Results analysis · 2027 preparation
FRCR Physics pass rates: what the latest results mean for 2027
Start with the candidate group and its size before interpreting a pass percentage. Historical results provide context for preparation; your own learning needs a closer look at what you understand, how you read statements and how you work under time pressure.
Published and checked . The latest public aggregate dataset located for this review covers 2021–2025. RCR results and pass rates.
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Published Physics results: 2024–2025
These six sittings are reproduced from Table 2 of the RCR 2021–2025 pass-rates report (Word document). The two groups answer different questions: all candidates gives the overall result; the RCR category “UK 1st attempt” gives a narrower comparison.
| Sitting | All candidates Pass rate | All candidates n | UK first attempt Pass rate | UK first attempt n |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2024 | 60.3% | 802 | 84.9% | 350 |
| June 2024 | 70.3% | 549 | 50.0% | 4 |
| September 2024 | 39.4% | 673 | 100.0% | 4 |
| March 2025 | 71.1% | 927 | 89.1% | 330 |
| June 2025 | 63.6% | 613 | 50.0% | 6 |
| September 2025 | 48.1% | 700 | 100.0% | 1 |
n is the number of candidates in that sitting and group. UK first-attempt candidates are included within the overall group, so these columns should not be added together. Repeat sitters can contribute to multiple rows; adding sitting counts would not give an unduplicated number of people.
Our interpretation
Three questions to ask of every percentage
Who is in this group?
A result for all candidates combines people with different training backgrounds and attempt histories. The UK first-attempt column is more specific, but it still describes a group. Choose the comparison that matches the question you are asking. Neither column supplies an individual forecast, and the UK category should not be treated as a rate for every first-time candidate worldwide.
How many candidates sit behind it?
September 2025 records 100% for UK first attempts with just one candidate; March 2025 has 330 in that group. Those percentages carry very different amounts of information. With a single candidate, one outcome determines the entire rate. Likewise, a group of four or six is too small to make a dependable claim about a future sitting. Always read the adjacent count. See the source table.
Does this show that one paper was harder?
These results alone cannot separate paper effects from differences in the people taking it. The mix of candidates changes, and the table does not track the same matched group through identical conditions. Ranking March, June and September by “easiness” would go beyond the evidence. Choose your sitting around eligibility, preparation time and practical commitments, then use the 2027 dates guide to check the booking timetable.
Pass rate, pass mark and mock score
Pass rate
The proportion of a defined candidate group that passed a particular sitting. It describes an outcome in that group, and changes when the group or its outcomes change.
Pass mark
The score required to pass the paper. RCR guidance describes modified Angoff and Hofstee standard setting; it does not prescribe one permanent percentage. Official marking guidance.
Mock score
Your result on a particular practice paper. The Physics Bank's scores are not formally calibrated to an RCR cut score or individual chance of passing. Familiar questions and repeated attempts also change what a score tells you.
The published pass-rates table supplies outcomes and candidate counts, without sitting-specific cut scores. For the distinction in more detail, read our pass-mark and standard-setting guide.
Use the results to ask better revision questions
Our suggested response is to collect evidence about your own preparation. After a fresh mixed block, record which concepts you can explain, which correct answers were guesses and which mistakes came from reading or pacing. That gives the next session a concrete purpose.
- 1. Check coverage. Work through the published syllabus headings. A comfortable overall score can conceal an untouched topic or a narrow set of familiar questions.
- 2. Check transfer. Explain a relationship in your own words, then test it in a changed example. Keep track of new-question performance separately from repeats.
- 3. Check the process. Use a timed full paper to inspect unfinished statements, time spent revisiting decisions and fatigue. Review the reasoning behind each uncertainty afterwards.
- 4. Make one repair plan. Select a manageable group of gaps, revisit the relevant concepts, then try fresh mixed questions after a delay. A sequence of review decisions is more useful than repeatedly checking a national percentage.
Sources and scope
This page selects the latest two years in the public dataset located on 7 November 2026. Published percentages and denominators are retained; no exact pass counts, pooled annual rates, 2026 outcomes or topic-level causes of failure are inferred. Interpretive sections and revision suggestions are The Physics Bank's analysis.
- RCR Clinical Radiology pass rates 2021–2025, Table 2: CR1 Physics (Word document)
- RCR exam results and pass-rates publication page
- RCR CR1 guidance notes: Physics marking and standard setting
Independent examination preparation. The Physics Bank is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Royal College of Radiologists.
