Shutterstock.com
Just over six in ten candidates passed the November 2025 sitting of the pharmacy registration assessment, figures published by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) show.
Data published by the GPhC on 16 December 2025 revealed that since 2021, overall pass rates for the November sitting of the exam have ranged from 56–66%.
According to the data, the sitting of the assessment held on 11 November 2025 had an overall pass rate of 61.5% — up from 58% in 2024.
For the November 2025 exam, of the 1,174 candidates, just over half (51%, n=602) sat the exam for the first time, while the pass rate for first-time candidates was 60%, the data found. The 300 second-time candidates had a pass rate of 68%, while the 62 candidates who made their third attempt had a pass rate of 47%.
The registration assessment is run by the GPhC and the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland, and passing the assessment is one of the essential criteria needed to become a registered pharmacist in the UK.
The assessment runs twice a year — in summer and autumn — with the majority of candidates opting for the summer sitting.
For the summer 2025 assessment, the GPhC recorded 2,913 candidates, of whom more than three-quarters (77%, n=2,243) passed. Candidates may sit the assessment a maximum of three times.
Commenting on the results, Lynsey Cleland, chief standards officer at the GPhC, said: “Well done to all those who passed the assessment. It is the culmination of years of hard work, and we wish you a successful and fulfilling future in pharmacy. We look forward to you joining our register.
“For anyone who unfortunately did not pass the assessment at this sitting, there is information on our website on what options are available to you.”
Posting on LinkedIn, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society said: “If you passed — congratulations! You are now a qualified pharmacist!
“If you didn’t get the results you were hoping for today, we’re here to support you.”
RPS support for everyone who sat the assessment — whether they passed on this occasion or not — can be found here.
The charity Pharmacist Support also offers advice to those who have not passed the assessment.
