If you have passed the assessment 

Congratulations to those who passed the assessment. If you will be joining the register for the first time, take a look at our registering as a pharmacist page. This contains information about registration and looking for work. Click here to find out more.

We have plenty of available resources to help you to find your first job. For help with finding advertised jobs online look at our job vacancy sites page  Thinking about starting out as a locum? You can find out more about working as a locum at our locum webpage.

Find out more about being a newly qualified pharmacist

GPhC information

On the GPhC registration sitting webpage you can find the following guidance:

The results and registration section will be updated prior to the June sit. It contains information about registering, guidance for unsuccessful candidates and the appeals form. If you want to learn more about how the GPhC creates and marks exam papers, see their assuring the registration assessment page.

Registration as a pharmacist

Important: You cannot practise as a pharmacist until you have received your GPhC registration number and your name appears on the online register. Your first-year fee payment receipt is not proof of your registration.

If you have failed the assessment 

If you are unsuccessful at a registration assessment sitting, the GPhC will send you guidance with your results. This explains the appeals system, and tells you more about preparing to sit the assessment again. Read the guidance first but if you still have questions you should get in touch with the GPhC contact centre on 020 8713 8000.

It is only natural to feel disappointed if you have failed the exam. Feelings of anger, despair and disappointment are common; however, it is important to try to keep your perspective. You might find it useful to talk to a Listening Friend. Alternatively, you can find out more about using CBT to help you cope by clicking here.

Some trainees might face financial difficulties after failing the assessment. If you are struggling, you may be able to apply for financial assistance from us. We may also be able to help by referring you to a specialist Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) adviser for debt and benefits advice. If you would like to be referred contact us at info@pharmacistsupport.org 

Additional Support

Counselling (for psychological and emotional support)

Trainee pharmacists earning under £37,000 will be able to access eight counselling sessions fully funded by the charity.  If additional sessions are needed following this, individuals will be given the option to self-fund

The counsellors are there to help you deal with a variety of issues. By seeking constructive help, you may identify ways of addressing the root causes of your concerns in order to help you to cope. 

Find out more about our counselling and how to apply

Online support from Pharmacist Support

On our website, we have a practical area dedicated to you and your wellbeing needs. You can find a range of free resources, including:

• Wellbeing self-study learning modules
• Downloadable and printable resources to use with your team
• Tips and advice from your pharmacist family across the country
• Info about other useful tools and apps

Access online support now

Appeals

Trainees who have failed the assessment can no longer request a re-mark. You can submit an appeal if you believe that you have sufficient grounds to do so. The GPhC stresses that an appeal can only be made on the basis of:

• new information/circumstances coming to light that you could not have been aware of on the day,
• or on the grounds that the correct procedure has not been applied/followed.

Appeals based on medical grounds

If you have found out that you had a medical condition at the time of the exam that you did not know about on the day you sat the exam you might be able to submit an appeal. You will need to provide supporting documents from health care professionals to substantiate a claim for an appeal on medical grounds.

Appeals based on procedural issues

If something went wrong on the day, for example, you had IT difficulties or were late starting the exam owing to issues at an exam venue, you can put in an appeal on the grounds of procedural issues.

For further information, see the GPhC foundation manual.

The deadline for submitting an appeal is 18 August 2023. Appeals must be submitted to regexam@pharmacyregulation.org 

For full details about appeals, see the GPhC guidance.

Help with appeals

PDA membership is FREE to students, trainee pharmacists and for the first three months of being newly qualified and they can help with submitting an appeal to the GPhC. Further details can be found on the PDA website.

You could also take a look at the PDA advice and guidance about appeals.

Trainees who have failed three times

If you have failed your registration assessment three times, rest assured that there are a number of alternative career options available to you.

Remember that you do have a good science degree as well as your own skills, knowledge and experience and many graduate vacancies do not specify particular degree disciplines. Pharmacist Support’s  careers information provides options for pharmacy graduates  and has information on getting careers advice and career options. This includes alternative career suggestions such as teaching, further research and medical/scientific proof-reading.

You can also still submit an appeal. See above under appeals for further information.

Registering for another assessment

You can find future assessment dates and entry deadlines on the GPhC key dates page. There are no extra requirements needed to sit the registration assessment again. You might find it useful to reflect on whether you were ready to sit the assessment. Equally, you might want to consider whether there were any other factors that might affect your performance during exams.

Consider developing a SMART action plan to help you identify what you need to do to be ready to sit the assessment again, and to manage any factors that may affect your performance. For more information about setting SMART objects, see the GPhC foundation manual. 

The actions you need to take, and the resources you will need to help you will depend on the issues and objectives you identify.

If you are taking your third attempt at the assessment, you will no longer need to undertake a further six-month placement. The GPhC has now removed this requirement from the regulations, so if you are sitting for a third time in 2023 you will not be required to complete an additional placement.

Requesting adjustments for a re-sit

You will have to put in a fresh application for adjustments to the GPhC, if you are planning to register to resit in 2023. Adjustments from previous exams cannot be carried over to your next sit. For further information about applying to sit the registration assessment, see the GPhC website.

Dates for the Summer Assessment sitting 2023

The date for the next assessment is 27 June 2023.

The webpage was last reviewed and updated in April 2023.