Pass Marks for the MRCP(UK) Examination

The following information provides an explanation on the application of pass marks in all three components of the MRCP(UK).

MRCP(UK) Part 1 Examination

As stated in the MRCP(UK) Regulations, since the 2008/3 MRCP(UK) Part 1 Examination diet, candidates’ overall results have been calculated using a process called equating. This is a statistical process based on Item Response Theory, and it is used to ensure that candidates receive comparable results for comparable performance in different diets of the examination.

Instead of an overall percentage score, all candidates are given an ‘overall scaled score’. This score is a number between 0 and 999, which is calculated from the number of questions a candidate has answered correctly in the two examination papers and also takes into account the relative difficulty of the examination. Since no two examinations can contain exactly the same set of questions, it is inevitable that some papers may be slightly harder (or easier) than others, and equating is a statistical process that addresses this by calculating the exact difficulty of each question.

The MRCP(UK) Part 1 Standard Setting Group has determined that an overall scaled score of 521 or greater will be considered a pass. Please note that this score will be subject to review and candidates are advised to consult the website for the latest information. As a result of this process the pass rate (i.e. the percentage of candidates who pass) may vary slightly from one diet to another. The MRCP(UK) Part 1 Examination’s pass rate is in the public domain on the Exam Pass Rates page. 

MRCP(UK) Part 2 Written Examination

As stated in the MRCP(UK) Regulations, from the 2010/1 MRCP(UK) Part 2 Written Examination diet, candidates’ overall results have been calculated using a process called equating. This is a statistical process based on Item Response Theory, and it is used to ensure that candidates receive comparable results for comparable performance in different diets of the examination.

The process is very similar to equating MRCP(UK) Part 1 Examination: instead of an overall percentage score, all candidates are given an ‘overall scaled score’. This score is a number between 0 and 999, which is calculated from the number of questions a candidate has answered correctly in the three examination papers and also takes into account the relative difficulty of the examination. Since no two examinations can contain exactly the same set of questions, it is inevitable that some papers may be slightly harder (or easier) than others, and equating is a statistical process that addresses this by calculating the exact difficulty of each question.

The scaled ability score which will be applied as the pass mark from 2010/1 and was agreed by the MRCP(UK) Part 2 Standard Setting Group is 425. As a result of equating the pass rate (i.e. the percentage of candidates who pass) may vary slightly from one diet to another. After the 2010/1 diet, the MRCP(UK) Part 2 Written Examination’s pass rate will be in the public domain on the Exam Pass Rates page. 

MRCP(UK) Part 2 Clinical Examination (PACES)

Full details of how the pass mark is applied by the MRCP(UK) Clinical Examining Board are set out in the MRCP(UK) Regulations. 

The pass marks for October 2012 to September 2013 are available on the PACES Pass Marks page.