Being Fit to Sit
This information is provided to help you take the correct action should you feel that your
performance in the assessment will be or has been adversely affected by illness or other
issues.
Am I fit to sit?
It’s really important that you only sit the registration assessment if you are fit to do so.
Being ‘fit to sit’ means that you do not know of any reason why you would not do anything
other than perform to the best of your ability on the day of the assessment.
If you are aware of anything that might affect your performance on the day, you should not
sit the assessment, even if it is a painful decision to make.
Once you have entered the assessment hall on the day of the assessment, you have
declared yourself ‘fit to sit’. This means that we will not consider any reasons as grounds for
an appeal that would be covered by your decision to sit the assessment, for example:
You were ill on the day before commencing the assessment
You were ill in the run up to the sitting
You had an accident in the run up to the sitting
You had financial worries in the run up to the sitting
You had personal/relationship problems
You had to care for a relative in the run up to the sitting
You were not adequately supported by your tutor
You had difficulty finding the venue, arrived flustered and were flustered in the
sitting
This list is not exhaustive.
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If you are not ‘fit to sit’
If you think you might underperform for any reason, including if you do not feel well enough
or confident to sit the assessment, you should withdraw and wait for another sitting.
It is really important that you do not wait until receiving a fail notification before contacting
the GPhC, to tell us about anything that has affected your performance.
Withdrawing from the assessment
You can withdraw from the assessment at any time right up until the time you enter the
assessment hall on the day of the assessment.
After this point you are committed to an attempt to sit the assessment, and by entering the
hall you will have declared yourself ‘fit to sit’.
If you decide to withdraw you must notify the GPhC in writing within 5 working days of the
assessment taking place. Your assessment fee will then be transferred to your next sitting,
and you will not need to pay again.
Please send your written request to:
Withdrawals
Customer Services Team
General Pharmaceutical Council
129 Lambeth Road
London
SE1 7BT
Or
Email: [email protected]
You must include your full name, Pre-registration number and contact details.
Withdrawal Deadlines
If you wish to withdraw from an assessment in 2013 your written request must be received
by the below specified deadlines.
Summer Assessment - Friday 28 June 2013
Deadline for withdrawals:
Friday 05 July 2013
Autumn Assessment – Friday 27 September 2013
Deadline for withdrawals:
Friday 04 October 2013
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Illness during the assessment and nullification requests
If you become ill during the assessment to such an extent that you are unable to continue
the paper, you must draw this to the attention of an invigilator.
If you have to leave during the assessment due to illness and you wish to submit a
nullification request, this must be done in writing to the Board of Assessors within five
working days of the assessment date. You will be required to provide appropriate
corroborating evidence to support your request.
When making a nullification request, please ensure you have read the Registration
Assessment Regulations carefully as more detail is provided there.
All requests must be made in writing and sent to the GPhC Registration Assessment
Customer Services Team. We advise you to send your request by a traceable delivery
method.
Requests sent by email will not be accepted, as original documentation must be provided.
Your nullification request must consist of:
Cover letter
A statement that you are requesting your attempt by nullified
a detailed account of your case
Corroborating evidence
Chief invigilator report form which corroborates your case
In relation to illness – your case must include a report by an appropriate
medical practitioner
Your letter and enclosures will be anonymised and presented to the Board of Assessors for
consideration when results are awarded.
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The Board of Assessors and your request
The GPhC’s Board of Assessors are responsible for quality assuring the registration
assessment. Their duties include consideration of an individual candidate’s circumstances in
relation to nullification requests, and awarding the assessment results.
It is at the discretion of the Board of Assessors whether your request for a nullification is
granted. You are not automatically guaranteed to be granted a nullification when
submitting a request.
When considering your case for a nullification, the Board of Assessors do not consider your
marks. This means that the Board of Assessors have no knowledge of your assessment
result when considering the factors of your case.
If your request for a nullification is granted, you will not be informed of your assessment
result, as your attempt will be nullified, in other words voided.
It is important to remember that the Assessors’ overriding duty of care is to the public
rather than to assessment candidates. This means that - in line with the GPhC’s obligations decisions taken by the Assessors, when considering individual requests for “nullification” will
be in the best interests of the public as potential patients, rather than in favour of
candidates as potential pharmacists.
Applying for future sittings
When entering the assessment again you will be required to follow normal entry
procedures. You are required to pay a new entry fee for any future entries to the
assessment.
If you have any questions regarding the information in the document, please call the GPhC
Customer Contact Centre on 0203 365 3400 and one of our advisors will be happy to help
you.
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