Note
The PEBC site blocks automated page downloads, so the facts on this page were read from text summaries of the official pages rather than the pages themselves. Confirm every detail, especially dates and fees, on the PEBC site before you apply.
Overview
The Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) is the national body that sets the certifying examinations for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Canada. This is a certification step, not a licence. PEBC states that its certification alone does not give the right to practise pharmacy. The provincial regulatory authority issues the licence, and it may ask for practical experience, language proficiency and a jurisprudence exam on top of PEBC certification.
PEBC runs two Qualifying Examinations, each in two parts:
Pharmacist Qualifying Examination: Part I (multiple choice) and Part II (OSCE).
Pharmacy Technician Qualifying Examination: Part I (multiple choice) and Part II (OSPE).
The PEBC home page says the separate Evaluating Examination for international pharmacy graduates is no longer required, and that eligible international graduates go directly to the Qualifying Examination. The pathway pages for Canadian, U.S. and international graduates set out the steps for each group.
Who can apply
Canadian pharmacist graduates: a first professional pharmacy degree from a program accredited by the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP). You complete ID and Education Verification first, then apply for an examination.
Final-year students: you may apply for ID and Education Verification if you expect to graduate within nine months. Approvals are conditional on confirmation that you completed the degree.
U.S. and international graduates: these follow separate certification pathways described on PEBC's pathway pages.
Pharmacy technicians: PEBC's technician exam is based on the national competencies for pharmacy technicians at entry to practice. Check the technician pages for current eligibility rules, which were not readable in the summaries used here.
Exam pattern
| Exam | Part | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacist | Part I | Computer-based multiple choice, one day, at a Prometric test centre, with a remote proctoring option |
| Pharmacist | Part II | OSCE with 11 scored stations of 7 minutes each, on a separate day |
| Pharmacy technician | Part I | Computer-based multiple choice, one day |
| Pharmacy technician | Part II | OSPE, simulated practical scenarios, on a separate day |
Pharmacist Part I. The exam period is 4 hours 30 minutes and you must arrive 30 minutes early. It is closed book. An on-screen calculator and a formula sheet are provided, and you get a dry-erase board and markers. Government-issued photo ID is required and watches are not allowed. Results are not given on the day.
Pharmacist Part II. There are 11 stations of 7 minutes each: 9 interactive stations, where you work with a simulated patient, client or health professional while a pharmacist assessor scores you, and 2 non-interactive written stations, such as spotting prescription errors or answering a drug information question. The session at the centre lasts about 6.5 hours including admission, orientation, a mid-session break and sign-out. Some stations are video-recorded for quality assurance.
Syllabus
The pharmacist blueprint is built on six major competencies drawn from the 2024 NAPRA Professional Competencies for pharmacists. The page says:
Providing care (clinical care) has the highest weighting overall and in each part.
Providing care (distribution) is weighted more heavily in Part I than in Part II.
Communication and collaboration is weighted more heavily in Part II than in Part I.
Leadership and stewardship has the same weight in both parts, and professionalism is fairly similar in both.
The exact percentages are in the blueprint PDF on the PEBC site and were not readable here. The technician exam has its own blueprint on the technician pages.
Marking and results
Pharmacist Part I: each question is worth one mark. The number of correct answers needed to pass is adjusted by equating so that the standard is the same across exams.
Pharmacist Part II: assessors rate Communications, Outcome and Overall Performance at each of the 11 scored stations, and the three ratings combine into the total.
The pass standard is criterion-referenced. It represents the level of performance appropriate to enter practice, set by a panel of practitioner experts.
Results are posted on the PEBC website within six weeks of the exam. Candidates who are unsuccessful get a feedback report about eight weeks after results are released.
Important dates
PEBC lists these dates for the 2026-2027 sittings, on its dates and fees page.
Pharmacist Part I (MCQ) runs over several days in each window: November 2-6, 2026; February 10-25, 2027; May 12-31, 2027; July 12-23, 2027; and November 1-12, 2027. The listed application deadlines are August 6, 2026, November 19, 2026, February 18, 2027, May 13, 2027 and August 5, 2027. Check the page to see which deadline goes with which window.
Pharmacist Part II (OSCE) is on November 7, 2026, February 21, 2027, May 30, 2027 and November 6, 2027.
Pharmacy technician Part I (MCQ) is on September 10, 2026, April 13, 2027 and September 9, 2027, with application deadlines of June 4, 2026, November 26, 2026 and June 3, 2027.
Pharmacy technician Part II (OSPE) is on September 13, 2026, April 10, 2027 and September 12, 2027.
Fees
PEBC lists these fees in Canadian dollars, marked as 2027 fees.
| Exam | Part I | Part II |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacist | $870 | $1,950 |
| Pharmacy technician | $585 | $1,240 |
How to apply
For Canadian pharmacy graduates the sequence is:
Apply for ID and Education Verification through the PEBC candidate portal.
When approved, apply for an upcoming Qualifying Examination.
Sit Part I and Part II. Both parts must be passed for certification.
After the exam
Both parts must be passed within a three-year period. If you pass one part and not the other within three years, you must retake the part you passed.
Pharmacist attempts: up to four per part. After a third unsuccessful attempt you must show evidence of completed remediation before a fourth. There is also a lifetime limit of eight attempts at either part, even if you complete further pharmacy programs.
Pharmacy technician attempts: up to three per part, then Board-approved remediation is needed for a fourth and final attempt.
After certification, apply to the provincial regulator for a licence, which has its own requirements.
Preparation tips
Use PEBC's blueprint, sample questions, demo tutorial and learning-resource lists. The site says its own pages are the only reliable source of requirements.
For Part II, practise the 7-minute station timing with the communication-heavy stations in mind, since communication is weighted more in Part II than in Part I.
Does PEBC certification let me practise pharmacy?
No. PEBC says certification alone does not give the right to practise. Provincial regulators set additional requirements such as experience, language proficiency and a jurisprudence exam.
Is the Evaluating Examination still required?
The PEBC home page says it is no longer required and that eligible international graduates go directly to the Qualifying Examination. Check the international pathway page for your own situation.