The Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) was established in 1963 as the national certification board to assess the qualifications of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Canada. The Board is responsible for ensuring that individuals meet the necessary standards for practice in Canada. Thus, PEBC plays a crucial role in maintaining public health and safety by granting only those who have proven they have the knowledge and skill expected from an entry-level pharmacist or technician.
For anyone interested in working in Canada as a licensed pharmacist, the PEBC is a crucial first step in determining if you will be granted a license to practice. The exam evaluates candidates’ foundational knowledge in pharmaceutical sciences, such as pharmacology and medicinal chemistry, and biomedical sciences, like anatomy, physiology, and pathology. Lastly, the behavioural, social, and administrative pharmacy sciences cover ethics, communication, and health systems.
The PEBC exam is divided into two parts. The first is the evaluating exam for internationally educated pharmacists. The evaluating exam serves as a way for candidates trained in countries other than the US or Canada to prove that their education meets Canadian standards. Over the years, the evaluating exam has undergone significant changes to align with Canada’s evolving landscape of pharmacy education and practice. The second part is the Qualifying exam, a two-part exam on two different days. Passing this exam shows you meet the standard required to perform competently at entry-to-practice.
Exam Format and Structure
The exams all have different formats as they serve different purposes. The evaluation exam was changed in October 2024 to a three-hour multiple-choice exam of 150 questions. The questions are divided into two sections of 75 questions each. Approximately 40% of the questions for this exam will focus on pharmaceutical sciences, 30% on biomedical sciences, and the remaining 30% on behavioural, social, and administrative pharmacy sciences; passing this exam will qualify you to write the qualifying exam. Another change was increasing the exam frequency to four times a year to increase accessibility for all candidates. To reflect Canada’s move from a Bachelor of Pharmacy to an entry-to-practice Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program, the exam will undergo an update in June 2025. This way, the exam will stay relevant to modern standards.
The qualifying exam is a two-day exam and is divided into two parts. The first is a single-day, computer-based, multiple-choice question exam that assesses your understanding and application of knowledge to problems. Part II is an in-person objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) where candidates move around a series of stations set up to stimulate a scenario common to pharmacists working in Canada. A trained examiner will observe, record, and assess you perform the tasks asked of you. The tasks of each station can range from gathering and interpreting information needed to identify and solve a patient’s drug therapy problem to collaborating with other health professionals to solve the problem.
According to the examination blueprint, which guides how the PEBC designs its exam, the qualifying exam assesses your knowledge based on nine competencies. They are:
- Ethical, legal, and professional responsibilities
- Patient care
- Product Distribution
- Practice setting
- Health promotion
- Knowledge and research application
- Communication and Education
- Intra and inter-professional collaboration
- Quality and safety
Important date for 2025
According to the PEBC website, two evaluating exams will be held in the first half of the year. The first will be on the 7th of January 2025, and the application for the exam started on August 2nd and ended on September 19, 2024; the result for the exam will be released on the 5th of February. The second exam date is on the 25th of March 2025; application began on the 11th of October and closed on November 21, 2024. The PEBC also announced that starting in June 2025, they will implement a revised exam blueprint to align with the updated pharmacy curriculum; additionally, the exam will be offered four times per year. These changes may be why information on the later exams is scarce.
The Qualifying exam will be held in May 2025, and applications will begin on the 10th of January and close on the 20th of February 2025. The MCQ exam will run for seven days from the 20th to the 27th, excluding the 25th, which was set aside for the OSCE.
How to Register
Before applying for the PEBC Evaluating Examination (EE) or the Qualifying Examination (QE), you must first confirm your eligibility. For international pharmacy graduates, this involves completing the Document Evaluation process on the official PEBC website. During this step, you enroll in the NAPRA Pharmacists Gateway Canada to obtain a national ID number before you submit your academic credentials, transcripts, and other required documents for verification. PEBC reviews your qualifications to ensure they meet Canadian standards and notifies you of your eligibility to proceed with the next steps. There is a fee for the document evaluation; US applicants will pay CAD 250, while people from other countries will pay CAD 715.
Once your eligibility is confirmed, decide on the exam period you wish to write and regularly monitor the PEBC website for application period openings. The registration process operates on a first-come, first-served basis, so early application is crucial to secure your preferred exam date.
You apply for the EE or QE through your PEBC online account; ensure your application includes necessary details such as the National Identifier Number received from NAPRA, preferred language of examination, and any requests for special accommodations.
Your application will be reviewed, and if approved, you’ll receive a confirmation email. At this point, you must pay the exam fee. For 2025, the cost of the EE is CAD 910, while the QE fees vary depending on the component: Part I (MCQ) is CAD 855, and Part II (OSCE) is CAD 1915. Your registration is not complete until payment is made.
Tips for Preparation
Practice exams are essential for success when preparing for the PEBC exams. They familiarize you with the format, improve your efficiency under timed conditions, and pinpoint areas needing more attention. CanadaQBank offers an unparalleled platform to achieve all this and more, providing targeted tools tailored to the needs of PEBC candidates.
CanadaQBank allows you to simulate real exam conditions, helping you develop the confidence and time management skills required on test day. With customizable settings, you can take tests in timed or untimed modes, ensuring a realistic practice environment. This feature empowers you to replicate the pressures of the actual exam while building your stamina and speed.
After completing each test, you can review detailed explanations for every question. This clarifies the correct answers and provides insights into why other options are incorrect. Such in-depth analysis is invaluable for refining your understanding and tailoring your study strategy to strengthen weak areas.
CanadaQBank’s question bank is meticulously aligned with PEBC standards, offering a variety of question types and scenarios reflective of the real exam. The platform regularly updates its content to match the real-world changes. Its tracking tools let you monitor your performance over time, providing cumulative reports that help identify areas for improvement. With features like marking cases and writing personalized notes, you can create a highly personalized study plan to maximize your efficiency.
By choosing CanadaQBank, you can access a comprehensive and continually updated resource beyond standard preparation methods. With proven success rates and thousands of satisfied users, it’s the ultimate tool to ensure you’re ready for the PEBC exams. Visit CanadaQBank today to explore how its innovative approach can help you achieve your goals.