The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) this morning (September 9) announced a pass rate of 82 per cent for those who took the July 2021 registration assessment.
A total of 2,907 candidates sat the registration exam across three sittings on July 27, 28 and 29, 2021, with 2,371 of them passing the exam and 536 not succeeding.
Of the total candidates, 2,625 were first-time sitters, 224 were second-time sitters, and 58 attempted for the third time.
In March 2021, 2,666 candidates took the assessment with a passing rate of 88 per cent.
Since 2011, pass rates for the registration assessment have ranged from 72 per cent to 95 per cent, GPhC said.
Congratulating the successful candidates along with the tutors and employers who supported them throughout their training, GPhC chief executive Duncan Rudkin said: “This is a significant achievement, particularly given the challenges with completing their training during the pandemic. We look forward to these candidates joining the register at the earliest possible opportunity.
“We know that candidates who haven’t passed this sitting will be very disappointed. We hope the guidance we have developed will help them understand their options for next steps and are grateful to all of the organisations and individuals across pharmacy who will also provide them with support and advice.”
The GPhC council will discuss the full analysis of the July 2021 registration assessment in October.
Claire Anderson, Royal Pharmaceutical Society president also congratulated candidates passing the registration assessment and achieving the pass rate of 82% – the second highest since 2016
She added: “We understand that failing an assessment can be disheartening and so we are also able to support those who may have not passed on this occasion. RPS can help them think through their next steps and prepare for a future assessment, or other career options.”
Meanwhile, Thorrun Govind, chair of the RPS in England, once again raised concerns about the “technical glitches” that didn’t allow some candidates from completing the assessment in July. She tweeted:
Today I’m also thinking of those let down by @TheGPhC due to a lack of contingency planning by the GPHC and @PearsonVUE. @rpharms @Clairewynn
— Pharmacist Thorrun (@pharmthorrun) September 9, 2021
Earlier in August, the RPS had written to GPhC raising concern about this issue.
