GHCA-AS-07
Results and Grading Policy
This is how raw performance in a GHCA assessment becomes a final result — what the pass mark means, what happens at the borderline, and what you can do after a fail.
You are measured against the standard, not against each other
GHCA assessment is criterion-referenced. You pass by meeting the fixed standard published for your qualification, not by outperforming the other candidates sitting with you.
The pass mark for a qualification is set once, through GHCA's standard-setting methodology, and is not adjusted sitting by sitting to hit a target pass rate. A cohort where everyone meets the standard is a cohort where everyone passes.
How each component is marked
Multiple-choice and scenario-selection components are marked automatically against a locked answer key as soon as you submit. No human discretion is applied to an objectively-marked item.
Case analyses and implementation proposals are marked by accredited examiners against a published marking scheme. A representative sample of marked scripts is independently moderated before any result based on them is released.
Borderline results get a second check
A result falling within 2 percentage points of the pass mark is treated as borderline and receives a second, independent check of the marking and the total before it is released.
This is a verification that the recorded mark is accurate — not an adjustment, and not a nudge over the line.
What each result status means
Pass — you met or exceeded the pass mark for the qualification.
Fail — you did not meet the pass mark.
Pending review — your result is withheld while a borderline check, a moderation sample, or an open malpractice investigation is completed.
Void — your result has been annulled following a malpractice or maladministration finding.
When results are released
Your result is released to your portal account once every applicable check above is complete.
A pass triggers issuance of your certificate and your entry on the Global Registry, conditional on your acceptance of the Certification Agreement.
Re-sitting after a fail
You may book your next attempt no sooner than 30 days after a fail. The wait gives you time to prepare and limits repeated exposure to live examination content.
You may attempt a given qualification a maximum of 4 times in any rolling 12-month period. After a third consecutive fail GHCA strongly recommends structured further training with an Authorized Training Provider before a fourth attempt — a recommendation, not a precondition to booking.
If you have not passed within 4 attempts in a rolling 12-month period, you wait a minimum of 6 months before attempting again, and are encouraged to complete additional training in that time.
These are the terms for an ordinary fail. A void result following a confirmed malpractice finding is governed instead by the mandatory waiting period in the Malpractice and Maladministration Policy, which may be longer and is a sanction rather than a standard retake term.
A released result is not informally changed
There are exactly two routes to amend a released result: a successful appeal under the Appeals Policy, or a determination under the Malpractice and Maladministration Policy. Every amendment is logged against the decision that authorized it.
Where a pattern of failures concentrates on a particular question or set of questions, that is reported internally as a possible fault in the assessment itself rather than treated only as a candidate-level outcome.