If you need help studying for the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination® (NAPLEX®) exam or just want some more information about what the test is like, you’ve come to the right place.
Click below to take a free NAPLEX practice test!
How to Register
One-Year Schedule for NAPLEX Study
Exam Scores
Retaking the Exam
FAQs
What’s on the NAPLEX?
First, let’s talk about the questions on the exam. There are 225 multiple-choice questions total, but only 200 of the questions will count toward your score. Why is that?
The 25 unscored questions on the NAPLEX exam are called “pretest” questions. These are added to the exam to determine if they’re good enough questions to add to future versions of the test.
The trick is that you won’t have any way of knowing which questions are scored and which ones are pretest. They will appear just like the scored questions throughout the test.
The time limit for the exam is 6 hours, and there are two scheduled 10-minute breaks.
Let’s take a closer look at the different areas of the exam.
1. Obtain, Interpret, or Assess Data, Medical, or Patient Information
18% of the exam
- From instruments, screening tools, diagnostic findings, genomic or genetic information, or the lab
- From patients
- From practitioners
- From medical records
- Signs or symptoms of medical conditions
- Risk factors or maintenance of health and wellness
- Evidence-based literature using various sources
2. Identify Drug Characteristics
14% of the exam
- Pharmacology, mechanism of action, or therapeutic class
- Commercial availability
- Prescription or non-prescription
- Physical descriptions
- Boxed warnings or REMS
- Pregnancy or lactation
3. Develop or Manage Treatment Plans
35% of the exam
- Triage or medical referral
- Therapeutic goals or outcomes and clinical endpoints
- Medication reconciliation
- Drug dosing or dosing adjustments; duration of therapy
- Drug route of administration, dosage forms, or delivery systems
- Drug contraindications, allergies, or precautions
- Adverse drug effects, toxicology, or overdose
- Drug interactions
- Therapeutic monitoring parameters and monitoring techniques
- Drug pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics
- Evidence-based practice
- Non-drug therapy
4. Perform Calculations
14% of the exam
- Patient parameters or laboratory measures
- Quantities of drugs to be dispensed or administered
- Rates of administration
- Dose conversions
- Drug concentrations, ratio strengths, osmolarity, osmolality, or extent of ionization
- Quantities of drugs or ingredients to be compounded
- Nutritional needs and the content of nutrient sources
- Biostatistics, epidemiological, or pharmacoeconomic measures
- Pharmacokinetic parameters
5. Compound, Dispense, or Administer Drugs, or Manage Delivery Systems
23%-26% of the exam
- Physicochemical properties of drug products affecting compatibility, stability, delivery, absorption, etc.
- Techniques, procedures, or equipment for hazardous or non-hazardous products (sterile and non-sterile)
- Equipment or delivery systems
- Instructions or techniques for drug administration
- Packaging, storage, handling, or disposal
6. Develop or Manage Practice or Medication-Use Systems to Ensure Safety and Quality
7% of the exam
- Interdisciplinary practice, collaborative practice, or expanded practice responsibilities
- Continuity of care or transitions of care
- Disease prevention or screening programs; or stewardship
- Vulnerable populations, special populations, or risk prevention programs
- Pharmacy informatics
How to Register
Once you’ve ensured that you meet all of the eligibility requirements mandated by your state’s licensing board, you can register for the exam.
To get started, you’ll need to submit an application on NABP’s website via your NABP e-Profile. The application will ask you for your contact information and any documentation to prove your eligibility (among other things).
When you submit the application, you’ll also need to submit the application fee, which is $100.
Once you’ve been approved, you’ll need to purchase the exam, which costs $620.
One-Year Schedule for NAPLEX Study
Preparing for the NALPEX exam can feel overwhelming—it’s a very important exam!
But with the right plan, it doesn’t have to be.
This free one-year NAPLEX study schedule is designed to help you break down the material into manageable chunks, so you can stay on track without burning out. Follow the plan step by step, and by exam day, you’ll be ready to tackle the NALPEX with confidence.
NAPLEX Measurement Conversions
Converting between units is a large part of a pharmacists job, and you’ll need to be familiar with as many conversions as you can before you take the NAPLEX.
To help you memorize these conversions, check out this free NAPLEX measurement conversions sheet!
NAPLEX Study Guide and Flashcards
Get practice questions, detailed study lessons, and complex subjects broken down into easily understandable concepts.
Exam Scores
The test is scored using a scaled scoring method. Here’s how it works:
You will need a score of 75 to pass the test.
The reason your raw score is converted to a scaled score is because everyone who takes the NAPLEX is given a slightly different set of questions. Since everyone has a different arrangement of questions, and because some questions are harder than others, converting your raw score to a scaled score ensures a more even playing field.
Retaking the Exam
If you didn’t get a passing score on your first try, that’s okay! You can retake the test after a 45-day waiting period.
Keep in mind that you will have to pay the full application fee and $520 retake every time you retake the test, and you can only take the exam five times total.
FAQs
Can you take the NAPLEX in any state?
Yes, you can take the exam in any state.
How long is the NAPLEX?
The time limit for the exam is 6 hours.
How many questions are on the NAPLEX?
The exam contains 225 questions.
How many times can you take the NAPLEX?
You can take the exam up to five times total.
What is the passing score for the NAPLEX?
You won’t be given a numerical score on your score report, but you’ll need to get a final score of at least 75 to pass.
How much does the NAPLEX cost?
The application fee is $100, and the test fee is $620.