North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination
NAPLEX Exam Practice 2023
The NAPLEX, or North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination, is a computer-based examination designed to determine whether applicants have the experience, judgment, and ability required to practice pharmacy at the entry-level of competence. It is established by the National Association of Pharmacy Boards (NABP) to aid individual state pharmaceutical boards to determine the competence and expertise of the individual in order to obtain a license.
The test examines three key areas of competence: administration of drug therapy; effective and correct NAPLEX preparation and distribution of medications; and provision of information on drugs and public health promotion.
There are different types of questions, including multiple choices, fill in the blank, multiple response, ordered response, constructed response, and hot spots.
You’re going to have 6 hours to finish the test, so it’s important to track how much time you’ve left while you’re testing. If you do not finish the test, any questions unanswered will be scored incorrectly. So, if you are stumped, try not to waste so much time on a single question and make sure you provide an answer to all questions. However, don’t rush as you won’t be able to go back once you submit your answer.
Take the NAPLEX Practice Questions Online!
Getting Started with the Naplex Exam
NAPLEX tests the applicant’s knowledge of the pharmaceutical practice. It is only one aspect of the licensing process that is used by the pharmaceutical boards as part of their evaluation of the applicant’s ability to practice as a pharmacist.
What is Pre-NAPLEX?
Pre-NAPLEX is the only NAPLEX practice exam designed and produced by NABP. Aspirants who take the Pre-NAPLEX can have a chance to preview the NAPLEX experience before the test day.
For ease and convenience, the Pre-NAPLEX is web-based so that it can be accessed from any device with access to the internet. Applicants may sit on the Pre-NAPLEX at any period of the day. The pre-NAPLEX comprises of 100 questions and costs $65 for each pre-NAPLEX attempt.
What is on the NAPLEX?
NAPLEX is a linear type test consisting of 250 multiple-choice questions. Out of 250, 200 questions will be used to determine the test score. The remaining 50 questions are used as sample questions and, therefore, do not affect the rating.
| Areas | Percent of Items |
| Area 1 – Ensure Safe and Effective Pharmacotherapy and Health Outcomes | 67% |
| Area 2 – Safe and Accurate Preparation, Compounding, Dispensing, and Administration of Medications and Provision of Health Care Products | 33% |
How long is the NAPLEX?
You will have about 6 hours to finish 250 questions on your computer. There are two available 10-minute breaks scheduled.
How is the NAPLEX scored?
The NAPLEX score is a scaled score, which means that your final score is neither a number-correct score nor a percentage-correct score, but rather an individual score based on factors like the number of items you answered correctly and the difficulty of the questions you were asked. The NAPLEX passing score is 75. The lowest possible score you can obtain is zero, and the maximum is 150.
Scores are generated for each area of the exam. Performance on all questions in each area will be used to determine a theta score for that section. Each score is then converted to a scaled score for reporting purposes. NAPLEX area scaled scores range from 6 to 18, with 6 being the lowest score to be obtained in either area and 18 being the highest score. Content area scores are given to applicants if they failed NAPLEX. The table below shows the total scaled score range and the average scores for each content area.
| Area 1 | Area 2 | Total Scaled Score Range |
| 8 | 7 | 0-24 |
| 9 | 9 | 25-49 |
| 11 | 11 | 50-74 |
| 12 | 12 | 75-99 |
| 13 | 13 | 100-124 |
| 15 | 15 | 125-150 |
Only the overall scaled score is weighed when assessing the NAPLEX Pass/Fail status of the candidates. NABP will send your NAPLEX results to the pharmaceutical board at which you are seeking the license. The NABP will not provide the candidates with scores, and the results are not released at the testing center.
What is the pass NAPLEX rate?
Based on the National Aggregate First-Time Pass Rates for 2022, the average NAPLEX pass rate is 89.1%, with a standard deviation of 7.8%.
How to register for the NAPLEX exam?
Registration for the NAPLEX and scheduling your test date is a multi-step process. Firstly, contact the pharmaceutical board in the state where you want to be certified. The state board shall issue paperwork and guidance. Your eligibility for the exam will be decided by the state board and reported to the NABP. You will then be given an Authorization to Test, which has the following information:
● test authorization number
● expiration date
● testing window during which you can take the NAPLEX
Next, schedule your test through Sylvan Prometric. You need to have your Authorization for Test Information to schedule the test date.
● Online Scheduling – You can schedule an examination at a testing center through the Pearson VUE website at www.pearsonvue.com/nabp. Follow the steps on the website to set up a Pearson VUE Web account to choose your desired test place, time, and date.
● Scheduling By Phone – You can also arrange a test appointment by calling Pearson VUE Customer Service at 888/709-2679 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CT). If you choose to schedule your appointment by phone, you will be required to verify your identity by indicating your last name, first name, middle name or middle initial, and suffixes, together with demographic data, and to confirm which NABP test you have been permitted to take. The Pearson VUE Customer Service Agent will look for the place nearest to the location you gave to your pharmacy board on your application, or if you have a preferred location, the agent will search for the availability of your appointment.
Note: Once your examination has been scheduled, you will get a confirmation email from Pearson Vue that includes specifics of your test appointment, directions to your designated testing site, and guidance and policies for the rescheduling and canceling of your review appointment.
How much is the NAPLEX?
The table below indicates the NAPLEX cost and other fees:
Fee Type | Fee Amount |
Application Fee (Non-refundable) | $100 |
NAPLEX exam fee | $475 |
Rescheduling Fee | $50 |
Emergency Resit Request Approved – Resitting Fee | $170 |
Emergency Resit Request Denied or No Request Submitted – Resitting Fees | $475 |
Score Transfer Fee | $75 |
NAPLEX Retake Policy
Applicants can have five tries to pass the NAPLEX unless a board of pharmacy decides otherwise. Candidates will have to wait 45 days after the failed attempt before they can schedule for another test appointment. Some jurisdictions have set a waiting period that exceeds the 45-day waiting period of NAPLEX. Candidates shall, in such cases, be required to comply with the waiting period specified by the jurisdiction.
In order to retake the NAPLEX, candidates must start the enrollment process again, along with the payment of the application fee and the examination fee. Eligibility should be reconfirmed by the pharmaceutical board, and applicants must comply with the 45-day waiting time after which they will obtain the Authorization to Test (ATT).
The waiting period policy includes a provision that there shall be no more than three attempts to pass the NAPLEX in a 12-month period. If a candidate fails the NAPLEX three times in a 12-month period, the candidate must wait and reapply 12 months from the first attempt. The applicant will be required to file a new application for eligibility and will be subject to the approval of the board of pharmacy (or an appointed authority) for eligibility.
NAPLEX Study Guide free and NAPLEX Study Tips
For several pharmacy students, NAPLEX is the final trial between them and their professions as pharmacists. Though it may seem daunting to look at all the material you’ve learned in pharmacy school to 1 test over the last few years, it’s important to keep an eye on key learning points. Having an effective early study plan to improve your strong subjects and brush up on your weak ones will make a significant difference in overcoming this last challenge.
1. Measure your weaknesses and strengths. Find out your weak subjects. The easiest way to detect your weaknesses is through practice tests.
2. Practice simulations to improve your confidence.
3. Schedule additional time prior to the test date to check the weak points.
4. Perform the practice test under the actual conditions of the exam.
5. Purchase and complete the NABP Pre-NAPLEX test.
6. While studying the practice exams, make sure you know why your wrong answer choices were incorrect.
Naplex Study Book
Here are the best NAPLEX Prep Books:
1. RxPrep
2. Comprehensive Pharmacy Review for NAPLEX
3. The APhA Complete Review for Pharmacy
4. McGraw-Hill’s NAPLEX Review Guide
5. PharmPrep: ASHP’s NAPLEX Review Book
Be sure you fully understand why you overlooked a question. Did you just forget something? Choose your answer too soon? Did you misinterpret the question? Miss the valuable hint in the question? Finally, did you want to repeat the same mistakes again and again? If that is the case, it is necessary to spend more time in those parts. Pass Naplex now!
NAPLEX Questions and Answers
The NAPLEX exam lasts six hours.
The NAPLEX is graded on a scale of 0–150. This figure is not a percentage; instead, it is produced independently using an algorithm based on a rolling average of test results from many test takers.
The NAPLEX exam consists of 225 questions provided in a computerized, fixed format.
Test takers are given a total of five attempts to pass the NAPLEX. You are not permitted to take the exam more than five times. You must wait 45 days after each failed attempt before taking the NAPLEX again.
You should begin studying at least two months before your exam. Make a study schedule that you will be able to stick to. Familiarize yourself with the NAPLEX’s contents. Get the best study resources to help you succeed. Learn the names of your prescription drugs, both brand and generic. Make an accountability buddy to assist you in staying on track. You can also enroll in a review course or take practice tests.
The NAPLEX is a difficult exam, and many excellent pharmacists have failed it at least once.
RxPrep is the best thing you can get for many exam takers, and the calculations are excellent practice.
Yes. From the date of the NAPLEX exam, the score transfer is valid for one year.
The results of your NAPLEX exam will be available seven business days after you take it.
To pass the NAPLEX, candidates must have a score of 75 or above.
The score transfer program helps you save time by allowing you to apply for licensing in many states as soon as you pass the NAPLEX.
Yes. If you have the option to purchase score transfer and score review under your examination status, you’ve passed.
The NAPLEX may be registered for online at http://www.nabp.net. In order to buy the test and acquire an Authorization to Test, you must have an official transcript from your college of pharmacy provided to NABP (ATT). The buy exam link will show in your e-Profile after your eligibility has been confirmed. You will get an ATT through email after purchasing the exam, and you can then schedule your appointment with Pearson VUE.
Make a study plan to guarantee that you keep self-discipline during the course of your studies. You should take practice exams to help in your preparation for the NAPLEX. You must select the most recent book to read and ensure that it is written by a well-known author. Determine your weak spots and concentrate on them. You can’t sleep all day and night if you want to cover everything.
Take some time to relax and spend time with your loved ones. Consider the NAPLEX or MPJE score transfer program if you get your license early. You can benefit from joining a professional pharmacy association by staying up to date through the organization’s journal, pharmacy conferences, continuing education, and job ads.
The Pre-NAPLEX consists of just fifty questions with a time limit of one hour and ten minutes.
NAPLEX stands for North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination.
To pass, you must get a score of 75 or above; if you get an unsatisfactory score, you will receive a diagnostic report detailing your performance in main competency areas.
Select Programs then NAPLEX. Go to NAPLEX and MPJE Score Results then click Log In to Access Your Score Results on the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy website. The score results log-in page will open in a new browser window.
The cost of taking the NAPLEX is around $575.
Candidates who have failed the NAPLEX or MPJE five times or more will be given one more chance to succeed provided a board of pharmacy approves testing.
The exam covers three core competencies such as managing drug therapy, preparing and administering pharmaceuticals safely and correctly, and delivering drug information and promoting public health.
It usually takes two weeks. By the end of each month, they will most likely have updated it.
It is predicted that three to four weeks of preparation would be enough to prepare for the NAPLEX.
There is no longer a need for you to answer a certain number of questions in to get a score. Unanswered questions are marked incorrectly. You must respond to all questions.
On business days, the NAPLEX is given all year round.
Approximately seven business days after completing the test, you will get and be able to know your Pass/Fail results.
You may simply cancel and reschedule the NAPLEX exam that way. Make sure you do this at least 48 hours before your scheduled appointment.
Candidates who want to retake the NAPLEX must start the application procedure all over again, including paying the application and test costs.
Access your NABP e-Profile by logging in. Fill out an application for the exam. The board of pharmacy in the state where you are pursuing licensure will assess your eligibility to take the NAPLEX during this phase. The exam can then be purchased.
Yes. It’s well worth your time and will give you a solid sense of how the exam will be put out.
Yes. RXPrep practice questions and examinations were more tough than the NAPLEX questions, so you’ll be well prepared.
In Pre NAPLEX, a score of 75 is considered the minimal passing score.
NAPLEX is a computer-adaptive test that assesses your pharmacy knowledge and abilities in the most exact way possible.
Bring two types of identification: a photo ID with your signature and another form of identity.
Anatomy, Physiology, Biology, Chemistry, Critical Thinking, Math, Physics, Grammar, and Reading Comprehension are all subjects that you should study for.
You may apply for eligibility with your state board of pharmacy as early as 30 days before your graduation date, and then for a permission to test with NABP, so it all depends on how soon that all gets done.
