From Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia
The NAPLEX, or 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.
Applicants must register with an
official testing facility, such as
Prometric, at least two
business days 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 a
mandatory 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 solely
of
multiple choice questions;
there are no
essays or
fill-in-the-blank quenstions.
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.
