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The Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada

The Pharmacist Evaluating Examination
The Days of the Examination

Examination Day Schedule

You will write the Pharmacist Evaluating Examination in two sittings over two consecutive half-days. Each sitting (examination period) is 3.5 hours in length and is administered according to the following schedule. Your start time is shown on the PEBC Identification/ Card of Admission that is mailed to you (see below).

15 minutes (prior to exam start time)
Admission to examination room
Instructions to candidates

3.5 hours
Examination period

Admission and Identification

Your PEBC Identification/Card of Admission, together with other important information, will be sent to you 2-3 weeks before the examination. It is important to read all materials very carefully before the examination. Your PEBC Identification/Card of Admission must be brought to the examination room for each sitting and placed on your examination desk for inspection by the Presiding Officer and Invigilators (examination personnel).

Never write on your PEBC Identification/Card of Admission.

You must arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled start of the examination at the specific location and time indicated on your Identification/Card of Admission. For example, if your examination is scheduled to start at 9:00 am, the report time indicated on your PEBC Identification/Card of Admission will be 8:45 am. You must be at the examination location by 8:45 am. During the 15-minute period between the report time and the examination start time, the Presiding Officer will distribute answer sheets, PEBC calculators and pencils, and provide examination instructions. After instructions are given and all candidates are seated, the Examination Booklets will be distributed and the examination will begin. 

If you are more than one hour late, you will be admitted to the examination only with the consent of the Presiding Officer. You will NOT be granted entry once any candidates have left the examination room. No extra time will be provided to candidates who arrive late.

Unless otherwise authorized, only candidates for the scheduled examination who present their PEBC Identification/Card of Admission will be permitted to enter the examination room.  Family members or friends of candidates are NOT permitted to enter the examination building.

Please Note: Although PEBC attempts to ensure the comfort of all candidates and personnel, you are advised to dress for fluctuating temperatures in examination rooms.

Note: There is no smoking on examination premises.

Please do not wear scented cosmetics and perfumes as some individuals are very allergic to such substances and you may be refused entry to the examination.

Candidate Materials

The examination is closed-book (no aids are permitted except for the calculator provided by PEBC).

No digital watches are permitted. You should take a non-digital watch (with hands to show the hour and minutes) to the examination room in case there is not a clock that you can easily read. It is your responsibility to monitor and use examination time appropriately.

Pencils (with eraser tips) and standardized scientific calculators will be provided to all candidates. Calculator instructions are included in this website (see Calculators) and will also be found within each Examination Booklet. Please note that no additional time (for calculator “practice”) will be given to the examination administration. PEBC examination calculations do not require complex operations on the calculator, even though the calculator has many advanced capabilities.

Provision of calculators to all candidates taking PEBC examinations will avoid security concerns associated with programmable personal calculators, and will enhance consistency at all examination centres.

If you must take any medication during the examination time, bring it with you and show it to the Presiding Officer before the examination begins. Any packaging, inserts or related written material must be left at home or handed in to examination personnel.

Items such as passports, wallets or small purses may be placed underneath your chair. Coats, large bags and other belongings must be stored in the location designated by examination personnel.

During the examination period, you will NOT be permitted to have anything on your desk, EXCEPT:
your PEBC Identification / Card of Admission
the Examination Booklet
answer sheet
pencil (with eraser) supplied by PEBC
a standardized scientific calculator supplied by PEBC
a beverage and/or a small snack (in a clear plastic bag or see-through container; any wrappers on food products, e.g. chocolate bars, must be removed)

Surfaces of desks and all candidate materials and belongings are subject to inspection by examination personnel, at any time.

You Must NOT Bring into the Examination: (these items are strictly prohibited):
books, notes, envelopes, or reference materials of any kind
calculators, rulers, pencil cases
digital watches/timepieces
data organizers or other digital or electronic storage devices
communication devices of any kind including pagers or cellular telephones
computers of any kind, including hand-held devices
photographic, recording or transmission devices of any kind or
paper items of any kind, whether blank, printed or written upon, including similar items such as wrappers on food or beverages

Note:

The Presiding Officer or Examination Invigilator has the authority to inspect any materials brought into the examination and/or to request that candidates remove outerwear and roll up their sleeves to permit inspection of watches and other prohibited items.

Any materials that may compromise the administration or security of the examination will be confiscated and the candidate in possession of such materials may not be permitted to begin the examination, or to continue it if it has already begun. Confiscated items will be sent to PEBC for inspection, along with a report of the incident, and will be kept until any inspection or investigation is completed.

During the examination, calculations or other notations may be written only in the Examination Booklet (NOT on the answer sheet or your ID/Card of Admission or elsewhere).

During the Examination

You and other candidates MUST NOT converse or communicate with one another in any manner whatsoever, or speak or read out loud while the examination is underway. Violation of this rule may result in the cancellation of your examination score in the session.

You may converse with examination personnel if required, in a discrete and confidential manner. If you wish to use the washroom or when you are ready to hand in your examination materials, you must raise your hand to indicate this to examination personnel.

Candidates should behave in a professional and courteous manner when interacting with examination personnel.

At the End of the Examination

At the end of the examination, you must leave the examination premises immediately after handing in your Examination Booklet, answer sheet and other examination materials.

You must make all arrangements for transportation before entering the examination site and you must wait outside the building for friends or transportation.

Improper Conduct During or After the Examination

It is assumed that every candidate taking PEBC examinations is doing so for legitimate purposes to become a licensed pharmacist in Canada and will make their best effort when attempting a PEBC examination.

Candidates may be dismissed from the examination or have other action taken, including possible legal prosecution, for any of the following reasons:
giving or receiving help during an examination
attempting to take the examination for someone else
using notes, books, personal calculators, digital devices of any kind including watches, any unauthorized notations or other aids
failure to follow the Presiding Officer's instruction, after a warning
possession or use of photographic, recording or transmission devices in an examination
writing on any material other than what is provided by PEBC for that purpose (i.e. examination booklet)
removal of examination materials or notations of any kind from the examination room
refusal to comply with time allotments or examination administration procedures
disruption of the examination for other candidates
reproduction or disclosure of examination content in any manner (including unauthorized notations, engaging in discussion of examination content with anyone other than examination personnel during or after an examination, whether verbally, in writing or through any blogs or chatrooms, or other means)
behaving in an unprofessional or discourteous manner, when interacting with Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada and/or examination centre personnel
any other breach of conduct

In any such case, an incident report will be filed by the Presiding Officer and the candidate will be told of this action. The candidate may provide an independent explanation in writing to the PEBC office, no later than 7 calendar days following the close of the examination.

Note: If, after consideration of evidence of improper conduct, a candidate is found by the Board to have committed a breach of the above or any stated examination instructions or procedural guidelines, the Board may:
cancel the candidate's examination score
bar the candidate from one or more future examination sessions
take such other action as deemed appropriate, including possible legal prosecution
A candidate may be held responsible for all damages and cost-recovery in the event that the examination or any component of it is compromised by his/her action.

Comments, Complaints and Requests for Further Consideration

Any comment or complaint concerning any aspect of the examination (e.g. process, examination facilities, examination supervision) should be made verbally to the Presiding Officer for immediate attention and correction if possible, and documented in writing immediately after the examination. Complaints which are not made on the examination day may not be considered.

Any candidate who feels a specific matter requires further consideration or review must send their comments or information to PEBC, in writing together with a request for further consideration. This request and the accompanying information must be received by the Registrar-Treasurer within 7 calendar days after the close of the examination. Complaints which are received after this time period will NOT be considered.

Please note that the content, methodology, standards or assessment criteria of the Pharmacist Evaluating Examination are NOT subject to review or appeal by candidates or their agents.

Security of Examination Material (Copyright©):

To ensure that the examination provides an equal opportunity for all candidates to demonstrate their levels of knowledge and ability to meet the required competence standards, the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada maintains the strictest security of the content of its examinations before, during, and after each examination. All examination materials are protected by Copyright© and property right laws. Candidates must strictly follow the rules of conduct for examinations and the signed certification statements made on the examination application form. These rules and statements prohibit:

the giving or receiving of assistance in answering questions while in the examinations
access to questions before or after the examination
reproduction of examination content in any manner
disclosure of questions to others at any time (includes discussion of examination content with other candidates or others before, during or after an examination), whether verbally, in writing or through any internet blogs, chatrooms or other means

Contravention of the copyright and/or rules of conduct for examinations and the certification statements may be sufficient cause for the Board to:
bar the candidate from the examination
terminate his/her participation in the examination
invalidate the results of the examination
withhold the results
bar the candidate from future examinations
take other action as deemed appropriate, including possible legal prosecution

A candidate may be held responsible for all damages and cost-recovery in the event that the examination or any component of it is compromised by his/her action.

Emergency Procedures

Emergency Building Evacuation

If the need arises for building evacuation due to fire or other emergency during an examination, the Presiding Officer, in cooperation with emergency personnel, has full authority to direct and supervise candidates and examination personnel in the emergency evacuation of a building.

The guidelines and procedures established by PEBC are based on two underlying principles: 1) personal safety, and 2) security of examination content and materials.

Events in an emergency situation may be unpredictable and procedures may require adjustment in a specific situation, however, some general guidelines include the following:
Assist persons with disabilities in exiting
Do not use elevators in case of fire
Once outside the building, remain in a safe area, indicated by emergency personnel or the Presiding officer
Do not return to the examination room unless instructed to do so by emergency personnel or the Presiding Officer
Try to remain calm, and always follow the instructions of emergency personnel or the Presiding Officer

Note: Remember that at all times during an emergency evacuation, candidates must NOT converse or otherwise communicate with one another. Candidates continue to be subject to all rules of the examination.

Other Extraordinary Circumstances

If at any time before an upcoming PEBC examination administration, there should arise any circumstances including such factors as weather, transportation, strikes, public health issues, or other reasons which may affect the scheduling arrangements and admission procedures for examinations, advisory information will be promptly posted on the PEBC website: www.pebc.ca. You are advised to check the PEBC website (Evaluating Examination for Pharmacists Home Page) before attending an examination, to look for any special notices which may affect your arrangements.

You will be required to comply with any health, safety, and security screening procedures, as posted in the examination centre or outlined verbally by examination personnel.

PEBC reserves the right to cancel or reschedule any examination administration, if circumstances require that a scheduled examination cannot be administered.