Pass or failure? (5)
I believe the answer is:
lapse
I believe this clue is a double definition.
'pass' is the first definition.
(synonyms)
'failure?' is the second definition.
(lapse is a kind of failure)
'or' is the link.
(Other definitions for lapse that I've seen before include "Temporary failure of judgment or concentration" , "Careless mistake" , "Decline into an inferior state" , "Inadvertent error" , "Brief (memory) failure" .)