PEBC - The Evaluating Examination

Examination Results

Scoring and Pass Standing

If you achieve at least 60% of the total possible score (300), you will be awarded pass standing.

Quality Assurance Processes for the Examination

The Pharmacist Evaluating Examination questions have been developed, reviewed, and pretested, then refined and reviewed again to ensure that they function as required for assessing competence in the examination subject areas. These quality assurance processes utilize a Panel of individuals with academic specialty expertise as well as pharmacist practitioners with clinical excellence.

Each form of the Pharmacist Evaluating Examination is prepared according to an examination blueprint, based on the four major subject areas, as outlined in the Evaluating Examination Blueprint Subject Areas. It is reviewed and approved for administration. PEBC staff and examination personnel perform and document quality control checks on each examination administration and scoring, to ensure that all procedures have been followed, that all data is complete and that scoring is accurate. Analyses of the scoring are conducted to confirm the reliability and validity of the results.

Distribution of Results

A letter advising you of your pass-fail results will be mailed from the PEBC office to the address shown on your PEBC Identification/Card of Admission, within 3 weeks following the close of the examination. For reasons of confidentiality, results and feedback reports will not be released by telephone, fax or email.

Board policy does not permit the release of actual overall examination scores or question content (including correct/incorrect responses). Results are given on a pass/fail basis only. Candidates who have passed the Pharmacist Evaluating Examination can find information and application forms for the Pharmacist Qualifying Examination on the PEBC website at www.pebc.ca, under the Qualifying Examination section of the home page for pharmacists.

Website Posting of Results for Successful Candidates

The Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada will post on the PEBC website (www.pebc.ca) a list of candidates who have successfully passed the Pharmacist Evaluating Examination. This list will appear in the Evaluating Examination section of the home page for pharmacists. It will only include the PEBC Identification Number of those successful candidates. No other information will be posted and no information about unsuccessful candidates will be included on the website posting. Further details about how to access this website posting will be found in the information material provided in the mailing of your Identification/Card of Admission. Do not contact the PEBC office for your result or if you have problems accessing the website.

If you have not received your result within eight weeks following the examination date, please contact the PEBC office in writing. Ensure that you provide PEBC with any change in your mailing address information.

Feedback Reports

Candidates may make a request in writing, for feedback about their performance in each of the four major Subject Areas tested. Such feedback will not be available until at least four weeks following release of examination results.

These reports provide relative feedback on a candidate’s performance according to the Subject Areas tested in the examination. This information is intended to help candidates to identify their areas of greatest weakness so that they can focus on study and remediation accordingly. It is important for candidates to review their feedback keeping in mind the relative blueprint weighting for each subject area in the examination blueprint (see Pharmacist Evaluating Examination Blueprint Subject Areas).

When requesting your Feedback Report, you must provide your PEBC Identification number and your current mailing address. If you require any clarification of the information in your feedback report, send a written request with your telephone contact information, so that you can be reached by phone during PEBC office hours.

Certifying and licensing examinations are of a summative and confirmatory nature; they are used to certify competence to practise the profession at an entry-level, in the interest of the protection of the public. The examination is not intended to be educational or diagnostic. With respect to more detailed feedback on a candidate’s weaknesses, the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada is unable to provide additional feedback.

Any requests for clarification of feedback reports must be submitted in writing.

Re-Scoring (hand scoring) of Answer Sheets for Unsuccessful Candidates

Note: The content, methodology, standards, or assessment criteria of the Pharmacist Evaluating Examination are not subject to review or appeal by unsuccessful candidates or their agents. (Refer to the section: Quality Assurance Processes for the Examination.)

Unsuccessful candidates may request one final, hand scoring of their examination, by providing a written request, stating PEBC Identification number, and enclosing the required fee of $75 in Canadian funds, paid by cheque or money order (cash is not accepted).

This hand scoring is only to confirm correct scanning of the data entry on your answer sheet and tabulation of your score. All such requests must be addressed to the Registrar-Treasurer and must be received within 60 days of the release of results of the examination. Later requests will NOT be accepted. Also, no requests for re-scoring of previous examinations will be accepted.

Attempts at the Pharmacist Evaluating Examination

Please assess your preparedness carefully before attempting the Pharmacist Evaluating Examination.

Candidates are permitted a maximum of three (3) attempts for the Pharmacist Evaluating Examination, with one, final (fourth) attempt available upon successful completion of remediation.

After 3 unsuccessful attempts, the Board is prepared to consider your petition for one final (fourth) attempt after you have presented evidence, acceptable to the Board, of successful completion of remediation that is according to Board specifications. Documentation confirming completion of remediation must be received at PEBC at least three weeks before the date of the examination.

IMPORTANCE OF MEETING APPLICATION DEADLINE:

It is important to ensure that the application form for a fourth attempt of the Pharmacist Evaluating Examination is received by the deadline date (see General Information), even if your eligibility to take the Pharmacist Evaluating Examination is conditional upon receipt and acceptance of required remediation. Please do not wait for PEBC acknowledgement of your remediation documentation, prior to sending in your application.

Applications received after the deadline will not be processed, even if the pending documentation has been received prior to the examination date.

If you are unsuccessful at your fourth examination attempt, Board policy does NOT permit any additional attempts, and you cannot proceed further toward PEBC certification.

If you withdraw before the start of an examination, it does not count as one of your attempts at the examination. Once you have begun an examination sitting, it does count as one of your attempts.

Candidates are strongly encouraged not to attempt the examination and to make an appropriate withdrawal if, prior to the examination, they are ill or have extraordinary circumstances, including bereavement, that may affect their performance on the examination.

“No Standing” Status

If you must leave the examination early due to illness or another emergency situation and are unable to complete the examination, you may be granted a “no standing” status. The decision will be based on your written request and explanation, and this must be accompanied by valid documentation acceptable to the Registrar-Treasurer. In such circumstances, the sitting may be waived and not be counted as one of your attempts.

Candidate requests for an additional attempt or a no standing on the basis of medical conditions or compassionate grounds (such as bereavement) will NOT be considered, unless received by the Registrar-Treasurer within seven calendar days after the close of the examination. In order for the request to be considered, the appropriate official documentation must be provided. A causal link must be made between the serious medical condition or compassionate circumstances and the effect on the candidate’s performance on the examination.

Note: Petitions for special consideration received more than seven calendar days after the examination (e.g. upon receipt of a notice of an unsuccessful examination result) will NOT be considered.

Pharmacist Qualifying Examination (Part I and Part II) Information

For candidates who pass the Evaluating Examination, information and application forms regarding the Qualifying Examination (Part I and Part II) , is available on the PEBC website at www.pebc.ca, in the Qualifying Examination section of the home page for pharmacists.

It is important for you to consider that both your formal education and current practice experience in a Canadian patient care pharmacy setting, will help prepare you for the Qualifying Examination and for licensure as a pharmacist. Please assess your preparedness carefully before attempting the Pharmacist Qualifying Examination.

Top of Page