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PEBC Evaluating Exam Dates 2025

PEBC Evaluating Exam Dates 2025

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.

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Who can apply for the PEBC exam in Canada?

Who can apply for the PEBC exam in Canada?

The Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) is the national certification body responsible for assessing and certifying the qualifications of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Canada. The Board was created in 1963 and has since been in charge of ensuring that pharmacists who seek to work for and serve Canadians are well-trained and knowledgeable of the customs, regulations, ethics, and standards required to practice safely and effectively in Canada.

The PEBC exam is the gateway for Canadian and internationally trained pharmacists to become licensed and practice in Canada. The exam has two primary components for pharmacists: the Evaluating and Qualifying examinations. Candidates trained in Canada will only have to write the qualifying exam. In contrast, internationally trained pharmacists must write the evaluating exam before they can write the qualifying exam.

The PEBC evaluating exam is a 4.25-hour computer-based exam that assesses general pharmaceutical, biomedical, and behavioral knowledge to ensure that candidates are on par with Canadian educational standards. The qualifying exam has two parts: first is the single day, computer-based MCQ, and Part 2 is an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) that simulates common and emergency practical situations with a series of interactive and non-interactive stations. Part 2 exam must be conducted in person as examiners seek to find out how well you can gather, process, and understand information about your patient and how you can solve their problem. Your ability to communicate effectively with your patient, caregiver, or other healthcare professionals will also be watched and scored.

Eligibility criteria

Before you can apply for the PEBC exam, there are a few pre-requistes you have to complete. The first and perhaps most obvious is that you have to be a graduate of a pharmacy program from an institution recognized by the board. Next, you must show you have a solid grasp of either English or French, depending on what province you are applying to and the language of the exam.

Most places require that you have completed a minimum amount of internship or practical training to ensure you are sound in more than just theory. Finally, you must be in the good books of the regulatory bodies, meaning you must have no outstanding case with them and have committed no crime. Fulfilling these prerequisites will allow you to begin the application process.

How to apply

The first step to becoming licensed in Canada (except in Quebec) is registering with the Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada for a fee of $380 to create a profile and obtain a NAPRA ID number. The ID number is necessary because it allows you to apply for document evaluation with the PEBC. The created profile will serve as a document repository and a way to track your application progress.

Next, you have to register with the PEBC to begin the Document evaluation, which checks if your qualifications are legitimate. You must complete your profile and then pay the application fee of $705 or $250 for US graduates before you mail or courier a printed and filled application form, documents to prove your identity and support that you graduated from an acceptable program, and proof of licensure.

Graduates from U.S institutions need only submit their documents for evaluation, while candidates from other international schools will have to write and pass the PEBC Evaluating exam before they can apply for the Qualifying exam. The Qualifying exam is the final step to acquiring the PEBC Certificate of Qualification, and it tests how competent you are in safely and efficiently working in an ‘entry-level’ position.

The exam results will be posted on your profile with either pass or fail. Those who do not pass are allowed up to four retrials, but the candidates must petition the PEBC to be allowed a fourth attempt after undergoing remediation.

Who can apply

The PEBC is open to everyone who meets the abovementioned requirements and can pay the various fees. Canadian citizens and permanent residents who meet the educational and language proficiency requirements can apply for the exam. International graduates who completed a pharmacy program recognized by the PEBC, pass the language requirements, and have submitted validated credentials are also eligible to apply. Finally, pharmacists already working in other countries may be allowed to apply for the exam. Still, they will be required to submit the necessary documents that prove their education, experience, and license are up to Canadian standards.

Exam Difficulty

The PEBC qualifying exam is known for being difficult, especially for internationally trained pharmacists. The exam not only tests theoretical knowledge but also practical and clinical decision-making skills in real-world pharmacy scenarios. The OSCE portion, in particular, can be difficult as it simulates clinical tasks that require quick and accurate judgment, communication, and problem-solving. Previous results have shown that candidates trained in Canadian schools have an 86.5% pass rate for Part 1 and a pass rate of 93.7% for the OSCE. However, international first-time test takers had a pass rate of 43.3% for Part 1 and 59.8% for Part 2. The lower pass rate for international applicants has mainly been attributed to a lack of familiarity with Canadian practice standards and ethics.

To help combat that, there are bridging programs offered by recognized Canadian institutions developed for international pharmacy graduates to help fill in the gaps in their knowledge. These programs typically focus on Canadian pharmacy practice, legal and ethical aspects, clinical skills, and Canadian culture and communications. Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec have made it mandatory that internationally trained applicants enroll in a bridging program before gaining licensure.

However, even without the bridging programs, candidates can still perform excellently in the exams if they prepare with the right resources. CanadaQBank is one such resource that can make studying for the exam easier, especially for IPGs who may be unaware of Canadian standards. CanadaQBank is a highly regarded question bank with over 1,000 challenging MCQs, detailed explanations, and similarities to the actual exam format. It allows you to practice for the exam in a timed or untimed mode, generates customized tests from single or multiple subjects, and has an upgraded MCQ interface with normal lab values that accurately simulate the exam.

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What is the PEBC Exam?

PEBC EXAM

Before we get into the details of what the PEBC exam entails, we have to give a little history of PEBC itself. PEBC stands for Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada and was created in 1963 to license all pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Canada. The PEBC also ensures that entry-level pharmacy professionals have the proper professional ability to practice safely within their scope. The board acts on behalf of all the provinces in Canada except Quebec. Quebec conducts its assessment and licensing process differently.

The PEBC exam assesses the competence, knowledge, and skills of persons who want to be licensed as a pharmacist or pharmacist technician in Canada (except Quebec). The people who will write this exam are generally classified into three groups. These groups are Canadian Graduates, American Graduates, and Overseas Graduates. Each group has its specific requirements and will be discussed individually.

Furthermore, the PEBC exam is divided into two parts –

  • Part I (MCQ section)
  • Part II (OSCE section)

Requirements

Overseas Graduates/International Students

For international students, there are specific steps you need to complete

  • Document Evaluation – You will have to submit your foreign pharmacy education credentials to be able to take the Pharmacy Evaluation Examination. PEBC will determine if your credentials are equivalent to the Canadian ones. Only after this is done will you be able to take the Pharmacy Evaluating Examination. If it is not comparable, you will have to enroll in a pharmacy school in Canada for four years.
  • Pharmacy Evaluating Examination – This exam tests your knowledge of pharmacy as relevant to the Canadian pharmacy curriculum. To pass the exam, you will have to get 60. You have four attempts only to pass this exam.

After this examination has been completed, you will be able to go on with the PEBC certification. Note that you may not need to do a language proficiency test as an international student before you write the PEBC exam. However, certain provinces in Canada do require it.

United States of America Graduates

If you are a recognized and licensed pharmacist in the US and graduated from a program approved by the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP) or the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), you are eligible to take the Pharmacy Evaluation Examination.

Canada Graduates

  • You must have completed a four-year undergraduate pharmacy degree in Canada and possess a certificate as evidence of graduation.
  • Successful completion of pharmacy evaluation examination to test your entry-level proficiency

One should note that even after all these requirements are met, the PEBC exam and certification do not automatically make one a legal pharmacist in Canada. The specific provinces also have their requirements for this.

 

Where Can the PEBC exam be taken?

The PEBC exam can be taken in several locations in Canada. Places such as Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Regna, Winnipeg, London, Hamilton, Toronto (North York and Downtown), Mississauga, Ottawa, Halifax, Whitby, Montreal, Vancouver, Saskatoon, and St. Johns.

International Locations the exam can be taken include Egypt (Alexandria, Cairo), India (Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai), Palestine (Ramallah), Jordan (Amman), Kenya (Nairobi), Kuwait (Kuwait), Lebanon (Beirut), Nigeria (Lagos), Oman (Muscat), Pakistan (Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore), Philippines (Cebu City), Qatar (Doha), Saudi Arabia (Jeddah, Riyadh), South Africa (Durban, Johannesburg), South Korea (Seoul), Turkey (Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir), Uganda (Kampala), United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai), United Kingdom (London), and the various Unites States cities.

You can also do Remote Proctoring. This means that you will be able to take the test remotely without going to test centers. This is an effect of the global pandemic and the fact that there are limited centers for this exam.

What Does the PEBC Exam Entail

The PEBC exam is split into two parts.

Part I

This part is an MCQ examination written in one day. It is meant to check your understanding, application of knowledge, and ability to combine these two to solve problems and make judgments in pharmacy practice. The exam is divided into two half-day sections. Each section has 150 questions to be answered in 225 minutes. Therefore, you will have just 90 seconds to answer each question. Thus, you will have to be very fast and accurate to pass this section. CanadaQBank helps prepare you for these exam conditions.

Part II

Part II is done on a different day. It is an OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) with various stations that simulate real-life practical scenarios. These stations will represent a part of the pharmacy you are meant to be conversant with. In each station, you will interact with a “Simulated Patient,” “Simulated Client,” or “Simulated Health Practitioner.”

 

In this exam, there are certain things that you may have to do, such as identifying a patient’s drug therapy issue, gathering and interpreting the clinical history, working without health practitioners, and effectively communicating with the patient, caregiver, and other health workers.

 How to Schedule Your Exam

If it is your first time applying for the exam, create an account on the PEBC portal. After making the account, you must do an ID and education verification.  You will then have to submit all the necessary documents online and wait for the approval. Approvals could take up to 6 weeks.  Once you have been verified and approved, the Part I and Part II applications will appear on your portal. You will then choose what part of the exam you want to write.

Two weeks to your Part I exam, you will receive an email to schedule your exam with Prometric. For Part II, this usually is three weeks before the exam.

Payment

International students will pay CAD 665 for documents evaluation and CAD 850 to take the evaluation exam in Canada.

After this is done, they will have to pay CAD 795 and CAD 1795 for PEBC Part I and Part II, respectively. This amount is the same for everyone who writes the PEBC in Canada.

Preparing for your exam

For an exam like the PEBC exam, it is best to prepare at least six months beforehand. There are a wealth of resources at your disposal that you can use. CanadaQBank helps streamline all these with questions bank. We have over 1500 multiple questions with explanations to use anytime you want.

You could also take timed tests that simulate exam conditions for you. These services are accessible from anywhere globally and not just in Canada.

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