Naplex
Encyclopedia
The NAPLEX, also known as the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination, is a standard examination created by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
(NABP) to help individual state boards of pharmacy
assess an individual's competency
and knowledge
so that he or she may be given a license
to practice.
The NAPLEX is exclusively a computer-administered exam. After receiving an authorization to test from NABP, applicants must register with an official testing facility, such as Pearson VUE
, at least two business day
s in advance to schedule a testing appointment. The exam consists of 185 questions and has a time limit of four hours and fifteen minutes, with an optional ten-minute break after approximately two hours. Of the 185 questions, only 150 are used to tabulate the applicant's score. The remaining 35 are "trial balloon" questions under consideration for inclusion on future NAPLEX tests. There is no way to distinguish a regular test question from a trial balloon.
The NAPLEX is an adaptive examination in that it tailors itself to the skill level of the applicant. Because of the linear nature of the exam (applicants must answer a question to continue, and there is no backtracking), the computer is able to zero-in on incorrect responses and select similar questions for presentation later in the exam. This allows for analyzation of the applicants' skill level across several performance categories.
The exam format consists primarily of multiple choice
questions; there are no essay
questions. The questions are split between two subtypes: a question with five individual ploys, or the K-Type, which consist of a question and three options numbered I, II and III, then five combinations of these options. An example of the K-Type is shown below.
Which of these agents demonstrates beta-adrenergic receptor selectivity?
I) Propranolol
II) Metoprolol
III) Atenolol
A) I only
B) III only
C) I and II
D) II and III
E) I, II, and III
Exam results are typically reported two business days after administration. Applicants may access their scores on the website of the state Board of Pharmacy. A tabulated score of 75 or higher is required for passing. Neither this standard or reported scores are percentage
values, nor are they some configuration of right versus wrong. Rather, they represent the tabulated skill level of the applicant based on an algorithm developed by the Board of Pharmacy. That stated, it is unofficially held that answering about 60% of the questions correctly correlates to a score of 75.
Applicants not obtaining a score of 75 or higher are given a performance profile, which details their relative areas of strength and weakness. They must wait at least 91 days before retaking the NAPLEX.
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy is an international association which assists state licensing boards in developing, implementing, and enforcing uniform standards relating to pharmacies...
(NABP) to help individual state boards of pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
assess an individual's competency
Competence (human resources)
Competence is the ability of an individual to perform a job properly. A competency is a set of defined behaviors that provide a structured guide enabling the identification, evaluation and development of the behaviors in individual employees. As defined, the term "competence" first appeared in...
and knowledge
Knowledge
Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
so that he or she may be given a license
License
The verb license or grant licence means to give permission. The noun license or licence refers to that permission as well as to the document recording that permission.A license may be granted by a party to another party as an element of an agreement...
to practice.
The NAPLEX is exclusively a computer-administered exam. After receiving an authorization to test from NABP, applicants must register with an official testing facility, such as Pearson VUE
Pearson VUE
Pearson VUE is an electronic testing company owned by British media company Pearson PLC. Founded in 1994 by E. Clarke Porter as Virtual University Enterprises, the company now operates in 165 countries with more than 5,000 authorized test centres ....
, at least two business day
Business day
A business day is considered every official working day of the week. Another common term is working day. Typically, these are the days between and including Monday to Friday and do not include public holidays and weekends....
s in advance to schedule a testing appointment. The exam consists of 185 questions and has a time limit of four hours and fifteen minutes, with an optional ten-minute break after approximately two hours. Of the 185 questions, only 150 are used to tabulate the applicant's score. The remaining 35 are "trial balloon" questions under consideration for inclusion on future NAPLEX tests. There is no way to distinguish a regular test question from a trial balloon.
The NAPLEX is an adaptive examination in that it tailors itself to the skill level of the applicant. Because of the linear nature of the exam (applicants must answer a question to continue, and there is no backtracking), the computer is able to zero-in on incorrect responses and select similar questions for presentation later in the exam. This allows for analyzation of the applicants' skill level across several performance categories.
The exam format consists primarily of multiple choice
Multiple choice
Multiple choice is a form of assessment in which respondents are asked to select the best possible answer out of the choices from a list. The multiple choice format is most frequently used in educational testing, in market research, and in elections-- when a person chooses between multiple...
questions; there are no essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
questions. The questions are split between two subtypes: a question with five individual ploys, or the K-Type, which consist of a question and three options numbered I, II and III, then five combinations of these options. An example of the K-Type is shown below.
Which of these agents demonstrates beta-adrenergic receptor selectivity?
I) Propranolol
II) Metoprolol
III) Atenolol
A) I only
B) III only
C) I and II
D) II and III
E) I, II, and III
Exam results are typically reported two business days after administration. Applicants may access their scores on the website of the state Board of Pharmacy. A tabulated score of 75 or higher is required for passing. Neither this standard or reported scores are percentage
Percentage
In mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a fraction of 100 . It is often denoted using the percent sign, “%”, or the abbreviation “pct”. For example, 45% is equal to 45/100, or 0.45.Percentages are used to express how large/small one quantity is, relative to another quantity...
values, nor are they some configuration of right versus wrong. Rather, they represent the tabulated skill level of the applicant based on an algorithm developed by the Board of Pharmacy. That stated, it is unofficially held that answering about 60% of the questions correctly correlates to a score of 75.
Applicants not obtaining a score of 75 or higher are given a performance profile, which details their relative areas of strength and weakness. They must wait at least 91 days before retaking the NAPLEX.