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Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination (FPGEE)
The Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination (FPGEE) is the exam owned and developed by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) for the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC), used to evaluate graduates of non-ACPE-accredited pharmacy programs for FPGEC certification toward US pharmacist licensure. It is a 200-question computerized fixed-form exam administered over a 4.5-hour testing period (5.5 hours total seat time), scored on a scaled basis with a minimum passing score of 75, covering four content domains (Foundational Biomedical Sciences 12%, Pharmaceutical Sciences 31%, Social/Behavioral/Administrative Sciences 20%, Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Sciences 37%). It is administered by Pearson at Pearson Professional Centers in the continental US (including Puerto Rico and Guam) on one test date per year, usually in October.
Official exam siteJump to prep options ↓
Questions200 questions, delivered in a computerized fixed form; the Content Outline weights treat all 200 as scored ("the approximate number of 200 scored questions")
Testing time4.5-hour examination period; 5.5 hours total seat time
ScoringMinimum acceptable passing score is a scaled score of 75; the passing standard is set by a panel of pharmacy experts and is the same for all FPGEE administrations; scores are scaled, not percentage values
Exam feeUSD 750 FPGEE exam purchase fee for the first attempt on an application (as of March 1, 2024); USD 850 retake fee on the same application (includes the USD 750 exam fee plus a nonrefundable USD 100 administrative fee); a separate nonrefundable USD 750 FPGEC application fee (USD 650 document evaluation + USD 100 administrative); USD 200 rescore fee. Refunds of the exam fee only if canceled with both Pearson and NABP at least 5 business days before the appointment.
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Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- NABP
- Category
- Pharmacist Licensure
- Current version
- Current FPGEE Content Outline (©2025, published on the NABP FPGEE page and used to develop all current FPGEE administrations; no explicit effective date or edition label is printed on the outline)
- Where it applies
- United States — national
- Exam languages
- English
- Testing provider
- Pearson (Pearson Professional Centers); scheduling via Pearson after NABP issues the Authorization to Test (ATT)
- Format
- Computer-based, computerized fixed form, delivered at Pearson Professional Centers only (continental US, including Puerto Rico and Guam)
- Availability
- One test date per year, in the fall, usually in October (next administration October 15, 2026); registration opens May 15, the purchase deadline is September 1, and the Pearson scheduling/cancellation deadline is October 8; scheduling closes 5 business days before the exam
- Results
- Results posted to the NABP e-Profile approximately 8 weeks after the exam date (no paper score report)
- Score validity
- A passing FPGEE score is valid for 5 years from the examination date and becomes invalid after 5 years if FPGEC certification has not been obtained
- Remote testing
- Not available
Exam structure
One 200-question computerized fixed-form exam measuring four weighted content domains: 1. Foundational Biomedical Sciences 12% (24 questions), 2. Pharmaceutical Sciences 31% (62 questions), 3. Social, Behavioral, and Administrative Sciences 20% (40 questions), 4. Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Sciences 37% (74 questions), each question classified to an area of the FPGEE Content Outline
Where rules vary
A single uniform examination evaluating foreign pharmacy graduates for FPGEC certification, which is required before a foreign pharmacy graduate can apply for pharmacist licensing in a US state or most US territories; it is administered only at Pearson Professional Centers in the continental US (including Puerto Rico and Guam), not in Alaska, Hawaii, or other US territories.
Eligibility
An accepted FPGEC certification application (documentation review, ECE report, and a passing TOEFL iBT score submitted by ETS), which is valid for 2 years from acceptance; only candidates whose applications have been accepted and have not expired may register for the FPGEE
Retake policy
The exam is offered once per year; a failed attempt may be retaken on the same (unexpired) application for USD 850, otherwise a new FPGEC application is required; lifetime limit of 5 attempts, after which the FPGEC file is closed and the candidate no longer qualifies for FPGEC certification; canceled exams do not count against the limit