Examination Results
Examination Scores
Part I (MCQ)
Each question is worth one mark. Despite our best efforts to ensure that each new examination has the same level of difficulty, it is inevitable that some examinations will prove to be slightly easier and some slightly more difficult. The specific number of questions that must be answered correctly in order to pass changes according to the difficulty of the examination. The standard setting process (described on the next page) accounts for variations in difficulty from one examination to the next, so that pass-fail standards will be fair and comparable from exam to exam.
Part II (OSCE)
In Part II the station scores are based on three global ratings, which are on scales of 1 to 4:
• Communications
• Outcome
• Overall Performance
The interactive stations include all three ratings; non-interactive stations include only Outcome and Performance ratings. Assessors are trained to follow standardized criteria specific to the station task in providing these ratings.
Communications ratings for all interactive stations are based on standard criteria, including:
• attending to client’s needs and feelings (includes rapport, respect, empathy, listening)
• using an organized approach
• effectively using non-verbal communication
• using appropriate language and verbal expression
Outcome ratings are station-specific, but follow standard guidelines, including:
• adequacy of information gathered or adequacy of counselling
• identification of a drug-related problem and/or patient’s needs
• safety and effectiveness of recommended therapy or other intervention
degree of misinformation provided and/or degree of risk to patient
Overall Performance ratings (used for all stations) are based on standard criteria, including:
• the degree to which the problem is solved or task performed effectively
• the acceptability of communications
• clarity and accuracy of documentation, when required
• accuracy and thoroughness of information provided by the candidate and the likely outcome for the patient
• whether or not the performance would result in any risk to the patient
• quality of overall performance
Your ratings are added up for all fifteen stations (
excluding the pretest station) to arrive at a total score. The passing score and all candidate scores are transformed to a standardized score scale to account for changes in difficulty from exam to exam. This ensures that scores and pass-fail standards will be comparable from exam to exam.
Passing Score
A criterion-referenced pass/fail standard is established for each Part of the PEBC Qualifying Examination. This standard is performance-based and represents the level of performance appropriate to enter practice, as determined by a panel of practitioner experts.
This approach to making pass/fail decisions ensures that the same ability or performance standard is applied for each examination and it ensures that only candidates who meet or exceed this standard pass the examination. It is a candidate's level of ability or performance compared to this standard that determines whether the candidate passes or fails, not a comparison of how other candidates performed on the examination. There is no built-in passing or failure rate with a criterion-referenced pass/fail standard.
Standard Setting for Part I (MCQ)
A representative group of practitioner experts (Panel of Examiners) conducted a thorough review of the content of the examination in May 2001. They determined the minimum number of questions that must be answered correctly on that examination in order to pass. The ability level that corresponded to that minimum passing score has been adopted as the pass/fail standard for the Qualifying Examination - Part I (MCQ).
In order to maintain the same pass/fail standard from one examination to the next, taking into account the difficulty of the examination, an equating process has been implemented. The equating process is a statistical procedure that determines the minimum number of questions that must be answered correctly on a new examination in order to meet the pass/fail standard that has been established. Although the specific number of questions that must be answered correctly in order to pass varies with the difficulty of the examination, the underlying estimate of ability that represents the pass/fail standard remains the same each time.
Standard Setting for Part II (OSCE)
Based on a thorough review of the examination, station by station, a panel of practitioner experts familiar with the examination format follows a thorough and standard process, led by an examination consultant, to determine the minimum rating for each scale in each station. The sum of these ratings across all 15 scored stations in the examination becomes the passing score for that examination. This process is repeated for each examination and takes into account the variations in difficulty that may occur from one examination to the next.
Quality Assurance Processes for the Examination
The Pharmacist Qualifying Examination questions and stations have been developed, reviewed, and pretested by several independent groups of practising pharmacists. They are then refined and reviewed again to ensure that they function as required for assessing competence.
Each form of the Qualifying Examination, Parts I and II, has been prepared according to the examination blueprint. It is then reviewed and approved for administration. PEBC examination staff perform and document quality assurance checks on each examination administration and scoring, ensuring that all procedures have been followed, that all data is complete and that scoring is accurate.
Detailed analyses are conducted of the scoring and standard-setting results to confirm the reliability and validity of the results. Measurement experts review all documentation and analyses to confirm the reliability of the scores and validity of candidates’ final standing.
Distribution of Results
A letter advising you of your pass-fail results on either or both Parts I and II will be mailed from the PEBC office (to the address shown on your PEBC Identification / Card of Admission) by the following dates: July 12, 2010 for the Spring examination; December 17, 2010 for the Fall examination. For reasons of confidentiality, results will not be released by telephone, fax or email. Allow several weeks after the release of results, for mail delivery, before enquiring to request a second copy of your result letter. Ensure that you provide PEBC with any change in your mailing address information.
On the same dates listed above, there will also be a posting on the PEBC website (www.pebc.ca) of a list of candidates by Identification Number, who have successfully passed both Parts I (MCQ) and II (OSCE) of the Qualifying Examination and have achieved PEBC certification. This list will appear in the Pharmacist Qualifying Examination section of the home page for pharmacists. Please note that this website posting will contain only candidates’ PEBC Identification Number and PEBC Registration Number. No other examination information will be posted. Information pertaining to candidates who were successful in achieving only one Part will NOT be included on this website posting. 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.
Scores are not reported for either Part I or Part II, since score differences on a certification examination are not meaningful for the purpose of determining pass (successful) or fail (unsuccessful). Results are given on a pass/fail basis only. Either you have qualified or have not yet qualified for certification.
Board policy
does not permit the release of
actual overall examination scores or passing scores or question/station content (including correct/incorrect responses).
| Note: To expedite the provincial registration of candidates whose licensure is waiting for PEBC certification, a list of successful registrants is forwarded to the provincial regulatory authorities at the same time as the release of individual results by mail.
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Feedback Reports for Unsuccessful Candidates
Unsuccessful candidates will receive a feedback report with information about their performance on the examination. Such information will not be available until at least six to eight weeks following the release of examination results. Feedback reports are not available for candidates who have passed the examination.
The
Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada provides candidates with Pharmacist Qualifying Examination - Feedback Reports for either Part I (MCQ) and/or Part II (OSCE). These reports for unsuccessful candidates provide relative feedback on a candidate’s performance according to the competency areas tested in the examination. This information is intended to help candidates to identify their areas of greatest weakness so that they can focus further study and remediation accordingly. It is important for candidates to review their feedback keeping in mind the relative blueprint weighting for each competency area in the examination (see
Qualifying Examination Blueprint).
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 of the Examination for Unsuccessful Candidates
| Note: The content, methodology, standards, or assessment criteria of the Pharmacist Qualifying Examination are not subject to review or appeal by failing candidates or their agents. (Refer to the section: Quality Assurance Processes for the Examination). |
Unsuccessful candidates may request, in writing, one, final hand-scoring of either part of their examination. In this case, you must provide your PEBC Identification Number and the required fee, paid by cheque or money order (cash is not accepted). 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.
This hand-scoring is only to confirm correct data entry and tabulation of scores.
Part I Re-scoring fee of $75
Part II Re-scoring fee of $150
Attempts at the Pharmacist Qualifying Examination
| Candidates are permitted a maximum of three (3) attempts for each Part of the Pharmacist Qualifying Examination. |
After three unsuccessful attempts, if you are able to present evidence, acceptable to the Board, of successful completion of remediation according to Board specifications, the Board is prepared to consider your petition for one final (fourth) attempt. Documentation confirming completion of remediation must be received at PEBC at least three weeks before the date of the examination.
It is important to assess your examination preparedness carefully and not simply make another attempt at the next scheduled examination date without adequate remediation and improvement in the needed competency areas.
| Importance of Meeting Application Deadline:
It is important to ensure that application form(s) for either part of the Pharmacist Qualifying Examination are received by the deadline dates (see General Information),
even if your eligibility to take either part of the Qualifying Examination is conditional upon receipt of required remediation. Please do not wait for PEBC to acknowledge receipt of the above documentation, prior to sending your application(s).
Applications received after the deadline will not be processed even if the pending documentation has been received prior to the examination dates.
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If you fail your fourth and final attempt at either part of the Qualifying Examination, you will not be permitted to retake the Qualifying Examination and therefore cannot proceed further toward Board certification. You are not permitted to attempt the PEBC certification process more than once. In other words, you cannot retake the Evaluating Examination and proceed again to retake either Part I (MCQ) or Part II (OSCE) of the Qualifying Examination.
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, even if you must leave the examination early – unless you are granted a “no standing” status (see below).
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.
If you pass one part of the Qualifying Examination and fail the other, you may re-take the part you failed at a future scheduled examination session. You must submit a new application and fee for the required part. (Please note that Part II is offered in a limited number of centres in the Fall Sitting.)
| Both Parts I and II of the Qualifying Examination must be successfully completed within a three-year period of passing one Part of the Qualifying Examination. |
If you do not complete the process within this time period, you will be required to apply to the Board asking for the opportunity to take the remaining part. If the examination and blueprint have changed significantly since you started the Qualifying Examination process, you may be required to complete both parts.
“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.
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.
Candidate requests for 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.
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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.
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Registration
Once you pass both parts of the Pharmacist Qualifying Examination, your name will be entered into the Register of The Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada and you will receive a Certificate of Qualification printed in either official language. Until your Certificate is prepared, your letter of examination results can serve as official confirmation of your Board registration.
You should notify the PEBC office
in writing of any address changes so that your Certificate will not get lost. If you have not received your Certificate within three months of being registered, you should write to the PEBC office to notify them of this.
Reprinting of Certificates of Qualification
Candidates who require a reprinting of their Certificate of Qualification, must submit a written request to PEBC, providing a statutory declaration explaining the reason for a reprint, together with a cheque or money order (made in Canadian funds) for $100. All payments from outside of Canada must be made in Canadian funds by international bank draft or money order, and drawn on a Canadian bank.
Entitlement
Once you are registered with the Board, you are entitled to use the approved official designation:
• in English, "RPEBC" (i.e., "Registrant of The Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada")
• in French, "IBEPC" (i.e., "Inscrit au Bureau des examinateurs en pharmacie du Canada").
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