The RSGB has released exam stats for 2024. Here is a summary for those interested in looking at recent trends in UK amateur radio exams:
Exam Passes:
A good increase in passes in 2024:
- Foundation exam passes in 2024: 1898 (1282 in 2023)
- Intermediate exam passes in 2024: 401 (361 in 2023)
- Full exam passes in 2024: 191 (191 in 2023)
Our thoughts: A solid increase, potentially as a result of Ofcom’s decision to relax the licence conditions and offer higher power levels
Pass Rates
Slight increases at Foundation and Intermediate for 2024, but a drop at Full:
- Foundation exam pass rate in 2024: 87.6% (85.5% in 2023)
- Intermediate exam pass rate in 2024: 87.4% (86.8% in 2023)
- Full exam pass rate in 2024: 63.5% (66.1% in 2023)
Our thoughts: Pass rates for Foundation continue to be consistently higher than pre-Covid, which we attribute to greater opportunities afforded by online training and exams. Intermediate passes continue to be lower than before the 2019 syllabus change (a stated RSGB target was to see the pass rate drop). Full pass rate is at a 5-year low.
Remote and Club exams
It looks like we may potentially be seeing the slow return of clubs restarting their in-person training since Covid. 348 candidates did their exam at a club – this is up from 2023’s 241 candidates. 2,599 candidates opted for a remote exam (88.2% share)
Our thoughts: Great that clubs are restarting in-person training. Remote exams have been a game-changer, and kudos to the RSGB’s Dave Wilson and the volunteer invigilators for making this happen, but there are clearly people out there who want face-to-face training and exams. Hopefully, more clubs will restart training and in-person exams, ending the postcode lottery of local courses and exams.
Progression trend
We don’t have any reliable data on how many individuals have progressed from Foundation to Intermediate and on to Full, and in what timeframe – so we rely on a more crude measurement: comparing Foundation > Intermediate > Full passes.
As an example, in 2024, 1898 passed Foundation, and 401 passed at Intermediate, so 21% of Foundation passed Intermediate. Whilst not an accurate measurement, it’s all RSGB has issued, and it at least provides a trend.
Our thoughts: Using this model, the 5-year average before the major syllabus shakeup was 46% of people progressing to Intermediate. The 5-year average since the RSGB’s decision to make Intermediate harder, shows a drop to 28%. For 2024, the percentage is at its lowest of 21%. Views are mixed on this, as some tutors are concerned about the decline in people willing to move up from Foundation, leading to fewer experienced “Full” amateurs. Others take the view that the hobby can be enjoyed at any level. The drop to the lowest level recorded of 21% can likely be attributed to the increased privileges offered by Ofcom in 2024 at Foundation, therefore reducing the incentive to progress.
Direct to Full
Back in 2017, the RSGB’s Exams Standards Committee started looking into a new type of exam as a way of improving the average decline rate. After years of work, this finally rolled out in 2023. In the first year, just 27 took the exam (with 12 passes). In the second year, just 21 people took the D-2-F exam (albeit improving on 2023’s 44% pass rate).
Our thoughts: Clearly, this new exam, created by RSGB to improve takeup by people with RF and electronics theory, isn’t working. Whether that’s due to price, complexity, a flawed model, poor marketing or just poor market research at conception, we don’t know. As it’s not serving the stated purpose, can this model be made to work, or will be go back to a single syllabus? Time will tell.
Disclaimer
Data released from RSGB is minimal (sourced from the April 2025 Radcom), and this is just our interpretation of what little has been published
Your thoughts?
Got a comment or a thought? Please add below in the comments
Many thanks for this analysis. I would generally concur with your conclusions.
I’m minded to use your AGM link to ask the Board why they have excluded tutors from reporting potential ambiguities/errors in exam questions.
There are a couple of typos you might like to correct;
Pass Rates: Full is down; it’s Intermediate up
Direct to Full: 2017 ESC started looking into ……”finally rolled out in 2013″; presumably should be 2023
one stat I would like is how many of the new foundation license holders are still active 12 months after passing their exam?
as I wonder if more are passing foundation but becoming inactive due to lack of activity on 2m/70cm
certainly near me apart from a few club nets there is very little activity, even on repeaters
the other stat that would be interesting would be how the percentage of new foundation holders still active 12 month after passing is a club member or not? so are you more likely to remain active if a club member?
The direct to full isn’t noticeably cheaper than doing the components, but if you fail you get nothing. Whereas if you do the components as an experienced candidate, you almost certainly will get foundation privileges and most likely intermediate, which means you can at the very least get on with things while you work on a resit for full should something go wrong.