MRCP(UK) examinations
| Examination | Pass mark |
|---|---|
| Part 1 | 540 |
| Part 2 Written | 454 |
| PACES | 130 (see individual skills breakdown below) |
The following information provides an explanation on the application of pass marks in all three components of the MRCP(UK) and the Specialty Certificate Examinations.
*Learn more about the pass standard for the PACES 2024/01 assessment period here.
MRCP(UK) Part 1 Examination
As stated in the MRCP(UK) Regulations, since the 2008/3 MRCP(UK) Part 1 Examination diet, candidates’ overall results have been calculated using a process called equating. This is a statistical process based on Item Response Theory, and it is used to ensure that candidates receive comparable results for comparable performance in different diets of the examination.
Instead of an overall percentage score, all candidates are given an ‘overall scaled score’. For the vast majority of candidates this score is a number between 200 and 800 - although occasionally could be negative or above 800. The score is calculated from the number of questions a candidate has answered correctly in the two examination papers and also takes into account the relative difficulty of the examination. Since no two examinations can contain exactly the same set of questions, it is inevitable that some papers may be slightly harder (or easier) than others, and equating is a statistical process that addresses this by calculating the exact difficulty of each question.
The scaled ability score which will be applied as the pass mark from 2023/1 and was agreed by the MRCP(UK) Part 1 Standard Setting Group is 540. Further information on how the decision was made to change the pass mark is available in the report from the MRCP(UK) Part 1 Examination October 2022 Standard Setting Exercise. As a result of equating, the pass rate (i.e. the percentage of candidates who pass) may vary slightly from one diet to another. The MRCP(UK) Part 1 Written Examination’s pass rate is available on will be in the public domain on the Exam pass rates page.
MRCP(UK) Part 2 Written Examination
As stated in the MRCP(UK) Regulations, from the 2010/1 MRCP(UK) Part 2 Written Examination diet, candidates’ overall results have been calculated using a process called equating. This is a statistical process based on Item Response Theory, and it is used to ensure that candidates receive comparable results for comparable performance in different diets of the examination.
The process is very similar to equating MRCP(UK) Part 1 Examination: instead of an overall percentage score, all candidates are given an ‘overall scaled score’. For the vast majority of candidates this score is a number between 200 and 800 - although occasionally could be negative or above 800. The score is calculated from the number of questions a candidate has answered correctly in the two examination papers and also takes into account the relative difficulty of the examination. Since no two examinations can contain exactly the same set of questions, it is inevitable that some papers may be slightly harder (or easier) than others, and equating is a statistical process that addresses this by calculating the exact difficulty of each question.
The scaled ability score which will be applied as the pass mark from 2023/1 and was agreed by the MRCP(UK) Part 2 Standard Setting Group is 454. Further information on how the decision was made to change the pass mark is available in the report from the MRCP(UK) Part 2 Written Examination - November 2022 Standard Setting Exercise. As a result of equating, the pass rate (i.e. the percentage of candidates who pass) may vary slightly from one diet to another. The MRCP(UK) Part 2 Written Examination’s pass rate is available on the Exam pass rates page.
MRCP(UK) Part 2 Clinical Examination (PACES)
The MRCP(UK) Clinical Examining Board (CEB) is currently undertaking a standard setting process for the new carousel format (PACES23). The process will be completed in the Summer of 2024 when the pass marks will be set moving forward. Information on the pass marks for diets 2023:3, 2024:1 and 2024:2 will be posted on the news section of the webpage
To pass MRCP(UK) Part 2 Clinical Examination (PACES) candidates must still attain a minimum standard in each of the seven skills and also a minimum total score across the whole assessment.
How PACES is marked
To find out more about how PACES is marked please visit here.
Specialty Certificate Examinations
From September 2020, pass standards for the Specialty Certificate Examinations are equated using the 2019 UK trainees’ performance. Equating links all examinations from that specialty through a significant number of well performing questions called anchors, ensuring that the difficulty is consistent across diets. As a result, the percentage of correct answers required for a pass could be different from diet to diet. For example, the equivalent of an equated score of 450 could be 61% correct answers in one exam and 62% in the next exam if the exam was easier or 59% if the exam was harder.
Examination performance is monitored annually, and the standards are reviewed by the SCE Examination Board every three years or sooner if needed. The equated score is different for each specialty. The pass rate can vary between specialties and across different diets of the examination.