The RSGB has released exam stats for 2025. Here is a summary for those interested in looking at recent trends in UK amateur radio exams:
Exam Passes:
- Foundation exam passes in 2025: 1772 (1898 in 2024)
- Intermediate exam passes in 2025: 363 (401 in 2024)
- Full exam passes in 2025: 211 (191 in 2024)
- Direct-to-Full exam passes in 2025: 32 (18 in 2024)
Pass Rates
- Foundation exam pass rate in 2025: 89.1% (87.6% in 2024)
- Intermediate exam pass rate in 2025: 90.3% (87.4% in 2024)
- Full exam pass rate in 2025: 76.7% (63.5% in 2024)
- Direct-to-Full pass rate in 2025: 82.1% (85.7% in 2024)
Remote and Club exams
Of the 2707 exams taken in 2025, just 157 were taken with in-person invigilation at a local club. A major drop compared to 348 in 2024
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.
Progression from Foundation to Intermediate appears to have hit an all-time low. Where once aroujnd 50% of Foundation licence holders progressed to Intermediate, this year’s report shows the progression to be 19.1%
Summary
In 2025, the RSGB amateur radio examination statistics showed a slight decrease in overall candidate volume following a high-activity peak in 2024, yet displayed a significant improvement in success rates, particularly at the Full license level.
A total of 2,705 candidates sat for exams in 2025, representing a roughly 10% decrease from the 3,005 candidates recorded in 2024. This decline was anticipated, as the 2024 figures were likely bolstered by a “spike” of candidates rushing to pass under the old syllabus before the implementation of Syllabus v1.6b in late 2024.
Despite the lower volume, the number of successful candidates remained high at 2,378, resulting in an overall average pass rate of 87.9%, up from 85.1% in 2024.
- Foundation: Remained the most popular entry point with 1,989 candidates. The pass rate improved slightly to 89.1% (1,772 passes) from 87.6% in 2024
- Intermediate: Saw 402 candidates with a pass rate of 90.3% (363 passes), an increase from the 87.4% recorded the previous year
Full: This level saw the most dramatic improvement. While candidate numbers dipped from 301 to 275, the pass rate surged to 76.7% (211 passes), compared to just 63.5% in 2024 - Direct to Full (D2F): Interest in this “niche” route nearly doubled, with 39 candidates in 2025 compared to 21 in 2024. However, the pass rate fell to 82.1% from the high of 85.7% seen in 2024.
The lowest-level progression rate ever is a cause for concern, with 19.1% moving from Foundation to Intermediate. This may be down to: lack of incentive given Ofcom’s improved offering at Foundation, lack of Intermediate training, or syllabus complexity.
The shift toward digital testing reached a final milestone as routine paper-based exams were discontinued in December 2024, consequently, remote invigilation dominated 2025, accounting for 94.2% (2,548 candidates) of all exams. In-person “classroom” exams at clubs continued their sharp decline, falling from 348 in 2024 to just 157 in 2025.
Disclaimer
Data released from RSGB is minimal (sourced from the April 2026 Radcom), and this is just our interpretation of what little has been published
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