There was a pass rate of 82% for the July 2021 registration assessment for pre and provisionally registered pharmacists, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has revealed today.

A total of 2,907 candidates sat the registration assessment, with 2,371 passing. Over 2,600 of those candidates were sitting the exam for the first time, with over 84% (2,189) passing.

The exam was sat online over three sittings, on 27,28 and 29 July.

Previous pass rates for the examination have ranged from 72% to 95% over the past 10 years, including 88% in the previous registration exams in March.

GPhC chief executive Duncan Rudkin congratulated candidates who passed the assessment.

He 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.’

He added: ‘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.’

Claire Anderson, Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) president, congratulated those who had passed.

She said: 'RPS would like to congratulate candidates passing the registration assessment today. Achieving a pass rate of 82% -  the second highest since 2016 – is testament to the hard work of pre-registration candidates through adversity. As well as having to sit an online exam for the first time, candidates had the Covid-19 pandemic to contend with.

'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.'

It comes after a number of trainees were unable to sit their full registration assessment due to a technical fault at an exam centre in Redditch in July.

Those affected were told they have to resit the exam in November after the clinical paper did not appear on the screen.

At the time, the RPS said there was a ‘lack of a timely solution’ and a ‘lack of any adequate contingency plan for IT failure of this type’.