Planning to sit the autumn assessment? The GPhC advises that you should only sit the assessment if you are fit to do so. If you are aware of any illness or personal issue that could affect your performance you may want to consider withdrawing from the assessment. Any issues that you are aware of, no matter how serious, will not be considered grounds for appeal.

Withdrawing from the assessment

If you decide that you are not well enough to sit the exam, you must inform the GPhC within five working days of the date of the sitting. If you do not inform the GPhC that you have withdrawn from the sitting, they will count it as one of your three attempts to sit the exam. If you feel unwell when you arrive at the assessment you will still have an opportunity to withdraw. The chief invigilator will announce the final opportunity to withdraw when you are in the examination hall. If you remain in the hall after the announcement has been made, the GPhC will assume that you have decided that you are fit to sit. If you withdraw from the assessment your exam registration fee will be refunded to the card that was used to pay the fee. If you decide to sit the assessment again, you should apply in the usual manner.

You can download the Notification of withdrawal from the registration assessment form from the GPhC website.

Falling ill during the exam – nullification

If you fall ill during the exam you should bring this to the attention of an invigilator as soon as you can. They will then fill in a report form that you will need to give to the GPhC if you decide that your performance has been badly affected by your illness. All nullification forms must be submitted within five working days of the assessment. If your attempt is nullified it will not count towards your three attempts at the assessment, but you will not find out your result. If you sit the assessment again, you will need to apply as normal and you will need to pay another entry fee.

You can download the Nullification request form from the GPhC website.

Additional support

Should the assessment or issues surrounding your withdrawal or nullification be causing you stress, you may wish to chat with one of our Listening Friends. Our Listening Friends telephone helpline is staffed by trained volunteers who offer callers the opportunity to talk anonymously and in confidence to a pharmacist about any stresses they are facing in their work, study or home life. To arrange a call contact us on 0808 168 5133 or e-mail info@pharmacistsupport.org