy others are wrong:\nOption A refers to thermophilic bacteria, which are organisms that actively thrive, grow, and reproduce at optimally high temperatures. Option B describes mesophilic microbes, which prefer moderate temperature ranges. Option C refers to psychrotropic microorganisms, which are capable of surviving and growing at cold temperatures.\n\nStudy tip:\nMake sure to differentiate between thermoduric (heat surviving) and thermophilic (heat loving) terminology, as this is a frequent point of confusion in pharmacy microbiology tests.

Correct answer (Option B):\nA Meta filter is primarily utilized for heavy cake filtration and clarification purposes but does not consistently perform reliable bacteria-proof sterilization on its own without additional treatments. It is built as a surface-type edge filter and is structurally distinct from absolute sterilizing filters.\n\nWhy others are wrong:\nOption A refers to filter candles, which are classic depth filters capable of trapping bacteria. Option C refers to Millipore filters, which are membrane filters with precisely defined pore sizes designed to mechanically exclude bacteria. Option D describes sintered metal filters, which achieve sterile filtration through small, managed porous configurations.\n\nStudy tip:\nReview the structural mechanism and specific pore size ratings of various pharmaceutical filters, as filters operating below 0.22 microns are classified as absolute sterilization barriers.

Correct answer (Option C):\nDisintegrants are most efficiently incorporated in parts both before and after granulation. The portion added before granulation (intragranularly) aids in breaking down the granules into smaller particles, while the portion added after granulation (extragranularly) promotes the immediate breakup of the full tablet matrix upon contact with moisture.\n\nWhy others are wrong:\nOption A refers only to internal addition, which limits initial tablet breakout. Option B outlines purely external addition, which breaks the tablet down into larger granules rather than fine primary particles. Option D is incorrect because adding disintegrants to a coating solution would make the outer shell unstable prematurely.\n\nStudy tip:\nCombining intragranular and extragranular additions provides a synergistic disintegration profile that accelerates drug release and improves general bioavailability characteristics.

Correct answer (Option A):\nPicking is a tablet manufacturing defect where a small amount of film or granulation material adheres to and gets removed by the punch face. This is heavily influenced by materials with a low melting point, as the heat generated during high-speed compression cycles can slightly melt or soften these materials, causing them to stick to the engraved logos or letters on punch faces.\n\nWhy others are wrong:\nOption B describes lamination, which is the split of a tablet into multiple distinct horizontal layers due to trapped air. Option C describes chipping, which is the breaking of tablet edges during processing. Option D describes capping, which involves the complete separation of the top or bottom crown of the tablet.\n\nStudy tip:\nKeep a clear checklist of common tablet defects (capping, lamination, picking, sticking, and mottling) along with their operational causes for quick review prior to your exams.