Exam pass rates

Pass rates for MRCP(UK) Diploma and Specialty Certificate Examinations

While MRCP(UK) has always closely monitored the proportion of candidates passing our exams (the ‘pass rate’), this information has not always been readily available to candidates, their supervisors or the wider public. Following the successful introduction of equating to the Part 1 Examination in the 2008/3 diet, the MRCP(UK) Management Board has now decided that the pass rates for this exam should be openly available in the public domain.

MRCP(UK) has always closely monitored the proportion of candidates passing our exams (the ‘pass rate’) and this information is now made readily available to candidates, their supervisors or the wider public.

Result performance reports

Performance statistics are intended to help candidates to be more informed and better prepared for the examination. The report is also available to other stakeholders (e.g. deaneries’ representatives, board members, trainees’ supervisors) who would like to find out more about candidates’ performance in order to be able to make informed decisions about training programmes or examination standards. UK trainee status is self-declared and therefore may not be fully representative of the UK trainee population.

Part 1 Written Examination

2023/3 diet:

Candidate group % of candidates passing
UK trainees 1st attempt 20.8%
UK trainees all attempts 27.5%
UK graduates 1st attempt 69.3%
UK graduates all attempts 59.7%
All candidates 41.3%

2023/2 diet:

Candidate group % of candidate passing
UK trainees 1st attempt 37.0%
UK trainees all attempts 42.6%
UK graduates 1st attempt 69.3%
UK graduates all attempts 63.9%
All candidates 49.4%

2023/1 diet: 

Candidate group % of candidate passing
UK trainees 1st attempt 71.4%
UK trainees all attempts 52.8%
UK graduates 1st attempt 75.7%
UK graduates all attempts 72.3%
All candidates 53.2%

 

Part 1 Examination annual performance report (2022)

 

Part 2 Written Examination

2023/3 diet:

Candidate group % of candidates passing
UK trainees 1st attempt 93.8%
UK trainees all attempts 93.2%
UK graduates 1st attempt 96.2%
UK graduates all attempts 96.1%
All candidates 72.9%

2023/2 diet:

Candidate group % of candidates passing
UK trainees 1st attempt 77.3%
UK trainees all attempts 71.7%
UK graduates 1st attempt 85.3%
UK graduates all attempts 80.8%
All candidates 64.4%

2023/1 diet:

Candidate group % of candidates passing
UK trainees 1st attempt 80.0%
UK trainees all attempts 77.7%
UK graduates 1st attempt 87.9%
UK graduates all attempts 87.2%
All candidates  72.2%

 

Part 2 written annual performance report (2022)

 

PACES Examination

2023/2 diet:

Candidate group % of candidates passing
UK trainees 1st attempt 54.3%
UK trainees all attempts 54.5%
UK graduates 1st attempt 63.8%
UK graduates all attempts 63.7%
All candidates 49.0%

2023/1 diet:

Candidate group % of candidates passing
UK trainees 1st attempt 77.3%
UK trainees all attempts 71.7%
UK graduates 1st attempt 85.3%
UK graduates all attempts 80.8%
All candidates 64.4%

2022/3 diet: 

Candidate group % of candidate passing 
UK trainees 1st attempt 59.0%
UK trainees all attempts 56.5%
UK graduates 1st attempt 73.1%
UK graduates all attempts 71.6%
All candidates 48.8%

 

PACES Examination annual performance report (2022)

 

SCE - 2023:

  % of UK trainees passing % of all candidates passing
Acute medicine 56.6% 37.4%
Dermatology 50.6% 32.9%
Endocrinology and Diabetes 48.5% 28.6%
ESEGH 61.5% 54.7%
ESENeph 74.4% 61.5%
Geriatric medicine 57.7% 47.5%
Medical Oncology 64.9% 53.4%
Neurology 23-1 75.6% 56.6%
Neurology 23-2    
Palliative medicine 95.1% 74.2%
Respiratory medicine 80.5% 64.3%
Rheumatology 77.9% 60.5%

 

Please note the number of candidates who chose to enter for the SCEs varied significantly between specialties.

The annual performance report for the SCEs are available on each of the specialty pages.

Report on MRCP(UK) and Specialty Certificate Examination pass rates

A report on examination pass rates by gender and ethnicity is available to download:

2022 Equality and Diversity Report