How the GPhC Assessment Is Marked, and Why There Is No Fixed Pass Mark

"What is the pass mark?" is one of the most searched questions about the GPhC registration assessment, and one of the most misanswered. The honest answer is that there is no fixed pass mark. Here is how marking actually works, from the GPhC's own documents.

One mark per question, nothing taken away

In both parts, each correct answer is worth one mark. There are no penalties for wrong answers or for questions left blank. So never leave a question unanswered: a reasoned guess costs you nothing.

Part 1 has 40 calculations and Part 2 has 120 questions (90 single best answer and 30 extended matching), so Part 1 is marked out of 40 and Part 2 out of 120.

The pass mark is set for each sitting

The GPhC sets a passing standard: the level of knowledge and judgement needed for safe and effective practice at the point of registration. The pass mark is that standard expressed as a number of marks, and it is worked out separately for each sitting.

The framework for 2026 describes the method. Practising pharmacists from across the UK and from different sectors, trained as standard setters, judge the questions. The standard is set using a modified Angoff method, with one standard error of measurement added, and maintained between sittings using item response theory.

The practical upshot is in one sentence of the framework: pass marks vary between sittings to reflect question difficulties, but the passing standard remains the same. A harder paper has a lower pass mark and an easier paper a higher one, so nobody is advantaged by the sitting they happened to take.

That is why any figure you see quoted as "the pass mark" should be treated with caution. It cannot apply to a paper that has not been set yet.

You must pass both parts, at the same sitting

To pass, you need to reach the pass mark in Part 1 and in Part 2, in the same sitting. The framework is explicit that compensation between parts is not permitted. An excellent Part 2 cannot make up for a Part 1 below the pass mark, and the reverse is also true.

Marks are not carried forward between sittings either. If you resit, you sit both parts again. We cover resits in resitting the GPhC assessment in November.

There is no target pass rate

The GPhC does not aim for a set proportion of candidates to pass. The framework says those who pass do so on merit, having met the required standard. That is why pass rates move from sitting to sitting:

Sitting	Pass rate
Autumn 2021	61%
Autumn 2022	56%
Autumn 2023	66%
Autumn 2024	58%
Autumn 2025	62%
June 2025	77%
June 2026	83%

A pass rate tells you how a group of candidates did. It does not tell you the pass mark, and a high pass rate does not mean the paper was easy.

What your result will show

Under the regulations, your result includes the pass mark for each part, your own mark for each part, and your overall outcome. So if you do not pass, you will know which part fell short and by how much, which is exactly what you need to plan a resit.

For the November 2026 sitting, results are released on the morning of Wednesday 16 December 2026 through myGPhC. The GPhC does not offer remarking. Appeals are possible but have strict criteria, set out in its withdrawal, nullification and appeal guide. We cover results day in more detail in GPhC November 2026 results: what to do next.

What this means for how you prepare

• Answer every question. There is no penalty for a wrong answer.
• Do not aim at a number. Aim to be safe and confident in every area, because the pass mark depends on how hard the paper is.
• Treat both parts as separate exams. Check your timed practice scores for each part on its own, never the combined total.
• Use mock scores as a guide, not a prediction. A mock tells you where your gaps are. It cannot tell you the pass mark for a paper that has not been written.

Our GPhC mock papers score Part 1 and Part 2 separately, and break your marks down by area so you can see where to work. Try ten questions free in the free GPhC practice questions.

From the GPhC's Common Registration Assessment framework and regulations for sittings in 2026, its Sitting the November 2026 guide and its published results for each sitting, read on 18 October 2026. Dose Up is independent and is not endorsed by the GPhC.