TopQbank Blog
Real, sourced pass-rate data and study guidance for MCCQE, PLAB, CCFP SAMP, AMC CAT MCQ, SMLE, MRCGP AKT, USMLE Step 2 CK, and TDM.
MCCQE Pass Rate: What the Real Numbers Show (2026)
The Medical Council of Canada set a new MCCQE Part I passing score of 439 (on a 300–600 scale, mean 450, SD 30) starting with the April 2025 sitting.
PLAB 1 Pass Rate: The Real Range, Not Just One Number
GMC data puts PLAB 1's overall pass rate around 65%, though individual sittings have historically ranged from 55% to 75% — it varies more by sitting than many candidates expect.
CCFP SAMP: Why There's No Official Pass Rate (and What That Means for You)
Unlike some of the other exams on this list, the CFPC doesn't publish a specific pass rate for the SAMP component — the College only reports whether an individual candidate passed both the written (SAMP) and oral (SOO) components, not a public statistic for the cohort.
AMC CAT MCQ Pass Rate: Why Roughly Half of Candidates Don't Pass
This is one of the more sobering pass rates on this list.
SMLE: Passing Score, Format, and Why Pass Rate Data Is Hard to Find
The SCFHS doesn't appear to publish an official overall pass rate for the SMLE — unlike PLAB, MRCGP AKT, or MCCQE, this figure just isn't public.
MRCGP AKT Pass Rates by Sitting: A Clearer Trend Than Most
Unlike SMLE, TDM, and CCFP SAMP, the RCGP publishes detailed sitting-by-sitting AKT feedback reports, which makes this one of the better-documented pass rates on this list:
USMLE Step 2 CK: The 2025 Passing Score Increase, Explained
In June 2025, the USMLE Management Committee raised the Step 2 CK passing score from 214 to 218, effective for exams taken on or after July 1, 2025 — a real, recent change worth flagging for anyone prepping from older guides.
TDM Exam: Format, Scoring, and Why There's No Published Pass Rate
The MCC doesn't publish a pass rate for the TDM exam at all — it's scored strictly pass/fail against a pre-set performance standard determined by physician assessors, not a curve or a ranking against other candidates, and no numeric score is reported back even to candidates who pass.