The pass rate for September's registration exam rose three percentage points to 64% this year, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has announced.

Of the 976 candidates who sat the assessment, 626 achieved a pass mark, the GPhC revealed last Friday (October 23).

The results are an improvement on last year’s September pass rate of 61%, but remain below 2013’s level of 69%, the regulator said.

This September, 69% of the 622 candidates sittting the exam for the second time passed, the regulator said. This compared to 294 students who sat the exam for the first time and 60 for the third, achieving pass rates of 56% and 52% respectively, it added.

The improved September pass rate follows the GPhC’s announcement of the lowest June pass rate for six years – 74% – this July. The results prompted a backlash from pharmacy students and pre-registration tutors, who claimed that candidates had not been given enough time to "read, digest and answer" the questions.
 

What could the GPhC do to improve the pass rate?

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