NAPLEX® (NORTH AMERICAN PHARMACIST LICENSURE EXAMINATIONT): NAPLEX is developed by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) and is utilized by the boards of pharmacy as part of their assessment of competence to practice pharmacy. The NAPLEX is a computer-adaptive examination that consists of 185 multiple-choice test questions. Of these, 150 questions will be used to calculate your test score. The remaining 35 items will serve as pretest questions, which will not affect your NAPLEX score.
Pretest questions are administered to evaluate the item’s difficulty level for possible inclusion as a scored question in future exams. These pretest questions are dispersed throughout the exam and cannot be identified by the candidate. A majority of the questions on the NAPLEX are asked in a scenario-based format (ie, patient profiles with accompanying test questions).
To properly analyze and answer the questions presented, you must refer to the information provided in the patient profile. Other questions are answered solely from the information provided in the question.
In cooperation with participating state boards of pharmacy, the NAPLEX is uniformly developed, administered, and scored under policies and procedures developed by NABP’s Advisory Committee on Examinations and approved by NABP’s Executive Committee. The content of the NAPLEX is approved by boards of pharmacy, practitioners, and educators from around the country through their service as NAPLEX Review Committee members, item writers, and board of pharmacy representatives.
NAPLEX Competency Statements:
NABP has developed the NAPLEX Competency Statements. The Competency Statements summarize and outline the knowledge and skills that you are expected to have acquired before you take the NAPLEX, and that you are expected to be able to demonstrate in answering the examination questions. All NAPLEX questions are based on these Competency Statements, which are reviewed and revised as necessary. A strong understanding of the Competency Statements will aid in your preparation to take the NAPLEX.
