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North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX)
Find the current format, timing, scoring, fees, eligibility, and testing options for NAPLEX, with direct links to official sources.
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Questions225 questions, of which 200 are scored and 25 are unscored pretest questions distributed throughout the exam
Testing time6 hours of exam time, with 2 optional 10-minute breaks prompted at timed intervals; total appointment time is 6 hours 45 minutes including pre-/post-screens and the nondisclosure agreement
ScoringReported as Pass or Fail only — scaled scores are no longer provided to candidates; the passing standard is a scaled score of 75 or higher on the NAPLEX's 0–150 scale (per NABP's Support Center)
Exam feeUSD 520 exam purchase fee (effective March 1, 2024) plus a USD 100 nonrefundable eligibility application fee; a USD 85 additional nonrefundable processing fee applies for the 15 jurisdictions where NABP confirms eligibility; score transfer USD 105 per jurisdiction
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Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- NABP
- Category
- Pharmacist Licensure
- Current version
- NAPLEX Content Outline, effective for all NAPLEX exams beginning May 1, 2025 (published ©2024; replaces the pre-2025 Competency Statements blueprint)
- Where it applies
- United States — national
- Exam languages
- English
- Score scale
- 0–150 scaled score (75 or higher passes); scaled scores are no longer reported to candidates, only Pass or Fail
- Testing provider
- Pearson VUE (Pearson Professional Centers)
- Format
- Computer-based, fixed form (linear — all questions in order, cannot skip or go back), delivered at Pearson Professional Centers
- Availability
- Year-round by appointment at Pearson Professional Centers; eligibility period is typically valid for 1 year, and the ATT is valid for only 1 testing session
- Results
- Pass or Fail results posted in the NABP e-Profile within 14 business days of the exam date for jurisdictions in NABP's online results interface (a few jurisdictions — e.g., California, Guam, Illinois, Minnesota, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands — release results directly)
- Score validity
- A passing NAPLEX result may be transferred to additional boards of pharmacy via score transfer for USD 105 per jurisdiction, requested up to 89 days after sitting for the exam; a passing result does not itself constitute a license
- Remote testing
- Not available
Exam structure
One 225-item computerized fixed-form exam: mostly scenario-based questions tied to patient profiles or medical records (you must scroll through the profile before answering and cannot skip or return to questions), interspersed with stand-alone questions; the 200 scored questions are distributed across five content domains — Foundational Knowledge for Pharmacy Practice 25% (50 questions), Medication Use Process 25% (50 questions), Person-Centered Assessment and Treatment Planning 40% (80 questions), Professional Practice 5% (10 questions), and Pharmacy Management and Leadership 5% (10 questions)
Where rules vary
Despite the 'North American' name, the NAPLEX is a single uniform examination used by U.S. boards of pharmacy for pharmacist licensure; it is administered at Pearson Professional Centers across all 50 United States, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia (foreign-educated pharmacists with FPGEC certification also take it for U.S. licensure). Each board sets its own eligibility rules, but the exam itself is uniform.
Eligibility
Must have graduated from an ACPE-accredited entry-level pharmacy school or hold FPGEC certification (foreign-educated pharmacists), and have exam eligibility confirmed by the board of pharmacy for the licensure jurisdiction (eligibility application fee USD 100)
Retake policy
Maximum of 5 attempts to pass; 3 attempts allowed per 12-month period (then must wait 12 months from the initial attempt to reapply); mandatory 45-day waiting period after a failed attempt (some jurisdictions require longer); each retake requires a new eligibility application (USD 100) and a new exam fee (USD 520)