FCPS Part 1 cut-off score: 2025 vs 2026 (and why it doesn't matter)
What candidates actually scored to pass — sitting by sitting — and why aiming for 75% in mocks beats chasing the rumour-of-the-week pass mark.
The CPSP doesn't publish a fixed pass mark for FCPS Part 1, and that's the source of every WhatsApp-group rumour you've heard. Cut-offs vary by paper sitting, and what passed in 2025 may not pass in 2026. Here's what we actually know, what's speculation, and how to study so cut-off changes don't matter.
The official position
CPSP uses a variable cut-off based on each paper's standard difficulty. The Angoff method — or a variant of it — is the standard tool: a panel of examiners estimates what a "minimally competent" candidate should score on each question, and those estimates roll up to a paper-specific pass mark. Bottom line: there is no fixed percentage you can aim for.
What candidates have reported (anecdotal)
| Sitting | Reported pass mark range | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2025 | ~58–62% | ~32% |
| Aug 2025 | ~55–60% | ~28% |
| Dec 2025 | ~60–65% | ~36% |
| Apr 2026 | ~62–66% | ~30% (estimated) |
These numbers are candidate-reported, not CPSP-published. Treat them as ballpark, not gospel. The key signal is the trend, not the precise number.
What the trend tells us
Three patterns we see consistently:
- Cut-off creeps up over time. As Qbanks and recall culture have matured, candidates do better. CPSP responds by raising the bar.
- April papers are tougher than August. More candidates retake in April, and the panel knows it.
- Pakistani-context questions hit harder year-over-year. Tropical medicine, local epidemiology, drug availability in Pakistan — these have all gained weight.
2025 vs 2026 — what's actually different
- Negative marking remains 0 for incorrect answers (no penalty for guessing — see our 8-week plan for why this matters).
- Question count stayed at 200 MCQs.
- Time is still 3 hours — 54 seconds per question.
- What's shifted: more clinical-vignette-style stems, fewer single-fact recall questions. The exam is closer to USMLE Step 1 in style than it used to be.
How to bulletproof yourself against cut-off changes
Stop hunting for "the magic number". Here's the math that actually works:
- Aim for 75% in your final mocks. If you're consistently scoring 75% on full 200-MCQ timed mocks (under exam conditions, no breaks), you'll pass any plausible cut-off.
- If your mocks are 65–70%, you're at the borderline. Push another 2 weeks of focused weak-area practice.
- If you're below 60% in week 6 of an 8-week plan, postpone the exam. Failing first attempt costs more time and money than postponing 2 months.
The candidates who ask "what's the pass mark?" usually fail. The candidates who ask "is my mock score climbing?" usually pass.
What to do this week
- Stop reading rumours about cut-offs. They change every cycle and don't help you.
- Take a full timed mock — 200 MCQs, 3 hours, no phone. Score yourself honestly.
- If you're below 70%, identify your bottom 3 subjects and put 80% of next week's hours into them.
- Use ReviseFCPS1's weak-area analysis to target the right topics — free for 7 days.
Bottom line
The 2026 cut-off will be somewhere in the 60–66% band based on recent trend. Score 75% in your mocks and you don't need to know the exact number. Anything else is a waste of your study time.
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