Part 3: introduction
The 1993 examination has proved to be the most successful in terms of the overall passrate (45.1 % ) since 1981. The number of candidates was 942, a decrease of 123 compared to last year and, the first time in 4 years, fewer than 1000 sat the examination. The number of UK candidates was 574 (a decrease of 100 compared to 1992), of whom 269 passed, giving a pass-rate of 46.9 %, an increase of 3.4 %. The most encouraging statistic this year was the 12.8 % increase in the overseas pass-rate. The
number of overseas candidates was 373, of whom 157 passed, producing a pass-rate of 42.1 %. Furthermore, 121 candidates passed the examination out of a total of 271 at the Hong Kong centre, a pass-rate of 44.6 %. The increase in this figure may be due in part to a liaison between the North Thames Branch and the Hong Kong Representatives with respect to an examination preparation course held earlier in the year.