Pass Rate — What the Data Tells You
Around 1 in 3 candidates fails the MRCS Part B on each sitting. Here's what that means, why it happens, and how to put yourself in the passing half.
Start revising free today →The Numbers
The MRCS Part B pass rate sits consistently between 60% and 68%. The rate varies slightly between exam diets and between the two Royal Colleges, but the overall picture is stable: this is a genuinely difficult exam, and the majority of candidates who fail do so by a narrow margin.
First-attempt candidates consistently outperform resitters. If you are sitting for the second or third time, that pattern is worth reflecting on honestly.
Why Candidates Fail
Examiner feedback and candidate reports point to the same reasons, sitting after sitting:
You must pass both the Knowledge and Skills components in the same sitting. Strong examination technique cannot compensate for a failed knowledge section. This catches more candidates than almost anything else.
Communication stations are double-manned. Many candidates lose significant marks through poor structure, jargon, or failing to explore the patient's concerns.
Reading examination routines is not the same as performing them. Candidates who have not examined real patients in the months before the exam are visible from the first move.
Spending most of your time on pathology while barely touching anatomy or procedural skills is a reliable route to a borderline failure.
Nine minutes moves fast. Candidates who have not practised under timed conditions consistently underperform relative to their knowledge level.
What Puts You in the Passing Half
Candidates who pass first time tend to share a few things in common:
The exam is passable. The pass rate is not 60% because the standard is impossibly high. It is 60% because preparation is uneven. Candidates who cover the full curriculum, practise out loud, and enter the circuit with a realistic understanding of the format consistently pass.
MRCS Complete — OSCE-style scenarios across all five content areas, built around the format you will face on the day.
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