The 2023 autumn registration assessment for pharmacists saw the highest pass rate achieved in the November exam for three years, the General Pharmaceutical Council and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland have said.

Out of 1,067 candidates who sat the November 2 exam, 700 passed, giving a pass rate of 66 per cent – up from 56 per cent in 2022 and 61 per cent in 2021. 

The autumn registration assessment typically sees a lower pass rate than the summer assessment (which this year had a pass rate of 77 per cent out of 2,805 candidates), and is sat by a greater proportion of candidates on their second or third attempt. 

There were 500 first-time sitters in this year’s November assessment, amounting to 48 per cent of the total, compared to 457 second-time sitters(44 per cent) and 85 third-time sitters (eight per cent). 

Second-time sitters had the highest pass rate at 72 per cent, with both first and third-time sitters achieving an average pass rate close to 60 per cent.

GPhC director of education and standards Mark Vocie said: ‘I would like to congratulate all those who passed the November registration assessment and I look forward to them joining our register to continue to the next stage of their career.”

Mr Voce signposted candidates who did not pass the assessment to information available on the GPhC and Pharmacist Support websites