PEBC® Qualifying Exam Guide (2026): Format, Timeline, Fees and How to Pass

Every pharmacist candidate seeking PEBC certification writes both parts of the Qualifying Exam. What comes before it depends on where you trained.

• Graduates of accredited Canadian pharmacy programs complete PEBC's ID and education verification, then write Part I and Part II.
• International pharmacy graduates (IPGs) complete PEBC Document Evaluation first. The Evaluating Exam was discontinued after October 2026, so from January 2027 IPGs with a valid Document Evaluation apply directly to Part I and must pass it before Part II.
• Graduates of ACPE-accredited US Doctor of Pharmacy programs complete a separate US Document Evaluation; PEBC says the 2027 change does not affect them.
• Some IPGs qualify for PEBC's streamlined pathway, which already entered candidates directly at Part I. Check PEBC's site to see whether your program qualifies.

PEBC certifies; it does not license. Provincial and territorial regulators issue licences, and PEBC certification is one of their requirements. The order below reflects the IPG route as of October 2026; Canadian graduates skip Document Evaluation.

1. Document Evaluation (IPGs). Submit your education and identity documents through the PEBC Portal. PEBC's FAQ says evaluation can take up to 8 weeks after everything is complete. On the new pathway, an approved evaluation is valid for 5 years and stops expiring once you pass Part I.
2. Qualifying Exam Part I (MCQ). A single-day, computer-based exam at a Prometric test centre, or by remote proctoring for candidates who cannot meet test-centre requirements.
3. Qualifying Exam Part II (OSCE). An in-person performance exam. IPGs on the new pathway apply only after passing Part I. Both parts must be passed within three years of each other, or the earlier part must be retaken.
4. PEBC certification. Granted once both parts are passed.
5. Provincial or territorial regulator requirements. These commonly include a jurisprudence (law and ethics) exam, structured practical training or an internship, language proficiency for some applicants, and registration steps. They vary by jurisdiction, so check the regulator where you plan to practise using NAPRA's list of pharmacy regulatory authorities.

Part I has 200 multiple-choice questions in one section, delivered over a sitting of about 4 hours 30 minutes. According to PEBC's candidate information, 150 questions are scored and 50 are unscored pretest items mixed in so you cannot tell them apart. Questions are either stand-alone or part of a case, where one patient scenario typically carries 2 to 4 questions. It is closed-book: you get an onscreen calculator and an online formula sheet, and molecular weights are supplied when needed.

Scoring is criterion-referenced. Each question is worth one mark, you are measured against a fixed standard rather than other candidates, and an equating process adjusts the passing score for differences in difficulty between exam forms. You receive pass or fail only, and PEBC says results are posted within six weeks.

Content follows the Pharmacist Qualifying Examination Blueprint (Ver. 03-2026), based on NAPRA's 2024 professional competencies. PEBC notes the percentages are approximate.

Part II is a performance exam held in person at exam centres across Canada on the same day. PEBC describes 11 scored stations, 9 interactive and 2 non-interactive, each with a 7-minute limit. In interactive stations you work with trained simulated participants playing patients, caregivers or other health professionals, while pharmacist assessors rate your communication, outcome and overall performance. Plan for about 6.5 hours on site.

Communication and Collaboration carries about 28% of Part II, compared with 4% of Part I, so OSCE preparation needs spoken practice with feedback, not just reading.

These figures were checked on PEBC's dates and fees page in October 2026. Fees are in Canadian dollars and are listed by PEBC as 2027 fees. PEBC changes fees and dates, so always confirm on PEBC's dates and fees page before you budget or apply.

This plan assumes about 15 to 20 hours of study a week. If you have less time, stretch each phase rather than skipping one.

1. Week 1: diagnose. Read the blueprint in full, then write a timed 50-question mixed set. Tag every miss by competency area and topic so your plan targets real gaps, not guesses.
2. Weeks 2 to 3: high-yield Clinical Care, part one. Cardiovascular and endocrine conditions using current Canadian guidelines, including hypertension, diabetes and anticoagulation. Finish each topic with 20 to 30 questions.
3. Weeks 4 to 5: Clinical Care, part two. Infectious disease, respiratory, mental health, pain, and common minor ailments, plus vaccines and pediatric topics such as acute otitis media.
4. Week 6: Distribution. Prescription review, dose and quantity calculations, compounding, verification, look-alike sound-alike errors and inventory. Keep a short daily calculation set from here to exam day.
5. Week 7: checkpoint mock. Write a full 200-question timed mock. Rebuild the remaining plan around your three weakest areas.
6. Week 8: Professionalism and law. Ethics, consent, privacy, documentation, and federal law including drug schedules.
7. Weeks 9 to 10: Knowledge and Expertise plus remaining therapeutics. Evidence appraisal, special populations (pregnancy, renal and hepatic impairment, older adults) and any clinical areas still below target.
8. Week 11: second full mock and targeted review. Review every wrong or guessed answer, write down the rule you missed, and re-test that rule within 48 hours.
9. Week 12: taper. Short mixed sets, your error log and formula practice. No new topics in the last three days; confirm your test-centre booking, ID and arrival time.

• Review beats volume. Spend at least as long reviewing a set as answering it. For each miss, decide whether it was knowledge, reading or reasoning, because each needs a different fix.
• Learn from the wrong options. Ask why each distractor is wrong. PEBC questions often include several plausible choices, and the skill is ranking them.
• Match the real format. Use case-based sets with several questions per scenario, timed at roughly 80 seconds per question, with no notes open.
• Weight practice to the blueprint. About 70% of Part I is Clinical Care and Distribution combined; your question mix should look similar.
• Keep an error log. Record the rule behind every miss in one line and revisit the log weekly. It becomes your final-week revision sheet.
• Check your sources. Use Canadian guidelines, drug names and practice standards. Questions based on other countries' guidelines can teach you the wrong first-line choice.

Every resource below is free and written to the Ver. 03-2026 blueprint, with explanations for every answer option.

• MCQ practice questions: 20 mixed Part I style questions across the competency areas.
• Time management and exam pressure: how to pace 200 questions, what to do if you fall behind, and how to handle nerves on the day.
• Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Anticoagulation
• Vaccines
• Acute otitis media
• Pharmacy law and drug schedules