Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Research and Development in Medical Education 2322-2719 14 1 2025 01 01 Passing mark in medical colleges: Practical insights from resource-limited nations 33384 33384 10.34172/rdme.025.33384 EN Nawfal R. Hussein https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7813-9198 Ahmed A. Mosa https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1985-6995 Journal Article 10.34172/rdme.025.33384 2025 08 31 2025 10 23 Medical colleges must establish feasible, consistent, and justifiable passing requirements to ensure the competency and safe practice of medical graduates. However, the passing mark in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains a subject of debate. The traditional 50% fixed passing mark no longer aligns with the requirements of modern medical education, and the application of the recommended standard-setting methods, which are equitable, defensible, and credible, is not feasible in countries with limited resources. Therefore, this paper analyses the shortcomings of a fixed 50% passing mark and the challenges associated with implementing standard setting in resource-constrained countries, and we argue that adopting a 60% threshold results in more competent medical graduates and proves to be more practical than standard setting in such contexts.