Results and feedback

Examination results will be sent in a PDF attachment to the email address given on the application form during the week after the Results meeting, usually around seven weeks after the examination.

The date of the Results meeting for the exam will be given in the Candidate Pack that is sent once the application period has closed.

A pass list and results summary will also be published on the FPH website in the week following results being sent to candidates. Examination results will not be given over the telephone or in person.

Yes, it is possible to 'bank' papers for the Diplomate examination (DFPH). This means that if the candidate does not pass the examination but has passed an individual paper, this result can be banked so that the candidate need not sit this paper again.

This is feasible due to the explicit separation of knowledge and skills between Papers I and II.

As of January 2017, we no longer stipulate that candidates who bank a paper at a sitting must then sit the remaining paper at each subsequent examination. A candidate may miss a sitting and sit the exam at the following sitting. For example, if a candidate banked a paper in January 2020, they could miss the June 2020 sitting but would need to sit the exam in January 2021 to retain their banked paper. If the candidate did not pass their banked paper in January 2021, they could miss a sitting again and sit their remaining paper at the following sitting. This is possible up to a maximum of six attempts.

If the candidate requires longer they should submit a statement from their educational supervisor or training programme director which will be considered by the Chair of Diplomate Examiners. This is because any longer than a year is likely to impact on training progress.

Please note the following:

• An individual paper (I or II) may be banked only when it has been passed.
• There will be no change in the examination fees for sittings of individual papers.
• Candidates must continue to take both parts (papers) of the examination at the same sitting, unless a paper has been banked previously.

The pass rate for the Diplomate examination (DFPH) can vary quite a lot across the sittings. This can be due to a combination of factors including the number and compilation of candidates that make up each sitting. 

The number of candidates who sit the exam can vary from between 70 to 120 candidates. These fluctuations in candidate numbers can have a significant effect on the pass rate. For example, candidates on the public health specialty training programme tend to do better on average than candidates not on the training programme. Therefore changes in the balance of registrars and non-registrars can have a significant impact on the pass rate.

Candidates do not receive further detailed individual feedback.

No.
All candidates will only receive feedback on their examination performance in the form of the marks they received for each of the questions (receiving a marks breakdown for each full question is the standard format for results). There is no individual feedback for successful or unsuccessful candidates. Candidates who wish to appeal against their examination results must consult the appeal procedures.

No.

FPH takes the examination marking process extremely seriously. Each section of the papers is marked by two separate examiners who come to an agreed mark for each candidate for the questions within their sections. The marks are then reviewed and ratified at a meeting of the Diplomate examiners where all the results are agreed. Further details about the marking process are available here.

Candidates concerned about the validity of their result have two actions available to them. They can request an office review or appeal their result. However, neither of these procedures involves a re-mark of the original script. 

Candidates may request an office review if they have reason to believe that there may have been an administrative error in their result for an examination. An office review will only involve a clerical check for errors in the examination process, particularly in the calculation or collation of marks or grades. There is a fee for an office review, which will be refunded if the candidate’s result is changed. 

With regard to an appeal, the FPH appeals policy does not permit appeals on the grounds that a candidate believes that their script has been under-marked. Candidates who wish to make a formal appeal against their examination result must write to the Chief Executive of FPH within one calendar month of the date of dispatch of the result, as indicated in the procedures. Candidates should ensure they read the appeals procedure, located within the MFPH Regulations, carefully to ensure that their grounds for appeal are legitimate before writing. For a full description of the appeals policy please consult the FPH Examination Regulations.

Yes - but only under certain circumstances.
Candidates who wish to appeal against their examination results should consult the appeal procedures and guidance document here.

Please note that marks/results will not be altered to reflect individual circumstances.

No.
The Freedom of Information Act covers public authorities and as such does not apply to FPH which is not a public authority. Upon the conclusion of the marking period for each sitting of the examination, the original scripts are stored securely until the conclusion of the appeals period. 

After successful completion of the Diplomate examination (DFPH), candidates are eligible to become Diplomate members (DFPH) of FPH.

FPH will contact the successful candidate to offer this.

Candidates are able to take the Final Membership Examination (MFPH) after successful completion of the Diplomate examination (DFPH).

Once the Diplomate examination (DFPH) has been passed, no candidate will be permitted more than seven years to pass the Final Membership examination (MFPH). The seven-year validity period will be calculated from the date that a candidate passes the DFPH examination. Should a candidate fail to achieve a Final Membership examination (MFPH) pass within the seven-year limit, they will be required to take the Diplomate examination (DFPH) again.